UNews - Social Advocate

Runte, Amies earn YWCA honour

trevor.kenney — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 22:20:23 +0000

A current ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge faculty member, as well as a graduate and former employee are among the people selected by the YWCA as 2012 Women of Distinction.

Dr. Mary Runte (Faculty of Management) and Sarah Amies (BA '88 with Distinction), currently the program director of Lethbridge Family Services – Immigrant Services will receive their YWCA Women of Distinction Awards on Friday, Mar. 23 along with entrepreneur Vicky Vannatta Miller, lawyer and community volunteer Berga Moen and 87-year-old Edith M. Stewart, this year's "Wise Woman of Distinction."

The YWCA Women of Distinction Awards recognize outstanding women who live and work in southern Alberta.

Through a competitive process, the honourees are chosen from a group of nominations. The awards are based on the candidate's accomplishments, commitment and leadership. The Women of Distinction Awards Ceremony is a wonderful venue to showcase the talent and leadership of women in southern Alberta. Women honoured have been trailblazers, entrepreneurs, innovators, social advocates and volunteers.

Sarah Amies: Woman of Distinction in the Social Advocate category

Sarah Amies emigrated from the UK to Canada in 1974. She attended the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and graduated in 1988 with a B.A. (Distinction) in Anthropology. She was the co-ordinator of the Applied Studies program at the U of L for nine years and a Student Program Advisor for five years.

In January 2001, Amies became the program director of Lethbridge Family Services – Immigrant Services. She is closely involved with the settlement and integration of new immigrants planning a make a life in Lethbridge, focusing especially on the empowerment and advancement of women with disadvantages. Under her leadership, Immigrant Services has expanded programming and services significantly, growing from a staff of three to 22 at present.

Amies has chaired the Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies' Communications committee and has well established business and community networks, particularly in the in area of developing and executing innovative community partnerships and collaborations.

She has extensive volunteer service including: Vibrant Lethbridge, Volunteer Lethbridge, Alberta Network of Immigrant Women, National Settlement Modernization Advisory Group, Canadian Coalition of Municipalities Against Racism and Discrimination, Family Violence and Elder Abuse Awareness and Prevention Committee and the Southern Alberta Ethnic Association.

Mary Runte: Woman of Distinction in the Spirit of Women category

Mary Runte has a PhD in Management from St. Mary's ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and an MBA from York ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. She is an associate professor of strategy and the director of social responsibility in the Faculty of Management at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Previously, Runte worked with a variety of nonprofit organizations, including Eastside Young Moms and the Society of Special Needs Adoptive Parents. Gender inequity, work-family balance, social responsibility and business ethics are her particular areas of interest and research, having numerous publications and having received major research grants to study these issues.

Runte was honoured as distinguished speaker for the Work-Life Conference at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Ochanamizu, Tokyo, Japan in 2007. She is the founding Division Chair for the Social Responsibility Interest Group of the Administrative Sciences Association of Canada.

Her tireless support of her students, especially female students in non-traditional fields, and her one-on-one mentoring throughout their academic careers is done on a volunteer basis. She is an incredible role model for students and colleagues alike as she advocates ceaselessly for ethical and principled business behaviour.

The Women of Distinction Awards Ceremony will take place on Friday, March 23 starting at 5 p.m. at the Lethbridge Lodge. The guest speaker is Leela Gilday, aboriginal singer/songwriter and a winner at the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards.

Call 403-329-0088 or stop by the YWCA for tickets ($100 with a $50 tax receipt).

YWCA Lethbridge and District Announces 2011 Women of Distinction

trevor.kenney — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 21:07:28 +0000

The YWCA Women of Distinction Awards recognize outstanding women who live and work in Southern Alberta.

This year six women have been selected through a competitive process, and the honorees are chosen from a group of nominations.

Among the recipients this year are several with connections to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

The Women of Distinction Awards Ceremony showcases the talent and leadership of women in Southern Alberta. Women honoured have been trail blazers, entrepreneurs, innovators, social advocates, and volunteers.

The 2011 Women of Distinction Awards Ceremony will take place Friday, March 18 starting at 5 p.m. at the Lethbridge Lodge.

The guest speaker is Crystal Flaman, a social entrepreneur, multiple Ironman Triathlete competitor & 100km Ultra-Marathoner and Author.

Please call 403-329-0088 or stop by the YWCA for your tickets ($75 with a $50 tax receipt).

2011 YWCA WOMEN OF DISTINCTION AWARD RECIPIENTS

Dr. Olga Kovalchuk: Community Leader

Dr. Olga Kovalchuk, M.D./Ph.D. was born and raised in Ukraine. Living close to Chernobyl inspired her research into the effects of radiation on living organisms.

