Jeff has contributed to effective wildlife hazard management for over 20 years at Avisure, particularly specialising in wildlife management and emerging disease ecology. He gave a very relevant and engaging presentation entitled ‘The HPAI H5N1 PANZOOTIC, or Bird Flu Gone Ballistic’ during the AAWHG’s 2026 conference. As a pilot and wildlife ecologist, Jeff is passionate about raising awareness of the necessity for taking a whole-of-industry approach to wildlife hazard management. As he says, ‘Airports don’t hit birds, aircraft do!’
His Hall of Fame commendation read:
‘Dr Jeff McKee has an eclectic and diverse background. After graduating in science (genetics) and then veterinary science in the early 80s, he had many careers, including time as a flying vet to remote cattle stations around Western Australia. Jeff worked in both the university and corporate R&D sectors in Australia and abroad, gaining experience in molecular biology and immunology. After returning to Australia in 1994, Jeff focused on wildlife population health assessment, wildlife management and emerging disease ecology, developing the Mobile Disease Ecology Unit to research koala and platypus health. In 2006 he joined wildlife hazard management consultancy, Avisure, and using his vast and relevant experience as a wildlife ecologist and pilot, quickly identified that effective wildlife hazard management had to include airspace management responsibility, and that the issue could not be managed by focusing on aerodromes only. In 2016 he was lead author on a chapter in the book Problematic Wildlife – A Cross-Disciplinary Approach. The chapter ‘Approaches to Wildlife Management in Aviation’ was an important trigger for slow but certain movement toward an industry-wide approach to managing the aviation wildlife collision risk. His influence on how this aviation risk will be managed into the future cannot be underestimated: his legacy will endure. The AAWHG has much pleasure in welcoming Jeff to the Hall of Fame.’
