Proudly UNB awards: 2006 recipients

In 2005, the UNB Associated Alumni broadened its awards program to recognize more groups and individuals who have made significant contributions to the work of the Association and to the University of New Brunswick. We are proud to present the 2006 recipients.

Alumni Award of Honour

The UNB Associated Alumni’s most prestigious award recognizes truly outstanding service and commitment to UNB and the Associated Alumni. The 2006 recipients are:

Gary Lawson, Saint John (BBA’76, LLB’79)

Gary Lawson is a partner in the Saint John law firm of Lawson & Creamer, where he has practised since graduating from UNB Law School in 1979. Prior to attending law school, Gary received his business degree at UNB Saint John, where he was immersed in student activities. Gary currently co-chairs the nationally unique Business Community Anti-Poverty Initiative (BCAPI) in Saint John. This organization is a large group of senior business and professional leaders working to fight poverty in the Saint John area. Over the years, besides his involvement with UNB and alumni affairs, Gary has also been involved with such organizations as Hospice of Saint John, and Rocmaura Nursing Home, has served as president of the Saint John Board of Trade, and has contributed to his profession through such things as teaching courses and giving seminars. Gary’s law practice focuses on business law, as well as in the area of labour and employment law.

Jim Morell, Fredericton (BPE’67)

Jim Morell of Fredericton has a long history of involvement with UNB, the Associated Alumni and his community. After a year of teaching and coaching immediately following his graduation from UNB, Jim joined the New Brunswick public service in 1968, working in the sport and recreation field for 17 years. He then spent three years in the Cabinet Secretariat, before serving as an assistant deputy minister in several government departments from 1989 until his retirement in 1998. Throughout his career, he served on numerous provincial and national sporting organizations. But he also found time for UNB. He was a member of the Associated Alumni Council from 1970 to 1975, and from 1978 to 1982, including a year as vice-president. He was also a member of a number of committees and organizations dedicated to strengthening athletics at UNB. Jim also served as the chair of the Homecoming 2000 Organizing Committee.

Marti-Lou Neill, Fredericton (BA’69)

Marti-Lou Neill was born in Saint John, N.B., and raised in St. Stephen, N.B. In 1965 she enrolled in business administration – the only female in the class! Active in the Business Club, majorettes, Red ’n’ Black, and campus life in general, she graduated in 1969. In 1978, Marti-Lou moved to Rothesay. Her UNB connection remained strong and soon she was hosting a cable television show focusing on life and people at UNBSJ. As president of the alumni’s UNB Saint John Chapter, she also sat on the UNB Alumni Council. The years in SJ provided many other volunteer opportunities, including Girl Guides of Canada, N.B. Cancer Society, Loyalist Days, the Saint John Tattoos, and KV Players. Upon returning to Fredericton in 1994, she worked with FHS productions as well. The move to Fredericton brought Marti-Lou back to active involvement with UNB. She served as president of the UNB Associated Alumnae (2000-2002). She was a member of the UNB Board of Governors (1999-2004), an alumni councillor (2000-2002), and served as treasurer of the UNB Associated Alumni (2002-2005). Always a regular attendee at reunions, Marti-Lou has been involved with organizing events at both Homecoming 2000 and Homecoming 2005.

Richard J. Scott, Fredericton (BBA’74, LLB’76)

Following in the footsteps of his parents, the late R. Gordon Scott, P.Eng. (BScEE ‘49) and the late Roberta M. Scott (Ex), Richard enrolled at UNB in the fall of 1970. Having completed the first three years of the BBA program, ranking first in his class each year, in the fall of 1973 he entered the joint LLB/BBA program and began his studies at Ludlow Hall as a Beaverbrook Scholar in Law. In 1974 he was awarded a BBA with distinction. In 1976 he was awarded an LLB and the Law Faculty Prize as the outstanding student in his graduating class. He also was awarded a Student Union Gold Achievement Award in recognition of his involvement while on campus. Richard was first elected as a member of UNB’s Senate in 1973 and UNB’s Board of Governors in 1974. He was first elected as a member of the Alumni Council in 1980. When he retired from these bodies on June 30 this year, he had accumulated 15 years of service on the Board, 23 years of service at the Senate level, having served on each of the University Senate and its successors, the Fredericton Senate and the Saint John Senate, and 25 years of service on the Alumni Council. While on the Alumni Council, he held all elected officers positions, including a record three non-consecutive terms as the association’s President: 1985-86, 1995-97, 2001-2003.

Alumni Award of Distinction

This award recognizes the significant contributions made by UNB alumni in their local communities and beyond, for which they have been recognized regionally, nationally, or internationally. The 2006 recipients are:

Michael Gange, Fredericton (BA’78, MEd’95)

Mike Gange’s passion for the mass media was kindled when he came to UNB as a student in the 1970s. His work with various news media, first at CHSR and then at The Brunswickan, led him to jobs at the Telegraph Journal, CBC, and CFNB. He eventually worked in radio and television in Winnipeg, print in Toronto, and radio and television in N.B. Mike now provides play-by-play on UNB sports events on Rogers Television and on News-cast.com, and he has written more than 100 book reviews for the Telegraph Journal and for professional learning and academic journals. Mike is a leader in the field of media literacy. As a teacher of media studies and journalism courses at Fredericton High, he involves his students in the media, often providing opportunities to work on UNB broadcasts. In March 2005, Mike was awarded The Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence, the highest acknowledgement a Canadian teacher can receive. Mike says he can trace his successes back to UNB coaches who encouraged him, and especially to people such as Don Nelson, Joyce Slipp and John Meagher.

