UNews - alumni

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ partners with 1st Choice Savings to present community events

trevor.kenney — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 22:29:13 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is thankful for the support from 1st Choice Savings and Credit Union as they partner for a pair of exciting community events taking place on campus in the next week.

On Wednesday evening, 1st Choice Savings is sponsoring the final Canada West home games of the regular season for the Pronghorns basketball teams (games at 6 and 8 p.m.) by presenting a Free Student Night. With a possible home playoff berth on the line for the Horns men’s team, it promises to be a big night in the 1st Choice Savings Centre gymnasium.

During a break in the action, 1st Choice Savings will be making a significant donation to support the facility that bears their name. The 1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness is a hub for community athletic events, regularly hosting athletes, coaches and community members from across southern Alberta.

One such event, Play Day, will take place Monday, February 17 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., inviting families from Lethbridge and area to come out and play.

Thousands of children and parents have converged on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ the past two Family Days, and with an out-of-this-world space theme planned for the third annual event, Play Day promises to reach even greater heights.

“We have a lot of really wonderful events here on campus where we can connect with the southern Alberta community and Play Day just seems to take it to another level,” says ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President and Vice-chancellor, Dr. Mike Mahon. “It’s something I’m always extremely excited about because the concept is so simple, and yet the benefits of bringing families together to engage in play are so far-reaching.”

All this would not be possible without the vision and support of 1st Choice Savings and Credit Union, who partners with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ to host the annual event.

“The opportunity for us to partner with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in a program that really promotes family and community is very close to the heart of what makes credit unions different,” says Brian Kinahan (BMgt ’79), president & CEO of 1st Choice Savings and Credit Union and a U of L alumnus. “One of our core values is “care for our community” and seeing the smiles on the faces of children and their parents as they come out to enjoy the great facilities that the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has to offer helps us to know how important that value is.”

The activity list for Play Day 2014 includes everything Play Day veterans have come to know and love as well as some exciting new offerings. The ever-popular cardboard box free build returns, as do the physical activity zones such as basketball, floor hockey, gymnastics and the climbing wall. The photo booth and face-painting areas will once again be hives of activity, while the swimming pool is also expected to be busy.

This year’s space theme will integrate itself into a variety of zones, including the Science Zone, where participants can first create and then launch their own rockets. There’s also an opportunity to build a solar system, colonize Mars, program your parent and succeed in space-themed computer challenges. Add in a variety of space games such as Angry Birds Space, Alien Invasion and Lightsabre Wars and Play Day offers a full day of activity.

Admission and parking for Play Day are free and people are encouraged to bring gym shoes, comfortable clothing and a swimsuit to maximize their opportunity for fun.

“I’ve always found that families who encourage play and spend time playing together really strengthen those family bonds,” adds Mahon, whose play research has focused on sports, physical activity and the concept of play among youth in developing countries. “As a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ devoted to bettering our community, Play Day is the essence of that spirit.”

Khan holding Candlelight Vigil in Calgary, Feb. 1

trevor.kenney — Mon, 27 Jan 2014 20:26:46 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge alumnus Manwar Khan (BSc '07) is holding a Candlelight Vigil on Saturday, February 1, 2014 at 6:30 p.m. at the Calgary Municipal Complex Plaza Space as he continues to campaign against bullying and violence.

Manwar Khan believes we can all play a part in stemming bullying and violence.

"We will be gathering in front of the Calgary Municipal Complex Plaza to show our support for every known and unknown victim of bullying and violence in Alberta," says Khan, who witnessed a violent attack on an Edmonton LRT train in December 2012. It led to the death of one man and the incarceration of another.

"This vigil will ensure that kids who were bullied to death across Canada are not forgotten, and empower bystanders to step in when they witness bullying and violence," adds Khan. "We want to show the world that we Albertans do care; we will not keep quiet, and will continue our fight against bullying and violence.

Khan established a series of anti-bullying rallies in the summer of 2013, holding events in Edmonton, Calgary and Lethbridge. He has vowed to continue to represent victims of bullying and to try and stem the onset of violence so that it does not persist in society.

