Page 4 - Gears and Ears November 2013

Member Profile

Jeff Calvert

Joined Rotary in: 1986 (?) Brisbane Mid City Club, Queensland,
Australia

Education: Associate Degree Catering, Sydney, Australia

Marital status: Married to an American Beauty!

First job: Royal Australian Navy – joined at 17 years

Most fun job: While working in the Navy, I took a second job
working weekends as a barmen in a private rowing club in
Sydney, Australia

Career background: I spent 9 years in the Navy, left and bought a motel with my father,
worked a few years and sold it. Joined ITT Sheraton in Brisbane, moved and promoted quickly
while working in a hotel/casino, and resorts in Langkawi, Malaysia.
Moved to the USA as General Manager to open resort in Key West (my first impression of
America!). Moved to Orlando with Sheraton then accepted a position with Hilton to run a large
timeshare resort three years. Saw the light and left the corporate world!
Started Calvert Cleaning Services in 2006 and built a business mostly on commercial offices,
started Solutions in Hospitality in 2008, a staffing company where my employees work in a
hotel or restaurant on a contract basis. Wasn’t busy enough so in 2013 created
Jobsforworkers.com, an online employment website.

Why did you join Rotary? My former father-in-law was a District Governor in Australia and he
had suggested that I join Rotary to meet other business leaders and not think about the hotel all
the time.

Are you a Paul Harris Fellow? Two times and proud of it!

What other Rotary honors have you been awarded: In South Florida I won the district
award for a club bulletin (that’s when we printed copies on a printer and stapled all the pages –
memories of the old days before the birth of an online e-magazine)

What club positions have you held in Rotary: Past President, Vice President, Club Service
Director, Youth Exchange chair, Social committee chair, Director of road cleaning, and recently
promoted to Publisher in charge of the e-magazine for our Lake Buena Vista club.

Which committee (avenue of service) interests you? Club administration or social
committee, I like to quietly look after our fellow club Rotarians.

Current employer/ position: Self-employed, having fun trying to run three companies.
Travel interests: I have traveled all over the world. I have enjoyed showing Patty Australia a
th
few times, and traveling to London and Paris for our 10 wedding anniversary. I want her to see
Italy and Scotland (two favorite places).
Something we don’t know about you! I love sailing and would love to have a yacht. I have
been described as a serial entrepreneur by my friends.