UNews - Linda Embury

Supporting Our Students plays role in student achievement

trevor.kenney — Tue, 20 May 2014 18:18:16 +0000

On May 29 and 30, the campus will be dressed up by caps and gowns, flowers and photographs as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge community comes together to celebrate convocation and the accomplishments of more than 1,400 graduates.

The next Supporting Our Students campaign milestone is to achieve 250 donors, another 30 participants, before May 31, 2014.

Many people play a supportive role in the life of a student. From friends and family to faculty and staff, a strong support system is crucial to student success. Less conspicuous in the everyday life of a student, scholarships and bursaries also play an important part in helping students achieve their dreams and aspirations.

In 2013, approximately 2,100 scholarships and bursaries were awarded to students, totalling more than $3.5 million. Part of that contribution comes from faculty, staff and retirees who donate to the Supporting Our Students campaign. So, as the 2013-2014 campaign comes to a close, SOS Co-Chairs Lorne Williams, dean of Northern Campuses, and Linda Embury (now retired) want to remind the U of L community that their ongoing support is essential.

In summarizing the 2013/14 campaign, Williams is both proud and optimistic.

“Convocation is a good reminder to reflect on all of our accomplishments, and that includes those of the SOS committee. By the end of 2013, 377 faculty, staff and retirees were participating by supporting students and together we raised more than $177,000,” says Williams. “Each January we set new goals for the upcoming calendar year, so that we can ensure the dollars are there when students need. So our next milestone is to achieve 250 donors, another 30 participants, before May 31, 2014.”

As our campus community gets ready to celebrate convocation, Williams leaves an important reminder.

“As you participate in Convocation, please remember that each and every student is there because of the contributions of many individuals, and I believe we should all take great pride in the part we play. Our job as instructors and administrators is to facilitate student success in ways that most benefit the individual. Giving to SOS, in large or small ways, helps students go forward and become positive forces in the world. So if you haven’t yet made your SOS gift, there is still time”, Williams emphasizes. “Please join the SOS Committee members, your colleagues and peers, and donate to help students succeed."

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To make a gift to SOS, or for more information, please visit: www.uleth.ca/giving. You may also sign up to make monthly gifts through payroll deduction at www.uleth.ca/bridge/sos. Your gift is tax deductible and you may give to any area on campus that is meaningful to you.

Helping students spread their wings

trevor.kenney — Wed, 11 Dec 2013 23:12:20 +0000

On behalf of the faculty and staff, we thank Linda Embury for her decades of service at the U of L, her bright smile and warm heart, and we wish her a very happy retirement.

Linda Embury is the first person you’ll meet when hired at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge – and she’s the first to stand behind our students.

Over the last 24 years, Embury, who is now the assistant to the associate vice-president (HR and Administration), has made it her mission to create a helpful and welcoming work environment.

Linda Embury is not only a pride ambassador for the U of L, she's strong advocate for the Supporting Our Students campaign.

“I think people put my name to the department and know that I’m here to help,” she says. “I’m proud of the friendships I’ve made across campus and my dedication to this job.”

Not only does Embury have a role in hiring at the U of L, her name has become synonymous with one of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s most celebrated events. With enthusiasm and commitment, she has grown the annual Long Service Awards ceremony into an afternoon celebration attended by 400 people.

Needless to say, Embury has an incredible sense of pride in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. She has also come to feel a sense of family on campus. When she and her two sons fell on hard times, the U of L helped her through.

“My goal was to put my sons through university, and as a single mother I had to work three jobs to do it,” she recalls. “My family at the U of L was there for me during that difficult time.”

It was her experience struggling to make ends meet that inspired her to contribute to the Supporting Our Students (SOS) campaign.

“When SOS started, I thought there might be others in situations like the one my family and I were in,” she explains. “If I can help students stay in university and finish off their degrees, it can set them up for life.”

Embury is excited to share the message of SOS throughout the U of L community as Co-Chair of the 2013-2014 campaign. Since its inception in 2005, the annual fundraiser has seen more than 650 ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ faculty, staff and retirees contribute more than $1.5 million towards student scholarships and bursaries.

“I am so honoured to be Co-Chair,” says Embury. “I want to be a role model to my colleagues. I believe we can all afford to give back; every little bit of money helps.”

