UNews - Armin Escher

Business leader Cyndi Bester named new president of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Alumni Association

trevor.kenney — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 16:22:17 +0000

Award-winning business leader, concert pianist and double alumnus Cyndi Bester (BMus ’95, MEd ’01) is the new president of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Alumni Association (ULAA).

Cyndi Bester has been CEO of the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce since 2019 and a continuing supporter of ULethbridge since her days as a student.

The ULAA now boasts more than 55,000 alums, who are making a difference in communities throughout our province, country and around the world. The role of ULAA President is key in maintaining connections with those alumni, engaging them with each other, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and current students.

“Taking on the role of ULAA President is both an honour and a responsibility I hold dear,” says Bester. “It appeals to me because it offers a unique opportunity to give back to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ that has given me so much, while also helping to foster a strong and engaged alumni network.”

Bester has helmed successful companies specializing in registry services, health care and workplace safety. Her professional career began under the direction of her entrepreneurial parents, focusing on health care with We Care Health Services for 20 years, where she served as CEO for a decade. After selling the company at 39, she became the managing partner of Lethbridge Vehicle Licensing & Registry, the final enterprise under the family umbrella.

Since early 2019, Bester has been CEO of the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce, leading a wide range of policy initiatives aimed at strengthening the local business community. Beyond the business world, she has traveled globally as a solo concert pianist, performing in Canada, England, Poland, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and the United States. She is also an accomplished author, co-writing four bestselling books: The Fine Art of Parenting After Separation: The Power of a Positive Mental Attitude, The Girl in the Red Bikini, Johnny B, and Bach, Beethoven, Brahms and Bartok: Lessons from the Big Four. Additionally, she is active in the fitness community, competing nationally in bodybuilding.

“My experience at ULethbridge was transformative,” Bester reflects. “The liberal education focus encouraged me to explore a variety of disciplines, which has deeply influenced my approach to both my professional and personal life. The skills and perspectives I gained there have been invaluable in navigating the diverse range of pursuits I’ve been involved in over the years.”

A tireless volunteer who has received national recognition for her philanthropic efforts, Bester currently serves as a Co-Chair of the Reconciliation Lethbridge Advisory Committee, a member of the Community Wellbeing and Safety Advisory Committee, the YWCA Board of Directors, and the board of directors of the Lethbridge Hurricanes. She recently completed terms on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Senate and Economic Development Lethbridge. In October 2022, she was inducted into the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Alumni Honour Society.

In addition to Bester’s appointment, Deirdre McKenna (BA ’94) now moves into the role of ULAA past-president, Lisa Neufeld (BA ’97) is vice-president and Wheaton King (BMgt ’17) has been appointed secretary for the association. As well, three new directors are on board, including Armin Escher (BSc '13), Brendan Cummins (BA '16, MA '18) and Emmanuel Makoni (BMgt '17). For more, check out information on the full ULAA Council.

New food vendor coming to campus

trevor.kenney — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 23:09:23 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has reached an agreement with ARAMARK to provide onsite food services on its Lethbridge campus.

The decision to choose ARAMARK as the U of L's food provider was, after a long and inclusive process, finalized at today's Board of Governors meeting.

After conducting a thorough and extensive review of food services on campus, the U of L released a Request for Proposal for campus food services in the summer of 2012. This began the most transformative food services change at the U of L in 30 years.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge president Mike Mahon says that a high-quality student experience is a critical factor weighed by prospective students when choosing a university. This is especially important for the U of L, as 70 per cent of its students come from outside the Lethbridge area.

"The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge prides itself on the experience it offers its students," says Mahon. "We recognize that food quality is critical to that experience, and we are thrilled that our campus community will be provided with a variety of high-quality food options for the foreseeable future."

The process in choosing a new food vendor included many campus constituency groups, the most critical being students. Students were surveyed, invited to participate in discussion groups and included as members of the final selection committee.

"We have listened to what our students have told us about the importance of food services on campus. It was critical to have them included in the process of choosing a food services provider," says Mahon.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Students' Union President Armin Escher says students benefit greatly from a variety of food options, and that he is looking forward to experiencing the transformation of food services at the Lethbridge campus.

"A variety of food options not only adds to the quality of campus life for students, but high-quality offerings are essential for student health and student success," says Escher.

In approving the agreement with ARAMARK, board members focused in part on the link between providing high quality food and the ability of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ to recruit students.

"In order for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge to continue to flourish as a destination university, food options and the quality of those options are critical. Providing good food to our campus community will attract students to our campus," says board member Kathleen Willms.

ARAMARK is a leader in professional services, providing award-winning food services, facilities management, and uniform and career apparel to health care institutions, universities and school districts, stadiums and arenas, and businesses around the world.

"ARAMARK is proud to partner with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge to enhance the living and learning environment on campus," says Brian Struthers, Regional Vice President, ARAMARK Canada Higher Education.

"We look forward to serving the entire campus community. In spring 2013, there will be many enhancements made on campus in preparation for the fall semester and beyond. ARAMARK will be investing in the campus community with new dining venues that include a mix of national and proprietary brands."

The U of L's 10-year agreement with ARAMARK commences on May 1, 2013.

Students earn greater voting flexibility

trevor.kenney — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 22:46:55 +0000

Voting in provincial elections has become a little easier for students who attend a post-secondary institution located outside their permanent place of residence.

Bill 7, or the Election Accountability Amendment Act, had its third and final reading in the Alberta Legislature recently. The bill includes several changes in how Alberta's elections are carried out and allows for post-secondary students to cast their ballots in the riding they attend school or in their home riding.

"This is going to make voting much easier for students in the next election," says Armin Escher, president of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Students' Union. "The Elections Act is going to be amended as per our recommendation to the government and I hope we see even more students turn out to vote in the next election as a result."