She is a medical doctor, cancer researcher and professor in Biological Sciences at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. Her work is devoted to uncovering the molecular mechanisms of breast cancer development and using new approaches to cancer prevention, diagnostics and treatment.

Dr Kovalchuk has been invited to give lectures on her work in countries around the world and has received over $8,000,000 in funding from both Canada and the U.S. from granting agencies as diverse as Canadian Foundation of Innovation, Alberta Cancer Research Institute, U.S. Department of Energy Low Dose Radiation program, Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Cheryl Dick: Community Commitment

Cheryl is the Chief Executive Officer for Economic Development Lethbridge and is highly respected for her strong and tireless commitment to providing exceptional leadership.

Her academic background, corporate experience and core values combine with her leadership in creating a vibrant organization that treats people equitably, achieves goals, celebrates success and serves society.

Cheryl completed her MBA in Executive Management from Royal Roads ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in 2003 and holds an "Accredited Public Relations" designation from the Canadian Public Relations Society.

Among other community service efforts, she has held volunteer leadership positions with the U of L Senate, Faculty of Management Advisory Committee, and Senate Honorary Degree Committee.

Bonny Greenshields: Social Advocate

Bonny is the owner and operator of Round Street Café, as well as, a wife, mother, grandmother and friend to many people and organizations in the Lethbridge community.

Bonny and her husband Malcolm moved to Lethbridge where she taught Special Education at Winston Churchill high school until 2004.

She found teaching extremely rewarding and values the connections she made during this teaching period. However, Bonny's dream was to own a three story building where she would have a coffee shop on the main floor, residences for international students on the second floor and live on the top floor.

When a property that fit her dream became available, she and Malcolm took a major risk, sold their home to buy the Wallace building on 5 Street South and in December of 2004 opened the doors of the Round Street Café.

Darcie James: YWCA Champion

Darcie was born in Medicine Hat, AB and relocated to Lethbridge with her family in 1969. She was honoured as Winston Churchill High School's top female athlete in 1976, earned her Diploma in Law Enforcement from Lethbridge Community College in 1979 and was one of the first two women constables hired by the Lethbridge City Police in 1980.

In 1996, she became the first woman in the agency to be promoted to Sergeant. In 2002, she completed her baccalaureate degree and in 2003, she earned the distinction of being the first woman in law enforcement in Lethbridge to achieve the rank of Staff Sergeant.

In addition to her career achievements, Darcie has left her mark on her community through volunteer service.

Arleen Albiez: Spirit of Women

Arleen was a Returning Officer for the City of Lethbridge (1950 – 1995), the first female Returning Officer (Lethbridge West) for the Province of Alberta (1972 – 1979) and the first female Federal Returning Officer (Lethbridge) in Canada (1979 – present). She is still the Federal Returning Officer for Lethbridge.

In her many years of being a Returning Officer, recruiting and hiring paid employees for elections, she has always ensured that women were given equal opportunities to work the elections, gain valuable experience, training and confidence. Many of these women have gone on to successful careers.

Arleen has also been a leader and volunteer extraordinaire in many other organizations in Lethbridge and District: The United Way (formerly Community Chest), Canadian National Institute for the Blind, Canadian Cancer Society, Head Start Program, Southland Credit Union, the Red Cross, the Order of Royal Purple of Canada, and the Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization.

Kelsey Yule: Young Woman of Distinction 2011.

Kelsey is a young woman who has never let a challenge stop her. She grew up in a small agricultural based community, where independence and a 'hard work' ethic were instilled at a young age. Kelsey entered the beauty industry at age 18, and in two years owned and operated her own successful salon.

This business experience developed and sharpened her skills as a stylist and as a leader in the industry. She is the recipient of many awards and recognitions including: 2008 Alberta Salon/Stylist of the Year for Canada, 2008 Redken Cover Competition Alberta Finalist, 2007 Alberta/BC Salon Team finalist for Canada, Youth Initiative Award Winner and the L'Oreal Professional Runway Finalist.

By thinking outside the box, Kelsey offered cosmetology courses to high school students in remote rural areas of Southern Alberta via video conferencing. Her latest business venture is Purely Inspired Academy of Beauty, a high end school and salon in Lethbridge.

Additional information about the 2011 Women if distinction is available on their website:
http://www.ywcalethbridge.org/whats-new

U of L Health Sciences Researcher Among YWCA Lethbridge Women of Distinction Award Recipients

trevor.kenney — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:30:41 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Faculty of Health Sciences researcher Dr. Bonnie Lee joins Lethbridge College president Tracy Edwards, special needs supporter and community volunteer Nadine Chandler and addictions/recovery advocate Mallory Kristjanson, the YWCA Young Woman of Distinction, as recipients of the 2010 Women of Distinction Awards.