Embury knows that with the financial challenges students face today, it’s more important than ever for the U of L community to support our students. She also knows first-hand the benefits of education and the importance of seeing a degree through to the end.

“When my sons graduated, I saw what education can do. It can open up the doors of the world,” she says. “I hope my gifts to SOS will help other students finish their education and spread their wings.”

For more information about Supporting Our Students, or to make your contribution today, visit www.uleth.ca/giving.

Join the SOS community

trevor.kenney — Tue, 10 Sep 2013 21:05:08 +0000

Lorne Williams and Linda Embury give to SOS each month – and they hope you’ll join them.

As Co-Chairs of the 2013/14 Supporting Our Students (SOS) campaign, Williams (BMgt ’98, MEd ’07) and Embury are excited to bring the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge community together in support of scholarships and bursaries for students.

“I feel honoured to be Co-Chair,” says Embury, assistant to the associate vice-president (HR and Administration) Human Resources. “I want to be a role model to my colleagues. If we all give, it adds up.”

Linda Embury, left, and Lorne Williams are the Co-Chairs for this year’s Supporting Our Students campaign.

The annual SOS campaign allows U of L faculty, staff and retirees the opportunity to contribute to student awards. SOS participants have enabled an incredible 2,000 scholarships and bursaries to be awarded to deserving students in the past year alone.

According to the Co-Chairs, the campaign has far-reaching impact.

“Students are the reason we are all here. By giving to SOS, we can help students go forward and be positive forces in the external community,” says Williams, the assistant dean of northern campuses.

The Co-Chairs ask that you join them in contributing at a level suitable to your circumstances and to an area on campus that holds meaning for you.

“Every little bit helps. All it takes is a few dollars a month to make a difference,” explains Embury.

Williams and Embury understand the challenges faced by many members of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community at this time, but maintain a sense of pride in the U of L and optimism for the future.

“I know that times are tough as we recover from the southern Alberta flood and face budget cuts,” says Williams, “but the way that we’re getting through these challenges shows our resilience and our collaborative spirit. I believe those same qualities are at the heart of the SOS campaign. Now, more than ever, we need to put students first.”

For more information on Supporting Our Students, or to make your contribution today, visit
www.uleth.ca/giving/supporting-our-students.

U of L Long Service Awards

trevor.kenney — Fri, 07 May 2010 22:02:22 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is holding its annual Long Service Awards and Retirement Recognition Ceremony on Wednesday, May 5, at 1 p.m. in the Students' Union ballrooms. A total of 116 employees who have completed 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 years of service will be honoured, along with 20 retiring employees.

Following is a list of honoured employees.

Retirees

Hart Cantelon, Adrian Cooke, Hank DeRidder, Linda Gray, Rose Helmer, Bill Hennessy, Randy Joseph, Dave Kunimoto, Toni Nelson, Rita Nieuwenhuis, Fran Olivier, Joanne Overn, Frank Perrotta, Ralph Pollock, Kent Rolfson, Gloria Samuels, Jonathan Seldin, Dennis Thompson, Frank VandenHeuvel and Hafizah Yahya

Long Service Recipients

35 Years | Reg Bibby, Merle Christie, Richard Epp, Christina Lastuka, Leroy Little Bear and Ian Wells

30 Years | Lynn Arnold, Leslie Lavers and Timothy Pope

25 Years | Donna Court, Marion Eastman, Rita Law, Jennifer Mather, Ralph Pollock, Leslie Robison-Greene, Pamela Loewen and Charlene Sawatsky

20 Years | Scott Allen, Pat Anderson, Steve Calvert, Garth Copeland, Leslie Dawn, Karen Dow-Cazal, Barbara Dudley, Linda Embury, Kim Fowler, Rumi Graham, Ruth Grant Kalischuk, Linda Gray, Anthony Hall, Wendy Herbers, Pat Hodd, Shelly Hutchinson, Leona Jacobs, Tom Johnston, Cindy Kabelka, Stella Kedoin, Hadi Kharaghani, Al Kizuk, Vern Leckie, Patti Leeb, James McDowell, Ken McInnes, Mike McKenna, Glen Montgomery, Jane O'Dea, Fran Olivier, Joanne Overn, Debbie Payne, Margaret Rodermond, Catherine Ross, David Siminovitch, Jackie Slezina, Dan Sudo, Darlene Sutherland, Julie Tran, Nancy Walker, Wendy Westergreen and Pamela Winsor