Escher adds that the change is a huge accomplishment for the Council of Alberta ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Students (CAUS), a provincial lobby group compromised of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta Students' Unions, who has been lobbying the government since 2008, to make it a little easier for students to vote in this province.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Students' Union, members of CAUS, hopes to see an increase in voter turnout in the next provincial election, particularly among students.

"This past May we saw a lot of students being turned away at the polls because they were not able to vote due to the fact that their home riding was not Lethbridge," says Julia Adolf, VP academic, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Students' Union.

"The changes to the election act will give our students' the ability to vote in Lethbridge."

This is not the only issue the bill addresses; it also changes provisions on campaign finance and new changes to municipal elections.

The bill was originally based on recommendations put forth by the Chief Electoral Officer, however, the recommendations that CAUS made were accepted.

Many parts of this bill have been met with controversy but the portion pertaining to student voting has been met agreement by all parties in the legislature.

Cookbook to benefit SU Food Bank

trevor.kenney — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 21:51:46 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Bookstore has embarked on a fundraiser for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Students' Union Food Bank.

The bookstore is putting together a cookbook, which will feature a collection of U of L staff and faculty recipes. The cookbook will be published on campus and all proceeds from the sales of the book will go to the Students' Union Food Bank.

The SU Food Bank helps hundreds of students each year deal with food insecurity issues, allowing them to focus on their academic priorities. The Students' Union understands the financial constraints involved with earning a university education and has implemented this service so that students do not go hungry.

Food hampers are available in both single and family sizes, and are designed to last about a week. Students, staff and faculty are all eligible to receive food hampers. An individual is able to obtain a food hamper once every two weeks, limited to a total of 10 hampers throughout their entire academic career.

The food bank is a limited resource because it is a not-for-profit, volunteer run organization that depends entirely on donations to operate.

"The food bank has proven to be an essential service to U of L Students and we are always so grateful for the continued support from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community, as well as the Lethbridge community, in order to continue to meet students' needs," says Armin Escher, ULSU president.

Any staff or faculty member who would like to contribute to the cookbook can submit their favourite recipes to the bookstore via e-mail (bookstore@uleth.ca) by June 20.

"We, at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Bookstore, are very excited about the launch of our new fundraising initiative for our Students' Union Food Bank," says Rebecca Colbeck, U of L Bookstore. "This campus is a community, and it is important that we all work together and support one another. The cookbook will give faculty, staff and students the opportunity to share some great family recipes and really make a different to those in our community."

The cookbook will be available to faculty, staff, students and the general public to purchase in the Fall 2012 at the U of L Bookstore.

Fashion drive concludes with sale

trevor.kenney — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 21:37:56 +0000

For the second straight year, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Students' Union (ULSU) is partnering with the Education Undergraduate Society (EUS) to bring you the ULSU/EUS Fashion Drive.

Gently used clothing will be collected at various locations around campus, organized and priced by volunteers and sold on Wednesday, Mar. 2 in the Students' Union Ballroom A (SU300A). Prices for each article of clothing will range from $2 to $5.

"This event was initially organized by last year's education representative, and it was extremely successful," says Armin Escher, current ULSU Faculty of Education representative. "I thought that it was a great idea that benefits many people, so I decided that it would be a great event to continue with this year."

Clothing collection bins will be placed around campus at the following locations: the ULSU Office (SU180), the EUS Office (TH368A), the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall Atrium and the Students' Union Food Court. Collection of items began in early February and goes until the Friday, Feb. 18.

The funds generated from the sale of the clothing will go towards scholarships for education students. Proceeds raised will help to assist future teachers during their internship experience and their first year in the teaching profession.

"Scholarships are extremely important to education students, especially those going into their practicum," says Escher. "Most education students are unable to work during their practicum due to time constraints, and it can make it very difficult for them financially."

The goal of this event is to raise enough money to keep this scholarship going for at least two additional years. Funding will be distributed in $500 increments to education students who qualify.

At the same time, students have the opportunity to pick up some excellent clothing deals.

"This event is a great chance for students who are on a budget to be able to get some new clothes for very affordable prices; $5 for a pair of jeans is a great deal," says Escher.

Fashion drive a worthy project

trevor.kenney — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 16:10:44 +0000

Gently used clothing will be collected at various locations around campus, organized and priced by volunteers and sold on Wednesday, Mar. 2 in the Students' Union Ballroom A (SU300A). Prices for each article of clothing will range from $2 to $5.

"This event was initially organized by last year's education representative, and it was extremely successful," says Armin Escher, current ULSU Faculty of Education representative. "I thought that it was a great idea that benefits many people, so I decided that it would be a great event to continue with this year."

Clothing collection bins will be placed around campus at the following locations: the ULSU Office (SU180), the EUS Office (TH368A), the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall Atrium and the Students' Union Food Court. Collection of items began in early February and goes until the Friday, Feb. 18.

The funds generated from the sale of the clothing will go towards scholarships for education students. Proceeds raised will help to assist future teachers during their internship experience and their first year in the teaching profession.

"Scholarships are extremely important to education students, especially those going into their practicum," says Escher. "Most education students are unable to work during their practicum due to time constraints, and it can make it very difficult for them financially."

The goal of this event is to raise enough money to keep this scholarship going for at least two additional years. Funding will be distributed in $500 increments to education students who qualify.

At the same time, students have the opportunity to pick up some excellent clothing deals.

"This event is a great chance for students who are on a budget to be able to get some new clothes for very affordable prices; $5 for a pair of jeans is a great deal," says Escher.

UNews - Armin Escher

Business leader Cyndi Bester named new president of ��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Alumni Association

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