Learning, Listening, Laughing

Lethbridge College alumni reflect on what it means to lead

For Dr. Kelly Damphousse (Law Enforcement 1982, Distinguished Alumni 1992), leadership is all about authenticity.

Whether that means the new president of the Texas State University is running his own active and engaging social media accounts, or he is living in residence and teaching a class at the start of the pandemic when he was president of Arkansas State University (because he always taught a class and he and his wife always lived in residence when they arrived at a new university), Damphousse says the best leaders lead “by being authentic, by walking around, by understanding and empathizing with the folks around you.”

The pandemic has given many opportunities for leaders to shine.

“I remember saying ‘How can I tell a freshman and their parents that it’s safe to live in the residence hall if I don’t live in the residence hall,’” says Damphousse, reflecting on the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. “And it would send a really weird signal to faculty if I said it was safe for them to go and teach but I was going to sit this semester out. It was really important for me to lead by example. If people you serve as a leader see you doing what they do – if you are in the trenches with them – they’ll sense you understand their plight.”

Damphousse, who became the 10th president of Texas State University on July 1, is one of the thousands of Lethbridge College alumni who makes a difference in his community as a leader. The following pages feature the insights and inspiration of 10 of them – including young leaders such as valedictorian Denise Serrano, student ambassador Chiane Shade, small business owner Lindsey Gehring and health educator Austin Crow Shoe; mid-career entrepreneurs and innovators Kirsten Fantazir, Fergus Raphael and Kirby Bartz; and established professionals Marco Pagliericci, Todd Ducharme and Damphousse.

These leaders have reflected on the people who inspire them in their work, the best advice they have on leadership and life, the traits of good leadership, the challenges and perks of leading people, and the strengths they bring to their own work. They’ve also tackled some lighter questions – because laughter, it turns out, is also a key component to excellent leadership.

Photos courtesy Kelly Damphousse

Dr. Kelly Damphousse’s path to the president’s office at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, started when he was 17 years old and came to Lethbridge College. Here’s what he had to say about the journey.

IS THERE A LEADER WHO INSPIRES YOU?

My life has been changed by five people – and one of them was a Lethbridge College instructor, Mr. Robin (Bob) Harrison. I really looked up to him as an instructor, and he’s the person who encouraged me to continue to university to get my four-year degree. He was one of the people who stood in the gap when I was at a fork in the road and guided me on my way. Those folks have been tremendous examples to me as leaders.

Another one of those five people was a faculty mentor when I was at graduate school at Texas A&M, Dr. Ben Crouch. I was about to have my first daughter, and he was mentoring me not just to be a graduate student and professor later on, but also about how to be a dad, since my own family was so far away in Canada. At one point, I asked him: “How can I ever repay you for what you’ve done for me?”

And he said: “Well, you can’t, because you don’t have anything I want. But someday, you’ll be in a position to help someone else. And when you help them, that’s how you pay me back.”

I have always been a very literal person. So when he said that, I said “OK, I’ll make that commitment,” and I’ve never forgotten it. So when a student says hey, we’re having a block party tonight, or a student social, or a coffee, I think “here’s another chance to pay back Dr. Crouch and pay back all those other people.”

It’s a passion for wanting to help people. I look so often in the eyes of my students and go, “I see myself in you,” especially being a first-generation student coming from very modest means. I want to help them get from here to there, and I’ll do whatever it takes to do that.

YOU SPEAK A LOT ABOUT BEING A FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENT. HOW DID YOU END UP AT LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE?

I had no plans of going to college when I was in high school. My mom finished school in Grade 9 and my dad in Grade 12. But they encouraged me to go and try, and in spring of my Grade 12 year I applied. Lethbridge College was a soft landing for me to figure things out, because I wasn’t mature enough for college yet, but they protected me and people like Mr. Harrison gave me a great opportunity to do something I wouldn’t have done otherwise.

When I got there, a world that I didn’t know existed was opened up to me. Lethbridge College gave me a chance. And it wasn’t just because I learned technical things – it was about learning about how to interact with people, learning skills that have stayed with me my entire career.

