APRIL 2007 ISSUE
education foundation caps off development year
BY ANDY GILLILAND, P.ENG.
(Past President)
The APEGGA Education FoundationThis has been a year of development at the APEGGA Education Foundation. We have improved our financial management and reporting, we have consulted extensively with APEGGA Council, we have consulted with deans and heads of relevant faculties and departments at the universities, and we have managed to enhance our capital base.
At the same time, we’ve been extending our awards activities.
Perhaps most important of all, we have gained the unprecedented attention of APEGGA Council and Executive Committee, highlighted by a specific campaign by President David Chalcroft, P.Eng., soliciting foundation contributions.
Continuing efforts by the previous board, we have placed a significant portion of our capital under professional management with satisfactory results to date. BMO Affinity Card activity continues, and we encourage APEGGA members to support the foundation by participating in this activity.
APEGGA Council has confirmed its continuing support for the foundation by approving a four-year contribution commitment, after which contributions will be decreased to nothing over another four years. The foundation will be looking to members of APEGGA for generous support as we move ahead to ensure that the organization does truly and adequately represent the professions.
Your foundation operates in close liaison with the universities and other institutions, as well as with APEGGA. As in previous years the need to attract and encourage young, aspiring professionals has been apparent. Virtually all activities of the foundation are directed at that objective.
Our awards are appreciated and much sought after by graduates, undergraduates and teachers. To the same end the foundation contributes to some of the Outreach Program activities APEGGA itself undertakes.
This year we were pleased to enhance the graduate awards and initiate a new award, the Acuren Scholarship in Material Science, which is the result of a generous and targeted donation.
The foundation’s capital base is now approximately $1 million, and we have been encouraged by strong support from our donors. Our charitable foundation status has been reconfirmed and we hope that a larger number of APEGGA members will want to support the foundation.
As with so many other activities, your foundation is operationally limited by its resource base - there are many other initiatives the foundation could efficiently undertake to attract the best young students into engineering and geoscience programs.
The board approved non-financial support for the preparation of two books by APEGGA members on topics related to the history of engineering in Alberta. Both books are expected to have a strong educational component.
At a meeting held March 20, the foundation elected a new board and executive for 2007.
I would like to thank all the board members for their dedicated and patient support, as well as express thanks to the APEGGA staff who look after our affairs so well. It has been a pleasure to serve as president of the foundation for the past year.
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2007 (INCOMING)
EDUCATION FOUNDATION DIRECTORSDr. Dave Devenny, P.Eng., P.Geol., President
Andy Gilliland, P.Eng., Past President
Ashok Sehgal, P.Eng., Vice-President
Dr. Raj Rajan, P.Eng., Secretary-Treasurer
Peggy Simons, P.Eng.
Dave Stelck, P.Geol.
Dr. Ron Lawson, P.Eng.
APEGGA Executive Director & Registrar Neil Windsor, P.Eng.,
represented by Ross Plecash, P.Eng.2006 (OUTGOING)
EDUCATION FOUNDATION DIRECTORSAndy Gilliland, P.Eng. - President
Connie Parenteau, P.Eng. - Past President
Ashok Sehgal, P.Eng. - Vice President
Dr. Ron Lawson, P.Eng. - Secretary-Treasurer
Alice Payne, P.Geol.
Dr. Raj Rajan, P.Eng.
Dr. Dave Devenny, P.Eng., P.Geol
APEGGA Executive Director Neil Windsor, P.Eng.,
represented by Ross Plecash, P.Eng.