UNews - minister of agriculture

Outstanding in her field

trevor.kenney — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 21:58:51 +0000

In a career that has spanned almost four decades, Dr. Shirley McClellan (LLD '10) says that there hasn't been a single day that she didn't want to go to work.

"There have been a few days when I got to work I wanted to turn right back around," says McClellan with a laugh, "but there's never been a morning when I wasn't looking forward to going in."

McClellan is best known for her 20-year service as an Alberta MLA, but her curriculum vitae gained another important accolade earlier this year when she was appointed the 12th chancellor of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. McClellan's ties to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ go back many years, but she was an advocate for education long before the U of L was on her personal or professional radar.

A huge baseball fan, Shirley McClellan helped establish the Prairie Baseball Academy.

Born in Hanna, Alta., in 1942, McClellan grew up in a politically and educationally active family. Her father was mayor and chairman of the town's school board for many years.

"I was raised with the belief that, as citizens, we should be interested and involved in our communities," says McClellan. "Contributing and making your town a better place to live wasn't anything unusual or extraordinary, it was just what you did."

McClellan has been a proponent of higher education for many years. Her first foray into the field of educational advancement took place while living on a farm in the New Brigden area, just west of the Saskatchewan border. McClellan had volunteered in the community in a variety of ways for years, and eventually was asked to be the co-ordinator of further education for the area.

"I was told it would be a six-month commitment, but I ended up doing the job for 12 years," says McClellan. "Rural areas were struggling to keep professionals because of a lack of opportunities to upgrade their credentials. The thinking was that if we offered programming in these areas, professionals wouldn't leave communities that needed them."

During her time as the further-education co-ordinator, McClellan was invited to sit on the board of directors of the Big Country Education Consortium headquartered in Drumheller, as well as serving on the Minister's Advisory Committees for Further Education and College Affairs. This work led to the creation of distance-delivery credit programs available to rural residents and professionals through Olds College, SAIT, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary, Lethbridge College, Medicine Hat College, as well as the U of L.

"That was when I developed a keen interest in further education," says McClellan. "It became clear to me that the key to Alberta's success was a well-rounded and well-educated workforce. Lifelong learning isn't just a buzzword for me. People should never stop learning. Young people today may have three or four careers in their lifetime. We need an education system that accommodates that."

McClellan's political career officially began in 1987 when she was elected to the Alberta legislature. She served six consecutive terms for the Drumheller-Stettler constituency, holding a diverse portfolio of ministerial offices including associate minister of agriculture, minister of rural development, minister of health, and minister of community development, to name just a few. She also served as deputy premier and finance minister during her tenure. Ironically, McClellan took over the riding somewhat by happenstance. She was an active member of the constituency when the existing MLA unexpectedly passed away. Having served as president, campaign manager and regional director for the party, McClellan was selected as a possible successor.

"A lot of people came to me and said that I'd be a good choice to take over, so I let my name stand in the byelection," says McClellan.

"I never imagined that decision would lead to 20 years in office, but I don't regret a minute of it. Serving as an MLA was a great honour and a fantastic experience. I'd been involved in political circles for years, but this was something much larger. I remember the day I was sworn in; the realization hit me that I had a heavy responsibility bestowed upon me."

McClellan accomplished much during her two decades in office, but is particularly proud of her involvement with the Prairie Baseball Academy program at Lethbridge College and the U of L. Founded in 1995, the Academy met a need that McClellan and many other Albertans identified in the education system.

"There wasn't an academic baseball program anywhere in the country at the time," says McClellan. "If our young people wanted a career in baseball, they had to go to a U.S. college. We wanted to offer kids a way to pursue their dreams in Canada."

As a huge baseball fan, and a parent and grandparent of very involved players, McClellan was 100 per cent behind the development of the Academy, and worked closely with former Lethbridge MLA Clint Dunford to get it off the ground. McClellan opened a baseball game in July 1995 between the Canadian national team and the Oyen Pronghorns with a cheque for the newly established Prairie Baseball Academy in the amount of $25,000, donated by the Alberta Sport, Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation.

With politics behind her, McClellan is now focused on her role as chancellor at the U of L, which she will hold for four years. Education is one passion that she continues to pursue, but McClellan is also involved in a second interest she holds close to her heart: she became the CEO of Horse Racing Alberta on June 1.

"I love everything to do with horses," confesses McClellan. "Aside from the fact that they're beautiful animals, horses are a big part of the Alberta economy. We have the most complete horsing industry in Canada. It's a great part of our provincial heritage, and I just admire the people in the industry a great deal."

McClellan participated in developing legislation for the Horse Racing Alberta Renewal Initiative as minister of agriculture while in government.

True to her rural roots, McClellan lives and farms near New Brigden with her husband Lloyd, their son Mick, daughter Tami (BEd '89) and her husband Jeff, and four energetic grandchildren. Ask her the secret to achieving lifelong career satisfaction, and McClellan responds in signature style – shooting straight from the hip.

"I've made a living doing a bunch of things that I love to do," she says. "Isn't that the best way to live? You should believe in what you do, and feel good about it. If you do, everyday is a good day and you do a much better job overall."

This story first appeared in the Fall 2011 edition of SAM. For a full look at SAM in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Welcoming Shirley

trevor.kenney — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 18:42:22 +0000

Chancellor-elect Shirley McClellan wants everyone to know that she is more than aware of the distance from her farm in New Brigden, Alta. to Lethbridge.

Her family made the more than 400 km drive regularly while her daughter Tami (BEd '89) attended the U of L. She also has four hockey-playing grandchildren who travel to Lethbridge and southern Alberta on a regular basis. Indeed, the former politician, rural advocate and veteran community volunteer has been on the road as much as some long distance truck drivers.