There may be a reader who knows a young person who’s on the fence, who is thinking about going to college and hearing it’s not worth the cost, or an older person looking to go back. My experience has been that there’s almost no better investment you can make in yourself than to get a college credential.

For me, it was Lethbridge College, which led to Sam Houston State, which led to Texas A&M, which led ultimately to the Texas State University and this job. I could never have done any of that without the people at Lethbridge College who invested their time and poured themselves into me, like Roland Barber, Bob Harrison and Ken Riley.

Without them, none of this would have been possible. And I feel an obligation to continue to encourage other people to think there’s an opportunity for them at Lethbridge College they might not have anywhere else.

YOU’VE GOT TO BE ONE OF THE MOST ACTIVE UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS USING SOCIAL MEDIA. STUDENTS TAG YOU IN THEIR PHOTOS AND YOU TAKE SELFIES WITH JUST ABOUT EVERYONE YOU MEET. WHAT BENEFIT IS THERE TO LEADERS WHO WANT TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA?

My kids got me into social media because they wanted to get on “the Facebook” and I said no at first. But one of our recruiters said let them have it, and you just become their first friend and keep up with what’s going on. And I quickly discovered that there are different platforms, and I can talk to different audiences over time, in different ways. And so I got into Twitter, and Instagram and Snapchat and BeReal. It’s all about communicating, about telling a story.

When I came here to Texas State, they were expecting that they would do all my tweeting for me because they thought that’s what was happening at Arkansas State. They said there’s no way you’re doing all that tweeting on your own. It took them a while to get used to the fact that I’m just staying up until three in the morning trying to catch up on the day.

I don’t pretend to be somebody else on social media. Trying to be authentic is really important. I’m just saying, this is just my life, and I ask myself how can I use this tool to inform and encourage people.

In addition, there’s so much negativity in the world today, and the world doesn’t need me adding to that. So all of my social media interactions tend to be towards more positive things, building people up and edifying people. I often tell people “I’m so proud of you, I can’t believe you’ve done this.” For students or faculty or employees to hear “I’m so proud of you” – that can mean something. Putting courage into people to help them do the things they don’t think they can do themselves – you know, what better calling is there?

After graduating from Lethbridge College, Dr. Kirsten Fantazir went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Lethbridge, a Master of Education degree from Athabasca University, and most recently, a PhD in Psychology. She has worked as a teacher/instructor, instructional designer, curriculum designer, subject-matter expert, chair, and researcher ever since. In July, she was appointed the college’s first President’s Applied Research Chair in Public Safety. She now works directly with partners to identify knowledge, skill and research gaps in the Canadian public safety industry and create potential solutions. Read more about her appointment at learn.lc/fantazir.

Why did you choose Lethbridge College? Right out of high school, I was excited to start my post-secondary career. I chose to take university transfer courses because the class sizes were smaller, the tuition was less, and it was a great transition between high school and university.

Is there a leader who inspires you in your own work? I have been fortunate to have many strong mentors and leaders throughout my career and personal life. They have a strong work ethic, are authentic, strengthen and uplift others, and they strive to continually better themselves and those around them.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received (on leadership or life)? Successful people build each other up. They motivate, inspire, and push each other.

What’s an unexpected perk of leading people? Sharing in the small wins in others’ personal/professional journeys - the pure joy felt when others succeed.

What strengths do you bring to your work? A spirit of gratitude, enthusiasm and a positive attitude, and initiative to solve existing problems through innovative solutions.

JUST FOR FUN

What always makes you laugh?

My young entrepreneurial spirit and all the odd-ended jobs it landed me and my friends in.

What's one of the most fun childhood memories you have?

Building a “hot tub” with my siblings in the ground – no, it didn’t work!

What's the wildest thing you've ever done?

Finished high school early to travel to Australia.

What's your dream road trip destination?

Grand Canyon.

THE WORLD IS SCARY, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR FUTURE WILL BE. BUT IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO GROW AND LEARN, TAKE IT!

