UNews - Allen

Scholarship dinner to honour Allen

trevor.kenney — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:06:31 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Faculty of Management will celebrate its 25th anniversary, in the U of L's 45th year, by honouring a man who has devoted his life to his family, career and the community.

The Faculty will honour Del Allen, the founder of D.A. Electric and a well-known community volunteer, entrepreneur, supporter of post-secondary education, sport and youth programming in the city, at its Thursday, Apr. 5 Management Scholarship Dinner. Proceeds from the event will support the Del Allen Scholarship.

Allen established D.A. Electric with his brother Don in 1975 and it quickly grew into a successful regional enterprise. His son Doug now manages the daily affairs of the business. The success of D.A. Electric, combined with Allen's values and sense of community, have allowed him to support and help provide direction for many local groups, including the Boys and Girls Club of Lethbridge and District, Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce, Lethbridge Construction Association, the Interfaith Food Bank and numerous sports organizations.

Allen has also generously supported further education through donations to post-secondary institutions, including funding for ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge athletics and academic scholarships, and a sizeable financial commitment to the library in 1995.

Allen was also a member of the Lethbridge College Wind Turbine Advisory Committee, helping the College develop its wind generation program. In addition, he made a major donation toward the construction of the Trades Building on the college campus.

While Allen's business has wired a massive number of homes, businesses and industrial projects over the years, one of his brightest ideas, and most visually spectacular projects, was the lighting of the High Level Bridge in September 2009 during its centennial celebrations. He also helped bring the illuminated Christmas Train for a stop on the bridge that December. Allen and D.A. Electric most fittingly won the Spirit of Lethbridge Award that year.

The Management Scholarship Dinner traditionally sells out quickly, so for those wishing to attend, ensure you reserve individual tickets or a table as soon as possible. Tickets, priced at $125 may be purchased online at www.uleth.ca/conreg/scholarship_dinner.

If you wish to learn more about sponsorship opportunities, reserving corporate tables, ordering tickets by phone or making a donation to the Del Allen Scholarship Fund, call 403-329-5181.

Chancellor Davidson earns city honour

trevor.kenney — Tue, 04 May 2010 17:17:48 +0000

Over the course of his life, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge chancellor Richard Davidson has served the city of Lethbridge in a number of capacities, many from the volunteer perspective. So it was only fitting that the Rotary Club of Lethbridge and the Lethbridge Herald recognized Davidson as the Lethbridge Citizen of the Year at a luncheon Monday afternoon.

"Clearly in his law practice, his work with the Chamber of Commerce, his work with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and his work with virtually every other volunteer organization you could imagine, this is one cool dude," says Lethbridge mayor elect Bob Tarleck, who also presented Davidson with a key to the city. "This is the highest honour we can bestow upon anyone and Richard is extremely deserving."

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Chancellor Richard Davidson and his wife Denise.

Born and raised in Lethbridge, Davidson earned both his bachelor and law degrees from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta. He was appointed a Queen's Counsel in 1986 and is a partner at the law firm of Davidson & Williams, following in the footsteps of two previous generations of Davidson lawyers.

It is his service beyond his professional capacity however that has earned him the city's recognition.

"This tradition has grown in importance in the community because it's our opportunity to recognize people who have been tremendous builders in Lethbridge and southern Alberta," says Tarleck of the Citizen of the Year Award.

Lethbridge West MLA Greg Weadick says that Davidson's talent of bringing clarity to complicated discussions with divergent views is exceptional.

"He is always able to find that nut that you are looking for, that key element that brings it all together and it really is a unique talent he owns," says Weadick.

"He's one of those people that I can honestly say, when Richard comes to a meeting to speak, people stop and listen because he always has a well thought-out approach that people respect."

In 2000, Davidson was awarded the Law Society of Alberta Distinguished Service Award for Service to the Community.

He was an honouree at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Faculty of Management Scholarship Dinner in March 2002, and has received numerous community service awards, including the Commemoration Medal for the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada by the Governor General in 1992, the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 and the Alberta Centennial Medal in 2005.

Actively involved in the Lethbridge Bar Association and a current member of the Law Society of Alberta, the Canadian Bar Association, the K-40 Club of Lethbridge and the Lethbridge Country Club, Davidson's community service is extensive. He has served numerous organizations as either president, chairman or as a member of the board of directors. These organizations include: Kinsmen Club of Lethbridge; The Lethbridge Community Foundation; Lethbridge Society for Meals on Wheels; the United Way of Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta; the City of Lethbridge Economic Development Advisory Committee; the Small Business Development Centre Committee; Lethbridge & District Community Futures Board of Directors; the YWCA Advisory Board; the Kidney Foundation of Canada; the Lethbridge Regional Hospital Foundation; the Lethbridge Country Club; the YMCA of Lethbridge; and the Chinook Health Region.

Through it all, he has performed in a selfless and humble manner.

"I'm blown away by all of this. I can honestly say I've truly enjoyed the time I've spent in the various volunteer activities I've pursued," says Davidson. "I'm deeply honoured. I know the people who came before me and I could not be more honoured to have my name put forward with the previous year's recipients. I am greatly honoured and very humbled."

He follows in the footsteps of previous winners Val Matteotti (2006), Dr. Gerald Bowie (2007), Del Allen (2008) and Dr. Keith Robin (2009).

Chancellor Davidson named Citizen of the Year

trevor.kenney — Mon, 03 May 2010 22:12:55 +0000

It is his service beyond his professional capacity however that has earned him the city's recognition.

Lethbridge West MLA Greg Weadick says that Davidson's talent of bringing clarity to complicated discussions with divergent views is exceptional.

"He is always able to find that nut that you are looking for, that key element that brings it all together and it really is a unique talent he owns," says Weadick.