Brief biographies are outlined below.

The Women of Distinction Awards Ceremony 2010 will be held on Friday, March 19 starting at 5 p.m. at the Lethbridge Lodge. The Master of Ceremonies is Kaella Carr, CTV reporter and Young Woman of Distinction 2009.

The guest speaker is Tara-Jean Popowich, winner of the 'So You Think You Can Dance' Canada competition 2009.

Please call 329-0088 or stop by the YWCA for your tickets ($75 with a $50 tax receipt).

YWCA Women of Distinction Awards recognize outstanding women who live and work in Southern Alberta. This year four women have been selected.

Through a competitive process, the honourees are chosen from a group of nominations. The awards are based on the candidate's accomplishments, commitment and leadership. It is important for the YWCA to recognize these accomplishments on an ongoing basis.

The Women of Distinction Awards Ceremony is a wonderful venue to showcase the talent and leadership of women in Southern Alberta. Women honoured have been trail blazers, entrepreneurs, innovators, social advocates, and volunteers.

BONNIE LEE

Bonnie Lee, Ph. D. of Lethbridge is 2010 YWCA's Woman of Distinction in the Spirit of Women category.
Bonnie¹s experiences as a global citizen took her from Singapore where she was born to nine other cities in Asia and North America before locating in Lethbridge in 2005. The positive influence of her mother and early education with the Maryknoll Sisters in Hong Kong is reflected in her values and sense of purpose.

Her undergraduate degree in English Literature is from Smith College, Massachusetts and her Ph.D. and postdoctoral studies from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Ottawa.

Bonnie's life and career have gone through numerous metamorphoses: speech-language pathologist, marriage and family therapist, Unitarian Universalist minister, and now: professor and researcher at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

One theme remains constant, her dedication to draw out people's innate gifts through creating supportive relationships. Her research and clinical contributions using "couple relationship" to work on problem gambling and other addiction issues are gaining recognition nationally and internationally.

In spite of a major loss in her life, Bonnie's zest for living and learning remains strong as she enjoys close relationship with her two adult children. Since moving to Lethbridge, she has grown to love the land and skies of Southern Alberta that inspired her paintings which express her connection to nature and the earth.

NADINE CHANDLER

Nadine Chandler of Lethbridge is YWCA's Woman of Distinction in the Social Advocate category. Nadine is a pioneer in the integration of special needs students into the public schooling system.

What began as "looking after the interests of her own child" grew to be an international norm in the field of education. She is a role model and a leader in prevention and intervention programs in Lethbridge and all of Alberta.

She grew from being a new mother who reached out for support and education about what was best for her son, to being a visionary and advocate in equality education for children with special needs, a support to other mothers, a resource to teachers, administration and support staff, and a coach and friend to young women with special needs.

While others may have ceased this level of involvement when their child graduated from high school, Nadine has continued to give, staying current of the latest knowledge in the field of special needs, coaching for the Special Olympics and volunteering in organizations that serve the needs of adults with disabilities.

TRACY EDWARDS

Dr. Tracy L. Edwards of Lethbridge is our Woman of Distinction in the Community Commitment category. Originally from Ontario, Tracy worked fifteen years for the Nova Scotia Community College before moving to the United States to pursue doctoral studies.

She has twice been designated as a Kellogg Fellow and is the recipient of numerous scholarships and leadership awards. She was recognized in 2007 as a Distinguished Alumnus of the Community College Leadership program at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Texas at Austin.

Tracy holds Bachelor of Arts and Master of Education degrees from Saint Mary's ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Halifax and her doctorate is from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Texas at Austin, with a specialization in community college leadership.

She has been the President of Lethbridge College since July of 2005. Tracy and her husband reside in Lethbridge and are the proud parents of four grown children and doting grandparents to five grandchildren.

MALLORY KRISTJANSON

Mallory Kristjanson of Lethbridge is YWCA's Young Woman of Distinction in the Turning Point category.

Mallory was born June 30, 1986 in Lethbridge and attended Wilson Middle School and graduated from Winston Churchill High School. She is deeply involved with a recovery program and sponsors women of all ages through their journeys.

She has volunteered with the Lethbridge Regional Hospital in the pediatrics ward, at the Lethbridge Correctional Centre, working directly with inmates struggling with addiction and other problems; and as a server at the Soup Kitchen.

Mallory loves walking her dog, Timber, in the Old Man River bottom, writing songs, journaling, Hip Hop dancing and swimming. To stay grounded and spiritually filled, she attends the Celebrate Life Recovery Service at Central United Church in Calgary weekly.

The Women of Distinction Awards Ceremony 2010 will be held on Friday, March 19 starting at 5 p.m. at the Lethbridge Lodge.

Master of Ceremonies is Kaella Carr, CTV reporter and Young Woman of Distinction 2009.

