Meet the New Bridge VICTOR J CONNELL National Area Rear Commodore – Pacific (elect) Article & photos by Mel Borofsky, Editor, SITREP

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ARCO Pacific (E) Victor Connell with Admiral Thad Allen (L)

Commodore Victor J. Connell assumed his current office as District Commodore for Auxiliary District Eleven North in January 2007.

Commodore Connell was raised in New York City. He attended Harvard College, where he was graduated in 1970 with high honors as a pre-med student, majoring in History and Science. While at Harvard, he was a member of the 1968 football team which went undefeated and won the Ivy League Championship. He was graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1974, and completed his surgical internship and residency training at the University of California, San Francisco.

The Commodore is retired from the Permanente Medical Group, having worked in a large group medical practice setting for 34 years. Initially trained in general surgery, he has also practiced emergency medicine, occupational medicine, orthopedics, and adult primary care. He has been a member of the Napa County Medical Society, the California Medical Association, and the Napa County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team. During his career he has held numerous leadership and administrative positions including chief of his department, peer review committees, and teaching positions.

Commodore Connell began his Coast Guard Auxiliary career in 1997 in Napa, California and has served in most elected positions in the Auxiliary. In addition, he has held numerous appointed positions on flotilla, division, district and national staffs. He has completed the specialty courses leading to AUXOP, and holds qualifications as a CG Auxiliary Physician, Coxswain, Vessel Examiner, Instructor, CG Academy Admissions Partner, and for AUXDATA Input.

The Commodore serves on the CG Auxiliary Association Fiscal Committee, the Auxiliary National Long Range Planning Committee, and has participated in the Evergreen Project for CG Strategic Planning. He was one of the first physicians to become qualified in the Auxiliarist Support to CG Medical Facilities Program, which recruits and qualifies Auxiliary health care providers in support of CG health care activity nationally. He serves as Area Manager for CG Medical Support for the Pacific Area and volunteers regularly as a physician at the CG Medical Clinic at TRACEN Petaluma. Dr. Connell also serves as the CG Academy AIM program’s Medical Team coordinator and as a Physician Team Leader at AIM since 2004.

Commodore Connell is currently a member of Flotilla 51 in Vallejo, CA. He has received the Auxiliary Medal of Operational Merit and two Auxiliary Commendation Medals. He and his wife Diane live in Napa Valley, California and have four adult daughters

~HRW