In August, Lethbridge College’s Board of Governors named Dr. Brad Donaldson the ninth President and CEO of Lethbridge College. He will begin his new role Sept. 6.
Joining Lethbridge College is the next step in Donaldson’s long journey as a leader in Alberta’s post-secondary environment. In moving from Calgary to Lethbridge, he will look to build upon Lethbridge College’s reputation as a leader in post-secondary education in the province and its many achievements in student success and community support, enabling the institution’s ongoing contribution to future prosperity.
“Brad has a passion for post-secondary education and a desire to build upon the great work that has taken place at Lethbridge College over the past many years,” says Michael Marcotte, Lethbridge College Board of Governors Chair. “At the same time, it is an exciting opportunity for our college to embrace new ways of thinking and carve out an even stronger reputation as a leader in our community. Brad is a thoughtful leader who will ensure Lethbridge College continues to provide meaningful education, research and employment opportunities in southern Alberta and beyond. We are excited to have him in this role.”
Donaldson has more than 17 years of post-secondary experience, most recently as Vice President – Academic (VPA) at SAIT in Calgary. He has also been VPA at Red Deer College and Dean of the School of Manufacturing and Automation at SAIT, and he has held many engineering and senior leadership roles in the global manufacturing sector.
“One of the critical things that Lethbridge College has done a great job at over the years is aspiring to be a leader in post-secondary education,” says Donaldson. “The college is a supporter of the communities it serves, including the geographic southern Alberta region, local Indigenous communities, and the business and hiring communities. What’s important for me is to be able to leverage what has been done well in the past, while identifying opportunities to unleash innovation in the organization.”
Donaldson holds a Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Calgary, a Master of Engineering degree focusing on workplace design and a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Chemical Engineering, both from the University of Toronto. Donaldson takes over as Lethbridge College President and CEO from Dr. Paula Burns, who resigned earlier this year to become President and CEO of Langara College in Vancouver.
Be sure to check out the Winter issue of Wider Horizons for an in-depth feature with the new president.
OTHER NEWS AND NOTES
Disc golf fundraiser supports CBAS scholarships
There were plenty of smiles (and dollars raised) at the Chain-Shaker, Scholarship- Maker fundraiser in May as employees gathered at the campus disc golf course for a round. In all, the event raised just over $6,800 to support student awards for the Centre for Business, Arts and Sciences. There were 96 donors in total – 58 of them new donors – and 89 per cent of the gifts came from Alberta, though donations from B.C., Saskatchewan and Ontario were also received.
New digital sign is live on Scenic Drive
The college’s new digital sign on Scenic Drive is fully operational and it looks fantastic! At 12 years in, the old sign had reached the end of its useful life. The parts needed to keep it running haven’t been available for the past three years, yet somehow Darcy Beattie, the college’s electrical supervisor in Facilities, was able to keep it running until the new one was installed. The new digital sign promotes all things Lethbridge College from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily and while the size of the screen has doubled, it’s more energy efficient and costs about the same to operate. And, as an extra college connection – one of the college’s Electrician Apprenticeship students, Darren Bartel, was on site with PixelBoom Media to help with the install.
College recognized for financial responsibility
For the ninth year in a row, Lethbridge College has received top marks from Alberta’s Auditor General for its financial reporting. The college received all green lights – the top designation possible – in the 2021 Auditor General’s annual Report on Post-secondary Institutions released earlier this year. The Auditor General’s report measures the accuracy, timeliness and outstanding recommendations of each institution’s financial statements. Yellow lights are issued for areas where improvement is required, and red lights are for areas in need of significant improvement. Green lights represent that no significant weaknesses are present. The college is one of only four post-secondary institutions in the province – and the only college – to receive only green lights over the past nine years.
Community comes together for first on-campus powwow
Building on the excitement of Spring 2022 Convocation, Lethbridge College hosted the Stone Pipe Celebration – a full contest powwow – in late May. The two-day celebration featured a variety of events, including intertribal contest singing and drumming, round dance singing, competition dancing and tiny tot dancing. A special Indigenous Honour Ceremony, recognizing the college’s Indigenous graduates, was part of the powwow, and included an honouring from the college’s Grandparents (Kaahsinooniiks), congratulatory remarks from Lethbridge College representatives and an Honour Song and Dance.
