Alumni Advisory Council

The Alumni Advisory Council serves Lethbridge College by strengthening relationships between the college and our alumni. Each of our ambassadors are alumni who have had a great Lethbridge College experience and wish to give back to the institution by advising on current alumni initiatives.

Current members of Council

Gayle Weeks (Business Administration 1992)

Gayle furthered her education through both the University of Lethbridge and the Society of Management Accountants of Alberta earning a Certified Management Accountant designation in 1995. After 11 years in the airline industry, Gayle joined Lethbridge College in 2005 where she has recently retired from the position of Executive Director Planning. In addition to serving on the Advisory Council, Gayle serves as a Director on the Board of Castle Mountain Resort.

Meagan Williams (Digital Communications and Media 2017)

Meagan Williams graduated from the Digital Communications and Media program, completing the Digital Journalism stream with Honours, in 2017. As a relatively new alumni of the college, Meagan is currently forging her career path as a communications consultant for the City of Lethbridge. Meagan came to the college as a mature student and brought with her an extensive background in administration in the design and creative industries along with post-graduate medical education. Meagan was the recipient of several student awards during her time at the college, including the Louise McKinney Scholarship in 2015 and the prestigious Troy Reeb Scholarship in 2016. Passionate about current affairs and politics, Meagan is a proud alumna of Lethbridge College as her education has paved the way for a bright and fulfilling future.  

Chelsey De Groot (Child and Youth Care 2010, General Studies 2012, Justice Studies 2015)

Chelsey De Groot is a three-time graduate of Lethbridge College and is currently working on her Master of Arts in Leadership through Royal Roads University. Chelsey has been in the human services field for the past 13 years and held various roles under the child welfare umbrella as a Family Preservation Worker, Youth Mentor, and Cultural Program Coordinator. Chelsey also teaches programming and courses on behalf of Lethbridge College at the Lakeshore Campus, located at the Lethbridge Correctional Centre. Beyond her professional career, Chelsey also works with the Lethbridge Area Search and Rescue group and has been an active supporter of the college, presenting in classes, attending on-campus community health initiatives and taking practicum students from the Child and Youth Care program.

Kathy Veres Sassa (Nursing 1991)

Kathy Veres Sassa graduated from the Lethbridge College in 1991 with a diploma in Nursing. She continued her studies at the University of Lethbridge where she completed a bachelor’s degree in Nursing, followed by a Master of Education degree. Over the past 25 years, Kathy has worked as a Registered Nurse and Clinical Nurse Educator in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Chinook Regional Hospital. She is also a sessional instructor for the NESA Program and a SPHERE simulation instructor at the Lethbridge College. Presently, Kathy is completing a temporary position with Alberta Health Services as the Provincial Critical Care Education Coordinator. Kathy was the 2018 Distinguished Alumni award recipient at the Lethbridge College.

Emma Knodel (Agriculture Sciences, 2022)

Emma Knodel

Emma Knodel is the 4th generation of a family farm in southern Alberta and recently graduated from the Agriculture Sciences program in 2022, having completed her agronomy diploma with Honours with Distinction. Currently, she is finishing the final year of her Bachelor of Agriculture Science at Lethbridge College. Throughout her academic career, Emma has received multiple scholarships, most notably the prestigious Rotary East Ag Scholarship. Emma served as president of the Lethbridge College Ag Club for two years and is passionate about advancing and promoting the agriculture industry through community engagement, leadership, and volunteering experiences. In addition to serving on the Alumni Advisory Council, she has acted as a student advisor on the Agriculture Advisory Committee at Lethbridge College and as a member of Rachael Thomas’s Community Builders Selection Panel. 

Josh Leith (Agriculture Science, 2021)

Josh Leith

Joshua Leith earned his Agriculture-Animal Science Diploma in 2020 and his Agribusiness Diploma in 2021. He grew up in both the feedlot industry and Cow-Calf industry. During his time at Lethbridge College, he participated in the Extracurricular AgENT entrepreneurship program. As a student Josh was able to expand his herd of Angus and Angus Crossed cattle to include Highland cows because of his work with AgENT. He now works as the AgENT program Coordinator at Lethbridge College, helping students innovate their own ideas and guiding them through the steps of becoming successful entrepreneurs. With Josh’s mentoring, Students can enter the business world with practiced skills in public speaking, networking, and collaboration, and display potential for leadership roles with their innovative and creative solutions.

Tyler Holt (Architectural Animation Technology, 2023)

Tyler Holt

Tyler Holt graduated from the Architectural Animation Technology program within the School of Spatial Design Technologies in 2023. He achieved a spot on the President’s List with Great Distinction every semester and his hard work was recognized when he received the Governor General’s Collegiate Bronze Medal award for outstanding academic achievement. Tyler came to the college as a mature student and discovered a passion for leading within a design-focused learning environment. He is back with Lethbridge College as an Instructional Assistant within the School of Spatial Design Technologies and hopes to eventually progress to an instructor. His dedication to the Lethbridge College and alumni community has fueled his passion for joining the faculty while also helping grow the Architectural Animation Technology and Virtual and Extended Reality programs.

Joanne Kariuki, (Child and Youth Care, 2023)

Jojo Kariuki

Joanne (JoJo) Kariuki, is a graduate of the Child and Youth Care Program at Lethbridge College in spring of 2023. Since graduating, JoJo has been working as a dedicated Child Care Educator, where she has the privilege of positively impacting the lives of children and youth on a daily basis. During her time at Lethbridge College, JoJo was actively engaged in campus life and student leadership roles. She played a key role in organizing various events, workshops, and initiatives that promoted student well-being and engagement. Serving as the Vice President Student Life at the Students' Association for two years, she collaborated with fellow students, faculty, admin, and staff to enhance the overall student experience.

Additionally, JoJo served as the Vice Chair of the Academic Council during one of their terms, allowing them to advocate for academic excellence and collaborate with faculty to address student concerns. This experience provided them with valuable insights into the academic side of the college and the importance of maintaining a high standard of education.

She looks forward to the opportunity to serve, support, and give back to the college that has played such a pivotal and crucial role in her personal, career, and professional development.

Past Chair: David Cocks (Engineering Design and Drafting Technology 2001)

David graduated from Lethbridge College in 2001 and went on to continue his education at the University of Lethbridge where he completed his degree in Art History and Museum Studies. David then completed his bachelor’s degree in Environmental Design followed by his Master of Architecture degree at Dalhousie University. After David is an Architect, Principal at Ferrari Westwood Babits Architects in Lethbridge.

David served as the Chair of the Lethbridge College Alumni Advisory Council for more than eight years and continues to support both the council and the college community through his role as past-chair.

Past Chair: Jordan Karst (Communication Arts, 2005)

Jordan Karst graduated from the Broadcast Journalism program in 2005. After spending 18 months working at a couple of radio stations in Saskatchewan and another year in Whitecourt Alberta, he returned to Lethbridge to work at CJOC in 2007, working his way up from producer to afternoon show host and eventually to the morning show spot in 2014. Early in 2022, after an amazing 15-years with CJOC, Jordan accepted the role of Marketing and Public Relations Coordinator at The Community Foundation He joined the Alumni Advisory Council largely because of the free meals it includes but also because he loves to give back to the institution where he met his wife and started his family.

 

If you are interested in serving on this council please contact Alumni Engagement.