UNews - social services

For the love of the North

trevor.kenney — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 22:50:09 +0000

While many are seduced by the big city lights, it was northern lights that called to J. Michael Miltenberger (BASc '75).

Since graduating from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in 1975, he has used his political positions to protect the unique people and environment of the Northwest Territories (N.W.T.).

Born in Ottawa but raised in various communities in the N.W.T., Miltenberger served with the Third Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry before deciding to further his education at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

It was a life-changing decision. Not only did he earn a BA (sociology) that paved the way for a career in human services, but he met Jeri, his wife of 37 years, with whom he's raised their daughter Michaela, who now attends the U of L.

J. Michael Miltenberger was honoured as the U of L's 2011 Distinguished Alumnus of the Year at Fall Convocation in October.

After studying at the U of L, Miltenberger pursued graduate studies at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta. "Neither of us liked big-city life in Edmonton, so we bought an old truck, packed up our stuff and headed north to live a simpler life for a while," he says.

The family settled in Fort Smith, N.W.T. – a primarily Aboriginal community of 2,400 people – where Miltenberger built the family's timber-framed house. After a few years as a carpenter, he put his U of L degree to good use while working for the Department of Health and Social Services.

Miltenberger didn't begin his career with political ambitions. But after serving on town council, he was inspired to run for mayor, even though it meant a 50 per cent pay cut.

"The work interested me: the ability to enact laws and help the community develop," he says. In 1987 he completed his first term as mayor. He returned to the Department of Health and Social Services as regional superintendent shortly after that.

In 1995, he ran for MLA – and won – and has represented Fort Smith ever since. Presently, Miltenberger serves in cabinet as deputy premier, government house leader, minister of finance, minister of health and social services and minister of environment and natural resources.

"I've worked hard to make sure the community is well-served by the territorial government," says Miltenberger. He's also a passionate environmental advocate, working to protect at-risk species and water systems.

On the border between the N.W.T. and Alberta, Fort Smith is situated in the middle of the boreal forest and adjacent to the Slave River, best known for its powerful rapids that occasionally attract contentious hydroelectric dam proposals.

As minister of environment and natural resources, Miltenberger has worked closely with Aboriginal communities and other stakeholders to establish a water stewardship strategy for the N.W.T. and has been a significant figure on the international water-policy stage. Earlier this year, he was one of five Canadians on an expert panel at the Seventh Annual Rosenberg Water Policy Forum in Argentina where he delivered a paper on traditional knowledge and water-policy development in the N.W.T.

Water and other environmental issues, negotiating a final devolution agreement with Canada, an upcoming Canada-wide review of health care and a project to implement fibre-optic capability all contributed to Miltenberger's decision to run for office one last time. On Oct. 3, Miltenberger was elected to a fifth term.

"I'm grateful for the continued support of the constituency," says Miltenberger, reflecting on his re-election in an area renowned for its political toughness. "I look forward to spending the next four years working on the issues I'm passionate about. After that, I can pass the torch."

This story first appeared in the Fall 2011 issue of SAM. If you'd like to read the entire issue of SAM in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Non-profit payback

trevor.kenney — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 04:36:59 +0000

There have been many nights over the last 16 years that Dr. Mary Runté has gotten little, if any, sleep. Raising two children has been no small factor in the equation, but even before Runté took on motherhood – the role by which she admittedly defines her life and holds most dear – she sacrificed shut-eye while out on the streets of east Vancouver, up at all hours of the night to do what she could to ease the plight of drug addicts, pregnant prostitutes and anyone else she encountered who was living their lives on the fringe of society.

It's not exactly the professional history you might expect a professor of management to have, but then again, Runté isn't your average management professor. Prior to 1998, Runté had no inclination at all to study anything remotely related to business. Her heart was then, as it is now, in the not-for-profit sector – although she also came to love management in a rather roundabout way.

Initially, Runté wanted to be a teacher, and was enrolled in the Bachelor of Education program at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta en route to that goal. It was during that course of study that Runté discovered the impact she wanted to have on students went beyond teaching them the finer points of Shakespeare.

"You know how there are people who are into extreme sports? I'm into extreme jobs," Runté says with laughter. "I wanted to work in the inner city, so I was teaching kids who were dealing with huge life issues – drugs, gangs, various kinds of abuse. I quickly realized that I wanted to make a different kind of impact on their lives. That's when I went into social services."

Runté abandoned the BEd and instead pursued a BA in psychology, all the while working in the non-profit sector. After graduating, she spent more than a decade willingly subjecting her professional self to some of the grittiest and most challenging circumstances imaginable, and moved up the ranks of social work with expediency. While she loved the work, Runté found that she lacked many of the basic management skills necessary to run the programs. Suddenly, and unexpectedly, earning an MBA became a logical move.