Denise Serrano

Denise Serrano, the 2022 Fall Convocation valedictorian, led the way to Convocation in October, guiding her fellow grads into the gym behind the Grand Marshall before sharing an inspiring message of pride and hope. Serrano moved from the Philippines to Taber when she was 17, and says she only started to feel “at home” when she arrived at Lethbridge College and enrolled in her program. As a student, she participated in Performance and XR, where Canadian students of game design and performing arts collaborate to create a virtual reality world. Her team also won first place in the 7th annual Tecconnect Challenge, which is a real-world training experience to create a marketing strategy and collaborative design for a client. Today, she works as a media designer for the college’s Centre for Teaching, Learning and Innovation.

What has been the best part of your program?

Discovering who and what I want to be is the best part of the program. I've always loved to create and bring my art to life, but I didn't have any opportunities to do so until I came to Lethbridge College. I've become more passionate than before about making memorable creations through technology. I've also met lifelong friends and instructors who never doubted my potential.

What do you hope to do after graduation?

I hope to leave my footprints in the digital world - to create memorable experiences through designs, animations, and video games that people will remember even after years pass by.

What is the coolest thing you’ve created?

I'm really proud of creating The Core Competencies Island, which is now owned by Lethbridge College. It's a capstone project where I was in charge of creating and bringing everything to life. From modeling a blade of grass to a wolf wagging its tail, coding the player to be able to move and jump, and making the environment even more alive by adding music and sound effects – I was able to create a whole environment that you can play on both PC and VR. More importantly, it's also a project that can help students learn more about the significance of core competencies.

What advice would you give either a fellow grad or a student starting out at the college?

Don't think, just jump! The world is scary, especially when you don't know what your future will be. But if there's an opportunity for you to grow and learn, take it! Don't think about the "what if's" because if you do, you will be filled with fear and you might miss the biggest opportunity that will change your life for the better! You never know what's going happen unless you try, and even if you do fail... so what? Mistakes are our best teachers. What's important is knowing to stand up again and learn from your mistakes.

OUR ELDERS ARE ALWAYS TELLING US TO “WATCH WHAT WE SAY” BECAUSE, AS NIITSITAPI, OUR WORDS ARE POWERFUL, AND WORDS CAN HURT PEOPLE IF USED IN THE WRONG WAY. SO I USE MY WORDS AND VOICE IN AN EMPOWERING, INSPIRING, ENCOURAGING WAY TO MOTIVATE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE TO LACE THEIR MOCCASINS AND CHASE THEIR DREAMS!

Chiane Shade

Chiane Shade works at Lethbridge College as a senior student ambassador while continuing her education in the Justice Studies program. She says she loves taking future students on tours of the campus and showing off the college’s student resources, classrooms and labs, and best study and hangout spots. The experience has helped her develop her leadership and communication skills, she says. Shade also had the chance to help create the college’s land acknowledgment. One day, she dreams of returning to Lethbridge College as an elder or Kainai grandmother to help future Niitsitapi students in the same the way so many have helped her along her journey.

What do you think makes a good leader?

Compassion, kindness (Kiimopippisiin), bravery, decentralization, a collectivist decision-making approach, knowledge hunger, responsibility, communication and listening. A good leader can inspire, motivate and support people in times of need, and always lends a helping hand and is accountable, respectful, inclusive, and most importantly never expects something in return.

Which leadership skills do you value the most?

Communication skills. Being a Lethbridge College Student Ambassador has encouraged me and inspired me to find my voice. I am on a journey to inspire young Niitsitapis to find their voices and use them in a positive way. Our Elders are always telling us to “watch what we say” because, as Niitsitapi, our words are powerful, and words can hurt people if used in the wrong way. So I use my words and voice in an empowering, inspiring, encouraging way to motivate our young people to lace their moccasins and chase their dreams!

What advice would you give to a student just starting out at Lethbridge College?

