A graduate from Melbourne University’s School of Dental Science, George set up his own large regional dental practice in Ballarat some twenty years ago. But, with a passion for giving back to the community, George decided to sell his practice and volunteer through the Pacific Islands dental charity, Australian Christian Dental Aid. He has completed approximately 16 trips to Vanuatu providing dental care in remote villages.
George was introduced to Rotary through current Southbank Club President, Jasmin Dhillon, and after attending a few meetings, joined the club in June this year. In George’s words: “I enjoyed the company of like-minded people with a focus on giving back to the local and global community.”
George is now eager to use his Rotary experience to learn and connect to the highly skilled and passionate individuals that make up Rotary and contribute in whatever ways he can. Being of service and being able to provide access to healthcare to underserviced and underprivileged communities locally and globally is a personal goal of George’s as a Rotarian.
George has a very strong volunteer mindset. In addition to his work as a volunteer dentist in Vanuatu, he also volunteers on a fortnightly basis at an inner-city food truck service called Manna 4 Life, based in Kensington.
With a personal maxim centred on Eckert Tolle’s teachings, George believes in living mindfully—being in the now with full awareness and intention. He views being able to give back a privilege and feels that human connection and the mental health impacts associated with the inability to connect are key challenges facing our world. “Apart from the increase in digitalisation (AI) the current circumstances of isolation and social-distancing are, and will continue to have an impact on connection,” advised George.