"A lot of people were absolutely shocked and even viewed me as a traitor," Runté says reflectively. "In the non-profit sector, management is seen as the big bad world of business. Debunking the myth that all business is bad was, and still is, very important to me."

Dr. Mary Runté takes business to the streets, saying its power can be used as a positive influence.

Determined to remain true to her non-profit roots, Runté chose York ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ for her MBA because, at the time, it was one of the only business schools in Canada that researched non-profit organizations.

"It was extraordinarily positive for me to interact with faculty who understood that business has power, and that the power can and should be used carefully," says Runté. "It's possible to prioritize people over dollars, the environment over profitability – or at least find a respectful blend of both sides."

Runté graduated from York in 2000 and began teaching sessional classes at the U of L that year. She completed a PhD through Saint Mary's ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in 2005. Today, on track to become a tenured faculty member, Runté feels fortunate to be able to combine both of her professional disciplines, teaching business courses within the area of social responsibility – a declared minor that the Faculty of Management has now offered for a few years.

"It's core in the Faculty's vision to promote social responsibility in business. Every student takes a required course in it. In recent years, social responsibility has become more fashionable in business schools, but the U of L was one of the first universities to make a demonstrated commitment by offering a minor in the subject," says Runté. "I'm absolutely blessed to be teaching here."

A segment of the required course Runté teaches in social responsibility in business deals with non-profit management. Students must complete a minimum of nine hours of volunteer work and are free to choose any non-profit organization they wish to support. Runté says that it's very common for students to become impassioned with volunteerism and continue to be active within the organizations indefinitely.

"They intend to do nine hours of volunteering, and at the end, they're treating it almost like a part-time job," says Runté.

While Runté continues to champion the non-profit sector, emphatically pointing out that it's a significant employer within the country (constituting 13 per cent of the labour force) and contributes a surprisingly large percentage of the gross domestic product (seven per cent in 2003), she is quick to balance her view.

"Business isn't evil. It's important to our society. It has power, and that power gives us resources to do great things. It can help shape a more positive world. That's what I teach my students."

Sutherland presentation opens Brain Awareness Week

trevor.kenney — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 21:42:51 +0000

Brain Awareness Week begins Monday, Mar. 15 at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and at schools throughout southern Alberta. It opens with a free public presentation on Monday, giving the public a chance to tune up their brains with one of North America's leading brain researchers.

Dr. Robert Sutherland, one of the principal investigators at the CCBN and a leading expert in the way the brain processes memory, will deliver a free public talk entitled The User Manual for your Brain on Monday evening beginning at 7 p.m. in room PE250 of the 1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness.

"One of the most basic facts in neuroscience is that you are your brain," says Sutherland. "Numerous events over a lifetime, including disease and rough handling, gradually diminish our brain/mind capabilities, frequently leading to dementia. Recent research shows that the brain has remarkable capacities for resilience."

Researchers, students and staff from the CCBN will also host an open house and Brain Awareness Fair on Saturday, Mar. 20, with research demonstrations, self-guided tours, plus the chance to win a $500 Posit Science memory enhancing system, among other door prizes.

The following local brain health related organizations will have information booths at the Brain Awareness Fair: Parkinson's Society; Heart and Stroke Foundation; Alzheimer's Society; The Brain Injury Network; Barons Eureka Warner Family and Community social services; MS Society; Southern Alberta Autism Consortium; Schizophrenia Society of Alberta.

For more on the study of neuroscience at the U of L, follow this link: http://www.uleth.ca/fas/neur/

Brain Awareness Week launches Thursday

trevor.kenney — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:09:33 +0000

The annual Brain Awareness Week is on deck at the U of L's Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN), and to launch the event, a group of grade six students at Father Leonard Van Tighem School got up close and personal with brains Thursday, Mar. 11.

The students enjoyed the opportunity to touch a sheep brain, see a human brain, as well as learn about how the brain affects the senses and plays a critical role in keeping people alive. The program was delivered by doctoral and graduate studies candidates from the CCBN.

Educational sessions similar to the Father Leonard Van Tighem presentation are scheduled during the week at several schools in southern Alberta.

Non-profit payback

trevor.kenney — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:12:54 +0000

"They intend to do nine hours of volunteering, and at the end, they're treating it almost like a part-time job," says Runté.

"Business isn't evil. It's important to our society. It has power, and that power gives us resources to do great things. It can help shape a more positive world. That's what I teach my students."

UNews - social services

For the love of the North

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Non-profit payback

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Sutherland presentation opens Brain Awareness Week

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Brain Awareness Week launches Thursday

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Non-profit payback

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