The college is yours, so embrace it! Our instructors are amazing people who are here for us, and I encourage you to build those relationships! They have special strengths: to teach us, shape us and fill our tool belts with unique mechanisms that aid us to be successful in our field of choice and gets us ready for the real world! We also have amazing student services with many different areas of speciality, and they are all here for you! Finally, its okay to fail but it’s more important to learn from it, get back up and try again. Fall seven times get back up eight! Iikaakimaat napi (try hard my friend).

JUST FOR FUN

If you were given a billboard on Scenic Drive? What would you put on it?

My beautiful face of course! I am on a mission to inspire, motivate and encourage our young Niitsitapis to try hard. I want to show young people that if we try hard and stay dedicated, we can achieve anything we put our minds too!

What is the most embarrassing song you will admit to liking publicly?

“Barbie Girl” by Aqua! When I was a teenager, I would take my dad’s huge camcorder, throw a VHS tape in, toss that big boy on my shoulder, and make music videos to that song. We would flicker the lights and use the zoom switch for effects – we were rock stars!  

MY FAVOURITE QUOTE TO MY STUDENTS WAS: “THE ART OF LEADERSHIP IS THE PROCESS OF INFLUENCING PEOPLE TO DO OR GO SOMEWHERE WHERE AN ORDINARY HUMAN BEING WOULD SAY 'ARE YOU CRAZY.”

Cst. Marco Pagliericci

Cst. Marco Pagliericci was awarded the Medal of Bravery by the Governor General of Canada in September. At a ceremony in Ottawa, the Right Hon. Mary Simon presented the medal, which honours courageous individuals who have risked their lives to try to save someone in imminent danger. It is believed that Cst. Pagliericci is the first Lethbridge police officer to receive this honour in the 120-year history of the police service. The incident he was nominated for occurred in 2017, but the award ceremony was postponed due to COVID restrictions.

On April 8, 2017, Cst. Pagliericci rescued several residents from a fire in the Bridge Villa Estates Trailer Park, in Lethbridge. Arriving on the scene, he found a home engulfed in flames, with the fire spreading to the neighbouring unit. He banged on the door and directed an elderly woman to leave, then entered the home and found an elderly man with a disability lying on the couch. He led the man outside as flames and thick smoke engulfed the unit. The constable then turned his attention to evacuating other tenants from the neighbouring homes and keeping the site secure until firefighters arrived.

Which leaders have inspired you?

I have been in uniform serving my country and my community for over 45 years – 23 of those years were while I was in the military and 22 with the Lethbridge Police Service. In all my years of service, I have had the chance to work with and learn from great leaders, but the one who stands out and who has inspired me the most is retired Major General Romeo Dallaire. Mr. Dallaire was my first commanding officer that I had the privilege to serve under back in 1978. His approach to leadership was one of friendliness, fairness and firmness. Mr. Dallaire was a tough man, he did not accept incompetence and he held all his subordinates to a very high standard. He would often tell me “son, it’s not what comes out of your mouth that makes you a great leader but what you do.”

Mr. Dallaire always put the wellness of his men and women ahead of his own interest, and for that reason he was extremely respected. He used to tell me that leadership is an art, and it’s one that few are naturally born with. But he said it can also be learned if you have the right leaders to teach you. During my military career, I attained the rank of Master Warrant Officer. I received countless leadership training opportunities and taught leadership training to subordinates. My favourite quote to my students was: “The art of leadership is the process of influencing people to do or go somewhere where an ordinary human being would say ARE YOU CRAZY.” It’s being able to provide a purpose or reason, direction and motivate them to accomplish the mission or improve the organization. I believe that it is a lost art.

Photo courtesy Stacey Rae Images

Kirby Bartz started working with New West Theatre the summer after her graduation from Lethbridge College, and she quickly fell in love with all aspects of theatre there. That fall, she started working at the college as a lab assistant and instructor in the Fashion Design program, and she continued working there off and on for several years, while also working in theatre and obtaining her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dramatic Arts from the University of Lethbridge. It was during this period that she started altering wedding dresses for family and friends to supplement her theatre jobs, and since that time she has become a highly sought-after bridal seamstress. In August 2020, she took the plunge and opened The Alteration Shoppe on 3rd Avenue South, where she now has three employees and uses her education and skills to excel at her career.