15 Years | Nola Aitken, Heather Anderson, Katherine Chiste, Fred Del Cid, Susanne Garner, Linda Gilbert, Al Hill, Rebecca Johnson, Lyn Jose, Catherine Kanashiro, Terry Kirkvold, Marc Roussel,and Lorne Williams

10 Years | Amir Akbary-Majdabadno, Debra Basil, Michael Basil, Jasminn Berteotti, Brian Black, Jodie Black, Bill Cade, Jane Cahoon, Steve Craig, Brian Dobing, Anne Dymond, Richard Feenstra, James Graham, Arlene Grimes, Thelma Gunn, Erika Hasebe-Ludt, David Hay, Lynn Hopkins, Gordon Hunter, Tanya Jacobson-Gundlock, Mary Kavanagh, Dan Kazakoff, Abdie Kazemipur, Stefan Kienzle, Danny Le Roy, Becky Lore, Heidi MacDonald, Kevin Matis, Muriel Mellow, Richard Mueller, Brenda Nixon, Sam Ogita, Gail Postman, Drew Rendall, Kelly Roberts, Gongbing Shan, Kim Skura, Heather Stevens, Trent Takeyasu, Gwen Umeris, Paul Vasey, Cindy Venhuis, Mike Whipple, Ilsa Wong and Wei Xu

Celebrate Long Service Awards

trevor.kenney — Wed, 05 May 2010 17:01:14 +0000

Following is a list of honoured employees.

Retirees

Long Service Recipients

35 Years | Reg Bibby, Merle Christie, Richard Epp, Christina Lastuka, Leroy Little Bear and Ian Wells

30 Years | Lynn Arnold, Leslie Lavers and Timothy Pope

25 Years | Donna Court, Marion Eastman, Rita Law, Jennifer Mather, Ralph Pollock, Leslie Robison-Greene, Pamela Loewen and Charlene Sawatsky

Putting the Plan into action

trevor.kenney — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:04:45 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's new 2009-2013 Strategic Plan was released to the U of L community in early February through a well-attended launch event in the Atrium. One of the major goals of the plan's authors was to not have it sit stale after being rolled out to the community. It is, after all, a dynamic document that was crafted to change with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ over the next five years.

A series of videos discussing the five strategic priorities of the plan was created to show how U of L staff, faculty and students can continue to participate in the implementation of the plan. These videos can be viewed on the Strategic Plan website or by clicking on the "Featured Video" link on the UNews homepage.

Linda Embury, the face of the Human Resources Department, is a big proponent of developing a strong internal community at the U of L.

Every two weeks, UNews updates the Featured Video to reflect a different section of the 2009-2013 Strategic Plan. The latest video to go up speaks about the U of L building its internal community and enhancing relationships with its external communities.

The Strategic Plan booklet produced by the Communications Office provides testimonials from all walks of the U of L community. Linda Embury, an administrative assistant in the Human Resources Department, is one of the first faces people see when they visit the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. Therefore, she was a perfect fit for discussing this strategic priority.

"We are each a piece of the pie that is the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, and without us, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ wouldn't be the success it is," Embury says, speaking of the real strength of the institution, its people.

Maintaining that personality and fostering relations is a big part of her role. While it has changed over the years, she understands how important it is to continue building the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's internal community.

"When I look at how the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has changed over the last 20 years that I have been here, we have grown tremendously. There are more people, we have spread out over many buildings and consequently need to use e-mail instead of going down the hall to speak with someone like we did in the old days. But we still are a family, and maintaining that family atmosphere is extremely important to me," Embury says. "In my day-to-day work, I make a special effort to ensure that I give whoever comes into Human Resources – whether it's a staff or faculty member, a student or someone off the street – the very best service possible. You never realize the impact that you will have on someone down the road."

Embury is one of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's biggest fans and it is reflected when she welcomes a new employee or simply gets an opportunity to tell someone where she works. In that way, she is actively engaging the Strategic Plan.

"I am always very proud to be part of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge," she says. "I think it's a fabulous place to learn and to work, and I take that message out into the community with me wherever I go."

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