CAMPUS KUDOS
Congratulations to the following Lethbridge College community members for making a difference in their life, work and community. Here are some highlights of their successes:
- Dave Heins, an instructor in the Welder Apprentice program, was named to the Skills Canada Alberta Sturdy 30 in recognition of his dedication to and passion for the trades, and for being a champion of the Skills competition for the past several years. The Sturdy 30 list is in celebration of Skills Canada Alberta’s 30-year long relationship with Alberta teachers and instructors.
- Dr. Sophie Kernéis-Golsteyn, senior research scientist and instructor in biology and microbiology, spoke on “Canadian phytobiotics to serve the health and agriculture industries: A solution to fight antibiotic resistance” at Okanagan College’s Research Innovation Partnership Expo (RIPE) in May.
- Digital Communications and Media student Nicholas Rabl was the recipient of this year’s Troy Reeb Internship. This is the 17th year of the internship, sponsored by graduate Troy Reeb (Communication Arts 1988, Distinguished Alumni 2003, honorary degree 2019), who is currently executive vice president, Broadcast Networks at Corus Entertainment.
- Dr. Simon Schaerz, an instructor in our Exercise Science program, and Exercise Science grad Morgan Boyes presented their research at the American College of Sports Medicine annual conference in San Diego in June. Their research project explored the effectiveness of immersive technologies like virtual and augmented reality in developing fitness-related outcomes in children and youth.
- Dawn Sugimoto (Communication Arts 1988), now the college’s Communications manager, received a bronze award for Leadership Excellence in April in this year’s Colleges and Institutes Canada Awards of Excellence.
IN MEMORIAM
Wider Horizons learned of the passing of two former employees who made a difference in their lives and work. The college community extends its condolences to their families, friends and former colleagues.
John Calpas, who served as Lethbridge College’s Agricultural Program Administrator from 1988 to 1998, passed away May 5 at the age of 89.
Elaine Harrison, a teacher and supporter of the college’s community arts and recreation programs from the late 1960s through the 1990s, died March 24 at the age of 91.
College celebrates Pride month
Lethbridge College once again raised the Progressive Pride Flag and entered a float in the city’s Pride Parade in June as a show of support for the community’s 2SLGBTQIA+ population. In addition to celebrating Pride month, Lethbridge College has a dedicated Pride Lounge where members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and allies can meet and socialize. A student Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) ambassador is based in the Pride Lounge throughout the academic year. Employees are offered 2SLGBTQIA+ awareness and ally training, and there are several gender-neutral washrooms located across campus.
First International Turban Day event held in April
he college’s first International Turban Day was a great success in April, bringing employees and students together to learn about the cultural significance of the turban. Gurpreet Singh, research scientist with the Centre for Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, was joined by several students and alumni in Centre Core over the lunch hour and offered to tie turbans. In doing so, they were also able to share the cultural significance of the turban and answer common questions about its purposes – both symbolic and practical. A delicious vegetarian Indian meal, from Rivaaz Indian Pizza and Cuisine, was also served from the Kiosk. Turban Day on April 13 was created in 2004 in response to a rise in negativity toward anyone wearing a turban in the wake of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. April 13 is also Vaisakhi Day, a major Sikh celebration.
Olympians on campus to speak with Leadership class
Students in Dawn Keith’s Leadership class had the opportunity to visit with three Olympians in March. On hand were: Michael Smith, an Olympic decathlete who represented Canada at three Olympic Games; Florian Linder, a former instructor at Lethbridge College and a technical coach for bobsleigh who represented Canada at the 2006 Torino Olympics; Jill Linder, an American bobsleigh driver who made her debut in the sport at 16 years old and won gold in Salt Lake City in 2002; and Paige Crozon, a member of Team Canada’s women’s 3-on-three basketball team, who is currently lead assistant coach of the University of Lethbridge women’s basketball team. Keith reports the entire student group and guests were fully engaged in the storytelling. “What stood out for me most was how authentic each was in sharing not only their history as a young athlete, but how they persevered in the face of politics, fear and adversity in a very human way,” she says. “It was very evident the core values held by each athlete fostered resiliency, personal growth and the willingness to make a difference.”