Is there a leader who inspires you in your own work?

Meeting Brenda Brandley my first semester of college - and working with her in the fashion program after graduation – changed my life. She continues to be my mentor and friend to this day. When Brenda was leading her classes, she did something that I did not realize until later – she never made me feel like I was less than. I was the assistant in many of Brenda’s classes and if I was unsure of the best way to do something, I was never afraid to approach Brenda to ask a question. I strive to have this relationship with my employees. We often discuss things as a group and come up with the best solution as a collective whole. Yes, I am their boss and I do have the final say, but I have hired these individuals because they are qualified, and I trust their input. Often it makes the job easier, and everyone gets to learn from everyone else’s experience and expertise!

What’s an unexpected perk of leading people?

I loved my time teaching at the college because I loved seeing a student’s “aha” moment. Through my business, I am able to teach my employees different ways of doing things and I still get to see their aha moment when they do something they were not sure they knew how to do.

JUST FOR FUN

What's the wildest thing you've ever done?

Two days after my graduation fashion show, I jumped on a plane to New York City with my dad to see Rent before it closed on Broadway.

What's your dream road trip destination?

I would love to drive to the Grand Canyon with my husband and kids at some point in the near future.

What’s the most embarrassing song you’ll admit to liking publicly?

“MMMBop” by Hanson. This summer I got to see Hanson live for the first time and got to cross something off my bucket list.

Fergus Raphael learned to program and develop websites at age 15. It's a common story, but in a quiet Saskatchewan town in the 1990s – before social media and without a driver's license, it was a way to keep in touch with distant friends in surrounding towns. Raphael was put in charge of the town's local access TV channel while still in high school and wrote an occasional column for the town's paper. Weaving technologies together became the blueprint for the company he helms two decades later.

Raphael moved to Lethbridge and studied Broadcast Journalism at Lethbridge College. At the time, it was the best place to access the tools and technologies to augment his self-taught software development interests, which he quickly parlayed into a brief career working in documentary and television projects. These days, Raphael leads a team of intrepid technologists, having established his company Tangle Media in 2004 as a playground for these same multi-disciplinary concepts. Today, Tangle Media employs a half a dozen Lethbridge College graduates and has grown into a powerful software development team.

Is there a leader who inspires you in your own work?

In tech, most of the real leaders are quiet people who spend thousands of hours over many years quietly building unheralded open-source technology that ends up enabling half of all daily life. Their work will have 20 million followers on GitHub and their friends think they fix printers for a living.

Which leadership skills do you value most?

I can't do it, but it's impressive to watch people who are really, really good listeners, who can say not much for a two-hour meeting, except the exact right thing at the very end.

What strengths do you bring to your work?

Probably just an enthusiasm for it. And maybe an ability to figure out broad strokes and set our team up to succeed. Then I try to stay out of the way of the people who are putting in the real work.

JUST FOR FUN

If you could travel to any year in a time machine, what year would you choose and why?

2019, to invest in bread machine stocks.

What's the wildest thing you've ever done?

I've been to Burning Man three times.

Todd Ducharme was one English course shy of graduating from Lethbridge College – something he wishes he could go back in time to change. But he says he still took the experiences and lessons learned as a student to build a successful career. Starting as a salesperson and “part-time lot guy in charge of reconditioning and advertising” at Scougall Motors in Fort Macleod, he has worked his way up in the business, and today serves as the general manager of Westlock Motors. Along the way he took great inspiration from his own bosses – John David and Hank Arnoldussen – and he has tried to pass that wisdom on to his team. He and his wife Deneen (Secretarial Science 1985) have two sons, Colby and Brady, who have started their own ownership plan.

Is there a leader who inspires you in your own work?

