AAHMES 99TH POTENTATE

Michael Cornell

Mike was born in Rice Lake, Wisconsin in June, 1945. His parents owned a resort on a lake near Rice Lake. He lived there for about 1½ years and then moved back to Genoa, Illinois. He spent his childhood in Genoa where he attended Genoa Grade School, Genoa Middle School, and graduated from Genoa- Kingston High School in 1963.

He then went on to college and attended Northern Illinois University in DeKalb and graduated from there with a B. S. Degree in Chemistry in 1973.Also, during this time, he spent three years in the U.S. Army. He took his basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri. He next went to Ft. McClellan, AL where he received his training as a Chemical Laboratory Specialist. After graduation, he was asked to become a member of a training cadre at the U.S. Army Chemical Center and School. He accepted the position and remained at the school for three years. During his stay at the school, he worked in the Security Offi ce and the Health Physics Offi ce.

In June of 1973, he started working at Amersham/Searle Corporation in Arlington Heights, Illinois as a Production Chemist. He held this position until July, 1982 when he was laid off. This was during the time of our last great turndown in the economy, so it was hard to fi nd meaningful work.

He was unemployed until March 1983, when he was hired by the U.S. Navy at Mare Island to work as a Radiological Control Technician. He held this position for four years until he was promoted to a Supervisor, Radiological Control Technician. During his eight year career with the Navy, he worked on many overhauls of nuclear powered Submarines, Cruisers, and Aircraft Carriers. He held that position until 1991, when he transferred to the Department of Energy.

He worked for the Department of Energy in the Livermore Site Offi ce located at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) as a Health Physicist. In this position, he oversaw the Radiation Protection Program of LLNL. In the late 90's, he also took on the responsibility of managing the Radiological Assistance Program (RAP). This was a program that provided radiological/nuclear training and assistance to local, State, and Federal agencies in California, Hawaii, Nevada, and the Pacifi c Rim Territories.

This position took on added signifi cance after 9/11. Before this event the probability of a radiological/nuclear attack was very low. After the event, there was a very large concern that the country was not prepared for such an event, so the RAP position became a full-time position. This allowed him to devote all of his time in preparing his region so they could respond to such an event. He continued in the RAP position until his retirement in February 2011.

Mike's Masonic career began in Genoa, Illinois. He was raised as a Master Mason in Genoa Lodge #288 in September 1982. He became a dual member of Diablo Valley Lodge #448 in Concord after he moved to California in 1983. He served as Master of his Lodge in 1991 and 2004. He is currently serving his Lodge as their Treasurer. He received the Hiram Award from his Lodge in 2007. He also serves Grand Lodge as a Trustee of the Masonic Homes of California.

He initially joined the Masons so he could join the Order of the Eastern Star and serve as the Worthy Patron for his Sister, Linda. He did join Eastern Star in Genoa, Illinois, but only served with his Sister for six months before he moved to California. He affi liated with Concord Chapter #384 and has served nine times as their Worthy Patron. He also served Grand Chapter as the Grand Sentinel in 2002 and the Worthy Grand Patron in 2006.

He has worked with two different Assemblies of the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls. He has been a member of the Concord Assembly #15 Board for the past fi ve years and serves as the Board Chairman. He also received the Grand Cross of Color in 2009.

He joined Aahmes Shrine in 1984. He is a member of the Legion of Honor, the Past Masters, and an Associate Member of the Clowns.

He has made two big decisions in his life. The fi rst was to move to California in 1983. The second was to attend a Lodge dance in November of 1983. The second was the most important, because this is where he fi rst met his wife, Norma. They dated for a few months and then were married on June 23, 1984 in Munjor, Kansas in the same church her parents were married in almost 50 years earlier.

Email: mcornell@aahmes.org
4000 Santa Fe Court, Concord 94521-1719
Res: (925) 689-5425 Cell: (925) 998-0679