"He's one of those people that I can honestly say, when Richard comes to a meeting to speak, people stop and listen because he always has a well thought-out approach that people respect."

In 2000, Davidson was awarded the Law Society of Alberta Distinguished Service Award for Service to the Community.

Through it all, he has performed in a selfless and humble manner.

He follows in the footsteps of previous winners Val Matteotti (2006), Dr. Gerald Bowie (2007), Del Allen (2008) and Dr. Keith Robin (2009).

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Community Members Receive Keys to the City

trevor.kenney — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:46:39 +0000

Several individuals and community organizations with 'key' connections to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge will receive the City of Lethbridge's highest honour on Friday, July 10 – the keys to the city.

"This recognition is well deserved for all these recipients who, from many different walks of life, serve their community in a variety of ways," U of L President Bill Cade said. "These awards also show the remarkable connections – and affect – the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has on the community. Our congratulations go out to the entire group, in particular our employees, alumni and friends who are honoured."

Recipients include Dr. Leroy Littlebear (BASc 1972, DASc 2004), a respected Native American Studies professor and researcher, U of L Alumnus, Honorary degree recipient and Distinguished Alumnus of the year (2003); Darcy Novakowski, an award-winning author and the Faculty of Education's communications coordinator; and Brigadier-General (Ret) Raymond Romses (BASc 1975), a distinguished Alumnus of the Year (2005) who has returned to Lethbridge following a varied career in the Canadian military which included directing several UN-sponsored missions, the command of CFB Calgary and Land Forces Atlantic area, among others. A complete list of recipients is outlined below.

The "Key to the City" is a gift made by a city to a visiting dignitary or deserving resident. The key represents the city's welcome of the visitor by, symbolically, placing the city at the visitor's disposal.

The practice of giving a key may be traced back to medieval times, when admission into a city was hampered walls and locked gates. Possession of the key symbolized free entry. In Lethbridge, the act of giving a key to the city is symbolic only, since the city has no gates to unlock.

Keys 1 to 4
Shirley McPherson, Chris Wilson, Shirley Kohuch and Diane Foster, playing out of the Lethbridge Curling Club, won the 2008 World Senior Ladies Championships in Vierumäki, Finland.

Key 5 - Darcy Tamayose Novakowski
Darcy received a literary award from the Canada Council for the Arts for her first novel, Odori. This award recognizes literary excellence by Canadian authors writing on Japan, Japanese themes or themes that promote mutual understanding between Canada and Japan. Darcy also wrote and illustrated an art exhibit, Riding Back and the Sacred Circle, which travelled throughout the Alberta School system encouraging the understanding of the Blackfoot culture. Her latest work Katie Be Quiet is targeted at youth.

Key 6 - Del Allen
Del is a well-known businessman and philanthropist. He was chosen Lethbridge Citizen of the Year for 2008 in appreciation for his work with groups as diverse as the Boys and Girls Club, the Third Academy, the Lethbridge Food Bank, the Royal Canadian Legion, Ducks Unlimited, the Lethbridge College and the City's Bright Lights Committee. Del's most recent achievement is convincing CP Rail to allow the lighting of the historical High Level Bridge to celebrate it's Centennial and then being pivotal to getting such a large task ready to go this coming fall.

Key 7 - Vic Stasiuk
Vic was recently inducted into the Alberta Sport Hall of Fame in honour of his commitment to the game of hockey. He enjoyed an NHL career with important roles in the line-ups of the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks and the Boston Bruins. Vic played 745 NHL games, scoring 183 goals and 437 points. Thanks to his time with the Red Wings, he sports a very impressive Stanley Cup ring. After his playing career ended, Vic enjoyed a long coaching career in both the NHL (including a stint with the Vancouver Canucks) and the minor leagues.

Key 8 – Lethbridge Iron Works
John and Bart Davies are accepting a key on behalf of Lethbridge Iron Works.
The company was recently included in a book entitled "Little Empires" (written by ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge professors M. Gordon Hunter and Dan Kazakoff) which highlighted the value of Lethbridge's long-standing inter-generational corporate citizens to the community. Lethbridge Iron Works is a fourth generation family business, more than a century old. Like the family which operates the foundry, several generations of Lethbridge families have earned their living through the foundry in that length of time. The foundry is modern, automated, safety-oriented, high-production and known for quality.

Key 9 – Leroy Littlebear
Dr. Leroy Littlebear (BASc 1972, DASc 2004) was recently awarded the first-ever "Lifetime Achievement Award" presented by the Aboriginal Council of Lethbridge. That award recognized a lifetime of achievement in education and politics, in giving back to the community and advocating for youth and families. Leroy was instrumental in developing the Native American Studies department at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, which he chaired for 21 years. He is also the founding Director of Harvard ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's Native American program, a U of L Distinguished Alumnus of the Year (2003) and an Honorary Degree recipient (2004). Leroy contributed to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples in the area of criminal justice, and for the Assembly of First Nations on constitutional issues. He is considered one of North America's leaders in Indian philosophy.

Key 10 – Raymond Romses
Retired Brigadier-General Romses (BASc 1975) was awarded the 2005 ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award for exceptional professional achievements and service to Canadians. He served on a variety of operational tours and appointments, including two tours with the UN Force in Cyprus, a tour with NATO Stabilization Forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and a tour with the UN Force in Ethiopia and Eritrea. Romses's service in Canada included command of the First Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Joint Task Force Two – Canada's counter-terrorism unit; Canadian Forces Base Calgary; and the Land Force Atlantic Area. His leadership abilities have resulted in his progression to the most senior ranks of the Canadian Forces, but his illustrious military career all began with the Army Cadets in Lethbridge.

UNews - Allen

Scholarship dinner to honour Allen

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