Since leaving the Government of Alberta in 2007, after a 20-year career as a member of the Alberta Legislature, McClellan has matched her interests in farming and education with a long tradition of community service, most recently as a Distinguished Scholar in Residence at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta's Rural Economy/ALES Faculty Office and The School of Business.

"I am very honoured to be selected to serve as the U of L's Chancellor," says McClellan, who was elected by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Senate on Feb. 5. "I've had a strong affinity for the U of L which dates back to my days not only as a parent of a U of L student, but in the continuing education field, where we worked with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and the college in the early days of Campus Alberta to develop credit programming for rural communities."

McClellan says that over the years, she has followed the development of the U of L's water research programming with a lot of interest.

"I was Minister of Agriculture twice, and in my area of the province, water and irrigation issues are critical to the success of the agriculture industry. The U of L is a real leader in that area, and many more. I am looking forward to participating in as many activities as possible to help tell the U of L story."

McClellan has been involved in bringing advanced education to rural areas, serving on the board of directors for the Alberta Association of Continuing Education and the Canadian Association for Continuing Education. She also served as co-ordinator of the Big Country Further Education Council for 12 years, among other volunteer roles.

"I've also been involved in the development of the Prairie Baseball Academy, which serves students at both the U of L and Lethbridge College," says McClellan. "A lot of young people who had academic talent as well as baseball skills had to go to the United States, and this model has really shown what they can do. I really like that they develop the whole student, not just the sports aspect. It's exciting to see more of these academies develop in such places as Vauxhall and Oyen."

She adds that as a proponent of Campus Alberta, she was aware that the U of L has always shown strength in the area of developing strategic liaisons with other institutions.

"I really want that process of collaboration to continue in as many ways as possible," says McClellan.

U of L president Mike Mahon says McClellan's small-town roots will be a great benefit to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. Students come from all over the country to attend the U of L, and many of them are from smaller communities, so it is helpful to have a Chancellor that relates to their circumstance.

"Shirley appreciates the challenges they face and the interests they have," says Mahon. "We are fortunate to have her on our team."

GET THE FACTS

• McClellan served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for the Drumheller-Stettler constituency from 1987 to 2007. During that time she had a number of diverse portfolios, including finance minister. She also served as deputy premier.

• McClellan is a member of the Olds College Board of Governors, and is active in the governance of Horse Racing Alberta.

• McClellan now farms near New Brigden, Alta., with her family, which includes husband Lloyd, son Mick and daughter Tami (BEd 89) who, with her spouse Jeff, have four children ages 10 to 14.

• Several community organizations have named facilities in McClellan's honour, in particular Olds College, which unveiled the Shirley McClellan Riding arena in 2009. The town of Oyen also dedicated their aquatic centre to her.

• In 2010, McClellan received an honorary degree from the U of L.

For a look at the February issue of the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

U of L works to educate new cabinet ministers

trevor.kenney — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:32:52 +0000

We are only a month into the new year, but there have already been some significant changes to both the provincial and federal political landscapes. These changes will pave the way for a renewed effort by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge to continue a dialogue with the government about our strengths and challenges.

Speaking provincially, two former-government MLAs crossed the floor and a cabinet shuffle occurred that included some interesting changes. The most notable changes included Edmonton-based MLA Gene Zwozdesky becoming minister of health, while Calgary MLA Ron Liepert moved to energy. Former Sustainable Resource Development Minister, Ted Morton, became minister of finance and enterprise. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ will spend time during the coming months educating all new ministers about the impact the U of L makes in their respective areas in terms of teaching and research.

Doug Horner remained minister of advanced education and technology, but was also named Deputy Premier. This certainly speaks to the influence Horner has at the cabinet table.

There were a few other changes that have the potential to change the political landscape for southern Alberta. Former Minister of Agriculture, George Groeneveld, was moved from cabinet (his riding is situated just south of Calgary) leaving minister Rob Renner of Medicine Hat the sole minister south of Calgary. Groeneveld visited our campus three or four times during his tenure as minister and always expressed a willingness to understand the positions of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

The U of L, as it has done in the past, will make efforts to build relationships with all relevant ministers through meetings and tours of campus.

While the Lethbridge-area is without a minister, the four government members that are geographically close to the U of L have been handed duties above that of a private member. Lethbridge-West MLA Greg Weadick, for example, has been named parliamentary assistant to the minister of advanced education and technology. The U of L will certainly count on Weadick to help advance ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ messaging to his colleagues in government.

Other local appointments include Cardston-Taber-Warner MLA Broyce Jacobs becoming the parliamentary assistant to the minister of agriculture and rural development, Livingstone-Macleod MLA Evan Berger remaining in his role as parliamentary assistant to the minister of sustainable resource development and Little-Bow MLA Barry McFarland being named as a member of the treasury board.

A small cabinet shuffle also occurred at the federal level this month, but the biggest news, as far as the U of L is concerned, is the announcement that Lethbridge MP Rick Casson will not seek another term in office. Casson, a former employee of the U of L, helped move along many files for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. He knocked on doors to advance initiatives and was never hesitant to pick up the phone to ask about how a government policy might impact our institution. His work on our behalf was impressive. He will be certainly missed on the federal scene and will leave big shoes to fill.

Building relationships with elected and non-elected government members is important in ensuring effective communication between the U of L and decision-makers in Edmonton and Ottawa. Senior administration at the U of L has already begun to engage and re-engage government members to ensure productive working relationships are forged.

Richard Westlund is the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's director of government relations

UNews - minister of agriculture

Outstanding in her field

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Welcoming Shirley

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U of L works to educate new cabinet ministers

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