Guest speaker is Tara-Jean Popowich, winner of the 'So You Think You Can Dance' Canada competition 2009.
Please call 329-0088 or stop by the YWCA for your tickets ($75 with a $50 tax receipt).

Please feel free to contact Barbara Pittard, Chair: Women of Distinction Committee at 320-2912 or btpittard@shaw.ca if you have any questions.

Campus Kudos

trevor.kenney — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:42:00 +0000

Former Pronghorn swimmer Richard Hortness, swimming for his hometown Alberta Marlin Aquatic Club out of Medicine Hat, set a new Canadian record at the 2009 Short Course Spring Nationals in Toronto in March. Hortness, who was with the Pronghorns in 2004-05, teamed with Brent Hayden, Rory Biskuspi and Tommy Gossland to set a new 4 x 50 metre freestyle relay record.

Lisa Lambert (BA '91, MA '07) was recently honoured as a YWCA of Lethbridge, 2009 Woman of Distinction for her work as a social advocate. Currently teaching a Canadian Politics course at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, Lambert is also working on her doctorate degree.

Winners of the U of L Plays and Prose Writing Competition were: Plays – James Forbes (1st), Adam Beauchesne (2nd), Trista Green (3rd) and Prose – Dave Bryant (1st), Adam Sarjeant (2nd), Henry Heavy Shield (3rd).

Several drama faculty, staff, and alumni were involved in the recent New West Theatre production of The Drawer Boy. Ron Chambers (Theatre & Dramatic Arts), Marek Czuma (Theatre & Dramatic Arts) and Jeremy Park (BFA '08) acted; Gail Hanrahan (Theatre & Dramatic Arts) directed; David Barrus (staff) was set designer; Rebecca Toon (BFA '06) designed the costumes; Kelly Roberts (staff) designed was sound designer and Lindsey Zess-Funk (BFA '07) was stage manager.

The U of L's 07/08 Report – Rethink About It – received a silver award in the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education (CCAE) 2009 PRIX D'EXCELLENCE awards program in the best institutional annual report category.

The Report, which is the U of L's annual report to the community, was distributed to 335,000 households in October 2008. The Report is produced by the Communications Office within ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Advancement.

This is the third consecutive year that the Report has received an award from CCAE. In 2006/2007 the Report received a silver award, and in 2005/2006 the Report received a gold award.

To view the 07/08 Report online, visit: www.ulethbridge.ca/report

Dr. Anne Dymond (Art), Dr. Shelley Scott (Theatre & Dramatic Arts), Dr. Anonymous Will Smith (New Media) all wrote books that were acknowledged at the recent U of L Book Award Celebration.

Dr. Josephine Mills (Art Gallery) wrote an essay entitled, "The answer is two years spent baking vulva-shaped cookies, or On Understanding Lesbian Representation," which appears in the catalogue for Toronto artist Allyson Mitchell's latest exhibition, Allyson Mitchell: Ladies Sasquatch. The catalogue has just been launched and Mitchell's exhibition is on tour across Canada and comes to the U of L Art Gallery, Sept. 18 – Oct. 30, 2009.

Dr. Rolf Boon's (Music) composition, Bike Ride, has been selected for publication in the Canadian National Conservatory of Music's Northern Lights Level 5B Musical Discoveries collection. This is the eighth of Rolf's works that CNCM has published.

Dr. David Renter (Music) recently recorded with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan Jazz Ensemble in Saskatoon. The group recorded one of Renter's big band compositions called Kukai and he was the featured soloist on several other selections during the recording. The CD will be released later this year.

Dagmar Dahle (Art), Don Gill (Art), Mary Kavanagh (Art), and Tanya Harnett (Art) had exhibition publications recently released by the Southern Alberta Art Gallery.

Dr. Josephine Mills (Director/Curator U of L art Gallery) has been accepted into the Getty Leadership Institute's museum program. The program is an intensive three weeks in Los Angeles during July in the Museum Leadership Institute 2009.

Richard Epp (Theatre & Dramatic Arts) acted in Theatre Calgary's recent production of An Ideal Husband, by Oscar Wilde.

Lisa Doolittle (Theatre & Dramatic Arts) and Jean Harrowing (Health Sciences) have recently received an Award of Distinction from the Internationalizing the Teaching and Learning Practice program for their work with students in Malawi last summer. The award is presented by Advanced Education and Technology.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Music Department at Dalhousie ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, distinguished alumni are being invited back to perform. Dr. Blaine Hendsbee (Music) was the tenor soloist in a concert of Mozart's Requiem, Apr. 7, in Halifax. He also presented master's classes at Dalhousie during the week.

UNews - Social Advocate

Runte, Amies earn YWCA honour

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