Retired Millicent educational leader and health administrator John Drew has been thanked by Wattle Range Council and the Local Government Association for his decade of service as an elected member for Corcoran ward.
Mayor Des Noll presented him with a framed certificate of appreciation at the November monthly council meeting.
A vacancy had arisen in 2013 due to the resignation of Tantanoola’s Darren O’Halloran owing to a work transfer.
Councillor Drew was the sole nominee for the O’Halloran vacancy and he was subsequently re-elected at the 2014. 2018 and 2022 state-wide elections.
He has been involved in all aspects of council including active membership of such groups as the Social Issues Committee and the Lake McIntyre Management Committee.
Mr Drew and his family have lived in Millicent since 1980 when he transferred from the helm of Jamestown Primary School and took up the position of principal of Millicent North Primary School.
He became the South East Regional Superintendent of Education in 1994 and served in this role for seven years until retirement.
His interest in education then continued as a supervisor of Flinders University student teachers in this region.
Another passion of Mr Drew is health administration and he is a past chairman of the Millicent Hospital Board and the SE Regional Health Service.
He has also served on the boards of Country Health SA and the former Millicent-based Limestone Coast Division of General Practice.
A past winner of the Australia Day Citizen of the Year Award for Corcoran ward, Mr Drew has been president of the Millicent Lions Club and the Millicent Bowling Club.
Mr Drew has an interest in “ham” radio and has shared his technical expertise with the Millicent community radio station 5THE FM.