I learned all I know from two experts of the auto industry - John Davis and Hank Arnoldussen. John and Hank both knew how to lead others well. They taught me to always work harder for more. Not in a way most people would think but more success and more comfort for life and family. They taught me that if you work hard good things will come, and to stick to something and work to make it grow. John Davis was and continues to be a great role model. He has always said to surround yourself with good positive people.

What do you think makes a good leader?

A good leader is someone who will lead by example but also let you try some stuff on your own, who makes you think on your feet and execute a plan.

What strengths do you bring to your work?

The best leaders get to know the strengths of their people and let them excel. I feel I have grown and learned from the start to try to connect with all employees to continue learning.

JUST FOR FUN

If you could travel to any year in a time machine, what year would you choose and why?

If I could go to any year it would be 1984. I would take a little different look at college the second time around. I would still have fun but would work a little harder at school and in my role as vice president of the students’ association.

What's your dream road trip destination?

My dream road trip destination would be the west coast of North America with no timelines.

After graduating from Lethbridge College, Lindsey Gehring went on to earn a Bachelor of Social Work degree. During her years as a student and after graduation, she also worked with the RCMP Victim Services Unit, and she continued to do that work until she was hired as the Domestic Violence Action Team Coordinator with Lethbridge Family Services in 2021. She ended up leaving the field of social work to support her health in 2022, as she has multiple sclerosis, and she now runs a successful small business with her husband. She says the greatest lesson in her professional journey has been that it’s okay to change direction as often as you need, and that changes allows people to move forward in live and be ready for new and exciting experiences.

Is there a leader who inspires you in your own work?

Keith Dudley, an instructor, mentor and friend. He is one of the most caring and understanding humans I have ever met. He has done so much for his community and still proceeds to give back even after he has retired.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received (on leadership or life)?

I was pretty devastated to be leaving social work, and specifically to be giving up my designation as a Licensed Social Worker. I said to a friend: “I can’t do that, I don’t have a designation.” He said to me: “You don’t need a designation, you are Lindsey, THAT is your designation.” What he meant is that at the end of the day, it's more important to stay true to who you are on the inside, and not what people see on the outside.

What do you think makes a good leader?

A good leader is someone who acts as they are a team with those they lead, instead of behaving as though they command others. Empathy is also an important trait of a good leader. Empathetic leaders encourage happy employees and positive work environments.

JUST FOR FUN

What fictional person do you wish were real?

Lorelei Gilmore from Gilmore Girls

Who do you go out of your way to be nice to?

As many people as I can, everyone is going through or has been through something. It's easier to be kind than rude. I like to keep in mind that I, too, need kindness from others as well.

Austin Crowshoe is from the Piikani Nation located in southwestern Alberta, which is part of the Blackfoot Confederacy. He has been working since his graduation at Aakom-Kiyii Health Services on the Piikani Nation as the health educator working in Community Health. His job is to provide health and wellness education to his community through a variety of promotional events, chronic disease prevention, and healthy living programs. He has also gone on to become a certified personal training specialist with Canadian Fitness Professional, Inc. in addition to his work as health educator. Once the pandemic started, he was assigned to oversee operations at the COVID-19 isolation centre on the Piikani First Nation. He says that assignment provided him with an enormous opportunity to apply the skills and education he received in the leadership program at Lethbridge College.

What do you think makes a good leader?

I believe there are numerous qualities that make up a good leader such as integrity, empathy, responsibility and, above all, a positive mindset.

Is there a leader who inspires you in your own work?

The leader who inspires me in my own work would be my supervisor and team lead. She comes to work every day with a positive, caring attitude and a commitment to see our department work as a team to serve our community as best as we can.

JUST FOR FUN

What is your no. 1 Karaoke song?

“Your Cheating Heart” by Hank Williams Sr.

If you were given a billboard on Scenic Drive, what would you put on it?

“You can do it, put your back into it!”
- Austin Crow Shoe Personal Training

If you’d like to celebrate an inspiring Lethbridge College leader, email us at [email protected]. We’d love to share their stories in a future issue.