24 Facts About Mike Cottell

Mike Cottell then became an assistant in the engineering department of Hampshire County Council and studied civil engineering under a day release scheme at University College, Southampton.

Mike Cottell excelled in his studies and achieved top marks in all fields.

Mike Cottell carried out his national service obligation with the Royal Engineers and saw service in the Malaya Emergency, working alongside the Gurkhas.

Mike Cottell was recalled to serve with the army in the Suez Crisis of 1956.

Mike Cottell was elected a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1958, upon reaching the then minimum age of 25.

Mike Cottell was an early adopter of computers for engineering design and a paper he wrote on their use was awarded a prize by the Institution of Municipal Engineers.

Mike Cottell is regarded as one of the main contributors to the development of computer-aided design.

Mike Cottell developed an early highways design computer program, known as VALOR, in 1970 that was used by many local authorities in the UK.

Mike Cottell became assistant and deputy county surveyor for East Suffolk and East Sussex and was elected a fellow of the ICE in 1976.

Mike Cottell became county surveyor of Northamptonshire in 1979 and of Kent in 1984.

In recognition of his work Mike Cottell was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire on 31 December 1987.

Mike Cottell was appointed a major in the Engineering and Transport Staff Corps, a volunteer unpaid force providing technical expertise to the British Army, on 1 April 1989.

Mike Cottell was promoted to lieutenant-colonel in that corps on 30 September 1992 and was transferred onto the supernumerary list of officers on 25 July 1996.

Mike Cottell remained heavily involved with the ICE, writing papers for their journals and serving on regional committees for the South Midlands, East Anglia and the South East.

Mike Cottell served on the ICE council for five years and was vice-president from 1989 to 1992.

Mike Cottell was a director of the ICE's publishing arm, Thomas Telford Ltd, from 1991 to 1992 and the Benevolent Fund of the ICE from 1992 to 1993.

Mike Cottell served as president of the ICE from November 1992 to November 1993.

Mike Cottell was given chairmanship of a committee investigating the applicability of the Staff College concept to the British Construction industry by the 1994 Latham Report.

Mike Cottell was at various times president and secretary of the County Surveyors' Society and Chairman of the Association of Municipal Engineers.

Mike Cottell served as a member of the National Economic Development Office and produced a report, entitled A new approach to road planning, for them.

Mike Cottell retired in 1991 and lived in Kent with his wife Joan.

Mike Cottell continued his involvement with the ICE and with the Rees Jeffreys Road Fund, the Worshipful Company of Paviors, the Worshipful Company of Engineers and the Civil Engineers' Club of which he became chairman.

Mike Cottell was a director of Waterman Aspen, the recruitment consultants, from 1996 to 2001 and was an executive director of Travers Morgan.

Mike Cottell was a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, being elected in 1990.