RSL HISTORY

Member of the RSL since 1967, he has been the Secretary of the Washington, DC RSL Sub Branch and is currently the President of the Ringwood RSL Sub Branch.

Qualifications

• Graduate of the Officer Cadet School of Australia – Portsea.
• Corporate Director’s Diploma – University of New England / Corporate Director’s Association.
• Advanced Certificate in Public Administration – RMIT.
• Certificate IV in Workplace Training and Assessment – Tabor College.
• Completed the Logistic Executive Development Program – Michigan State / Monash University (David Syme Business School).
• PRINCE2 Project Management Foundation Certificate.

Awards

• Appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 1997 for exceptional service as the Army’s Director of Capital Procurement.
• Recipient of the 2017 Deakin Community Award for services to the community.
• Recipient of the Meritorious Service Award by the Washington DC RSL Sub Branch.
• Awarded life membership of the Defence Force Welfare Association.
• Awarded life membership of the Returned and Service League of Australia.

Professional Experience

David has an extensive background in management and logistics, with operational experience. He held a number of command positions throughout his military career including command of a supply unit in South Vietnam. He has served in Singapore (ANZUK Force) and with the Australian Embassy in Washington DC. He raised and deployed the Army’s field supply battalion as part of the Operational Deployment Force. He has held appointments as a national inventory and budget manager in the Army Logistic Command and was also appointed the Director of Capital Procurement for the Army. In this latter position he re-engineered the directorate to provide effective specialist contracting, financial management and initial inventory evaluation services as well as achieving third party quality accreditation to AS 9002.

Following his military career, he was Joint Managing Director of Logistics Consulting International Pty Ltd and consulted in the fields of management, leadership development, mentoring, purchasing and logistics. In this capacity he worked with a range of respected organisations in Australia as well as being invited to co-lead and conduct professional development seminars on management, purchasing and logistic related topics in Australia, SE Asia and the Middle East. Clients included TOLL Specialised Logistics, China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing (Beijing), The Royal Women’s Hospital, Caterpillar Logistics/BAE SYSTEMS/Honeywell Joint Venture, Compaq/Digital, Hospital Supplies of Australia, QANTAS Express, Institute of International Research (IIR)-United Arab Emirates, Monash Medical Centre and Monash University.

Veteran and Community Involvement

David was the National President of the Defence Force Welfare Association from 2007 – 2017.

In 2010, he was instrumental in forming the Alliance of Defence Service Organisations; now an alliance of 18 ex-service organisations Australia wide and recognised by federal parliamentarians of all persuasions as a professional and credible representative voice for veterans and serving defence members. He was appointed its national spokesman on its formation. In this capacity and as National President of the Defence Force Welfare Association, he represented the interests of serving ADF members, the veteran community and their families to the highest levels of government and to the general public. In addition to these roles he actively promoted unity within the veteran community alongside the RSL National President with the encouragement of the Minister for Veteran Affairs and Defence Personnel, the Chief of the Defence Force and the Secretary of the Department of Veteran Affairs.

He relinquished his positions as National President Defence Force Welfare Association as well as Convenor and National Spokesperson of the Alliance of Defence Service Organisations in August 2017.

Having completed his tenure he relinquished the appointment of Honorary Colonel Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps (Victoria / Tasmania) in November 2009.

He established the Australian Army White Water Association and led a number of expeditions to India, New Zealand and within Australia. He was appointed a life member for his services to the Association.

Other community involvement has included roles as a Director of Defence Health and Vice President of Donvale Christian College.