"It is a distressing fact that bullying occurs on the schoolyard. It is even more distressing to know that this continues on among adults in environments such as the workplace," he says. "I believe firmly that it is a matter of great importance to teach our children that bullying is simply not acceptable in our society if we are to achieve safety and happiness for all."

Kinahan values community service opportunities

trevor.kenney — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 23:11:08 +0000

Graduating from high school, Brian Kinahan (BMgt '79), president and CEO of 1st Choice Savings, planned on a year of work and play before settling down to attend university. Due to an unfortunate work accident, Kinahan's year of adventure quickly lost its appeal.

"I found myself sitting around, not able to do a lot. Worker's compensation offered to pay for me to go to university. All my friends were going to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge so I thought I might as well too," remembers Kinahan. "I don't think I took it very seriously; I was too interested in having a good time and had no focus. It took two years to realize that this wasn't leading me anywhere, so at the end of 1975 I took some time off."

Kinahan spent the next year and a half working odd jobs, including driving truck, working at a feedlot, a car rental agency and a home renovation centre.

"At the end of the year and a half, I travelled for two months. When I was in Europe, I started thinking about what I wanted to do with my life. I knew I wanted to get an education. I did not want to work at lower paying jobs that I knew would not provide for the things I wanted in life, so I returned to the U of L in the fall of 1977," recalls Kinahan.

Unlike his previous two years, Kinahan came back to school with a determination to work hard and to focus on management, mathematics and economics.

"I realized that if I wanted to succeed it was up to me, no one else was going to do it for me. I started searching out my professors, picking their brains and building relationships with them. One of my professors, Stash Sikora, gave me insight into things I could possibly do and directions I could take with my degree. Another professor, Roger Rickwood really helped me buckle down and think about things. He helped me work on my reasoning and cognitive thinking. I finished my last few years with a much better GPA simply because I took an interest in my education," says Kinahan.

"At the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ I gained the ability to think through problems and come up with solutions, to expand my mind and think beyond more than just one focus. I was well prepared for the work world when I graduated."

While helping to build a successful financial institution is something he is very proud of, he is also grateful for the opportunities he has had to serve in the community.

"I was very involved in the LA Swim Club and the Lethbridge Cosmos Soccer Club when my children were young. Through the credit union, I also spent several years working with Habitat for Humanity, which later led to my involvement with the Social Housing in Action Committee in Lethbridge," says Kinahan. "It was very rewarding to see people get their own housing. I view my current position as probably the last position I will have before I retire. My goal is to continue building on the success of 1st Choice Savings, guiding it to be a viable and important part of the financial world that focuses on being a community-minded institution that cares about individuals."

Kinahan is community oriented

trevor.kenney — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 21:18:09 +0000

Alumnus Brian Kinahan learned the critical thinking skills he'd need to succeed in the business world while at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Kinahan spent the next year and a half working odd jobs, including driving truck, working at a feedlot, a car rental agency and a home renovation centre.

Unlike his previous two years, Kinahan came back to school with a determination to work hard and a focus on management, mathematics and economics.

Kinahan graduated with a bachelor's degree in management arts in 1979 and began working for the Bank of Montreal (BMO). For the next eight years, he and his family moved throughout central Alberta before coming back to Lethbridge where he and his wife decided to raise their four children.

Facing another transfer, Kinahan left BMO in 1989 and accepted a job as the manager of lending for St. Patrick's Credit Union. In 2001, St. Patrick's merged with another credit union to become 1st Choice Savings and Credit Union and Kinahan became vice-president credit and risk management. He was promoted to president and CEO in 2009. Kinahan has played an integral part in the growth of the credit union, which now boasts a balance sheet in excess of $400 million.

While helping to build a successful financial institution is something he is very proud of, he is also grateful for the opportunities he has had to serve in the community.

GET THE FACTS

• He married his wife Linda in 2006.

• A Member of the Knights of Columbus since 1982, Kinahan is also the current director of People of Praise Live in Society.

• From 2002 to 2005, he was Chair of the affordable housing subcommittee of the Lethbridge Social Housing in Action Committee.

• From 1995 to 1998 he was chairman of the Alberta Credit Union Lenders Association and was instrumental in the implementation of the computerized loan origination system for Alberta credit unions.

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