28 Volunteers Outstanding volunteers gain recognition In November we were delighted to present three volunteers with IET awards that recognise their exceptional efforts on our behalf. Member News March 2019 IET Volunteer Medal IET Fellow John Harvey is the worthy winner of the 2018 IET Volunteer Medal, which recognises major and outstanding contributions voluntarily given to furthering the aims of the IET. John has been supporting the IET and its predecessor, the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE), for more than 60 years, including chairing the Solent Local Network and then its Retired Members Section. For the past 12 years he has been the Secretary of the latter, responsible for organising a very popular programme of lectures that regularly attracts more than 100 attendees. Being an IEE Council Member was John’s most memorable volunteering activity: I met some interesting members and we were able to exchange information on our engineering experiences.” He continued: “It was at an exciting time in the development of the future of the Institution and I felt that I was making a useful contribution.” When asked what he is most proud of as a volunteer, John replied: “My medal, of course, for the recognition of my support to the Institution.” Paul Fletcher Award The Paul Fletcher Award is presented annually to a young professional volunteer whose contribution to our activities has been outstanding. This year, the standard of entries was so high that the judges decided to make not one, but two awards. The first recipient is Dr John Tan, who was “surprised and delighted” to have won. John’s relentless drive and commitment have lifted the IET Malaysia Young Professional Section to new heights since he joined in 2014. Elected as Chair in September 2017, John has worked tirelessly to realise his vision: to help close the gap between school, university and industry, and inspire more young people to enter a career in engineering. John has gone the extra mile to help young people develop into leaders too. It’s a process that can take years, but I enjoy the journey,” said John. “That’s why I spend a lot of time with students through IET On Campus in Malaysia, sharing my experiences and helping them to develop leadership, communication and organisational skills. “My leadership style is very much based around coaching, instilling positive values, empowerment and recognition.” The second recipient is Darren Williams, the amazing IET volunteer from the UK who was “very humbled” to discover that he had won a second award in 2018 – you can read more about his successes on the following page. John Tan CEng MIET John Harvey FIET, IET Volunteer Medal winner