Anne Marie McGrath, Saint John (BEd’69, MEd’87)

Anne Marie McGrath, a native of Saint John, received a BEd and MEd (Curriculum and Instruction) from UNB. She also studied at Université de Montréal and the University of Alberta. She taught at St. Joseph’s School and was subsequently Supervisor of Elementary and Junior High School Education, Assistant Superintendent and retired as Superintendent of Schools in District 8 (Saint John). A recipient of the F. K. Stewart Fellowship in Educational Administration, she was a member of the Conference Board of Canada Quality Education Network and, through the British Council, examined education and business relationships in England. Anne Marie was a founder of the South End Day Care Centre, was on the board of the Saint John Boys’ and Girls’ Club, served on the Boards of Bruncor and NBTel, was a member of UNB Alumni Council and of the Saint John Board of Police Commissioners. She is a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow. Currently Anne Marie is Co-Chair of Saint John’s Vibrant Communities “Children and Youth” Group and a member of UNB Board of Governors and the Saint John Senate.

Sally Richards, Nackawic (BA’71, BEd’75, MEd'84)

Sally Richards of Nackawic, N.B., has had a long and distinguished career in education. Retiring earlier this year as the principal of George Street Middle School in Fredericton, Sally began her teaching career in 1972 in Quebec City. She returned to New Brunswick in 1975 to take a teaching position at Nackawic Junior High School, where she remained until 1994. In the fall of that year, she became vice-principal of Hartland High School. She was named principal of Hartland High in 1995, serving in that capacity until her move to George Street Middle School in 2000. Throughout her career, she has served on various school district and Department of Education committees, and has maintained a solid record of ongoing professional development. In 2006, Sally was named one of Canada’s Outstanding Principals by The Learning Partnership and the Canadian Association of Principals.

Joyce Slipp, Fredericton (BPE’72, BA’74)

Joyce Slipp has been with the UNB athletics program in one capacity or another since she began her undergraduate degree in 1968. She is a former student athlete in the sports of field hockey and basketball, and is a two-time UNB graduate with a bachelor of physical education (1972) and a bachelor of arts (1974). Joyce was awarded the Colin B. Mackay Shield in 1974 as UNB’s Female Athlete of the Year. From 1969 to1976 Joyce was a member of the Canadian National Women’s Basketball Team and competed in many different countries around the world. In 1976 she was named captain of the Canadian Olympic Basketball Team for the Montreal Olympics. From 1977 to 1990 (with a brief hiatus in 1980-81), she was a lecturer in the faculty of physical education and recreation and head coach of either field hockey or basketball and for several years coached both sports. In 1990 she took a break from UNB to become a sport consultant with the Province of New Brunswick, but returned to her love of coaching in 1995 and once again took up the reins as head basketball coach for the Varsity Reds women’s program. It was on her return to UNB that she also took on the role as assistant athletic director. She retired in June of this year.

Young Alumni Achievement Award

This award recognizes those who received a bachelor’s degree within the last 10 years or a graduate degree within the last five years.The 2006 recipients are:

Wayne Chamberlain, Saint John (BCS’98)

Wayne Chamberlain holds a Bachelor of Computer Science from UNB. Upon leaving UNB, Wayne worked in the telecommunications field for two years before helping found AnyWare Group. Appointed Vice-President of Sales for AnyWare Group in January of 2003, Wayne is responsible for establishing and growing AnyWare Group’s foreign operations. The AnyWare Group team has been developing and delivering technology and telecommunications solutions to public and private sector companies throughout the world since its inception. Wayne is an active outdoorsman committed to the young people of New Brunswick, dedicating two weeks per year to outdoor leadership camps for New Brunswick’s high school students. The camps provide students a chance to rappel, kayak, climb and hike while learning to discover and expand their own limits. Wayne’s other two major pastimes include adventure racing and ultimate frisbee. Wayne currently resides in Saint John, New Brunswick.

Adrian D. C. Chan, Ottawa (PhD’02)

Adrian Chan was born in Montreal in 1975 and raised in Waterloo, Ont. He received his PhD in electrical engineering from UNB in 2002. He has been an assistant professor with the department of systems and computer engineering at Carleton University in Ottawa since 2003. Adrian has more than 40 publications and has been recognized with a number of honors, including the Governor General’s Gold Academic Medal (2003), Maclean’s 25 Best and Brightest (2004), Ottawa Life Sciences Council Dr. Michael Smith Promising Scientist Award (2004), Ottawa Life Magazine 50 Top People in the Capital (2005), and the Carleton University Spirit Recognition Award (2006). Adrian serves as the Carleton University Shad Valley program director, the faculty representative for the Carleton University Engineers Without Borders chapter and the IEEE EMBS student club and as a board member for the Carleton University Virtual Ventures program and Co-operators Community Advisor Panel.

Steve Mason, Nairobi (BSc’96)

Steve Mason currently works with the Aga Khan Foundation as its regional program manager for East Africa, based in Nairobi. Steve previously worked for the Foundation in Afghanistan, from 2004 and 2006. Prior to this, he held the post of executive director of the United Nations Association in Canada, based in Ottawa. Steve has a master’s degree in international relations from the University of Cambridge (1999) and a BSc in bio-math from UNB (1996). He has previously worked as a field worker with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in West Africa, as a consultant with Foreign Affairs Canada and as a researcher with Human Rights Internet and the N.B. Human Rights Commission. He has also volunteered as a field worker with an international development group in Costa Rica and with a refugee support organization in the Czech Republic. Steve has sat on the boards of directors of a variety of Canadian non-profit organizations, including the Group of 78, World Inter-Action Mondiale and the Canadian Centre for Quality Education and Opportunity. His long-standing commitment to Amnesty International includes serving as a caseworker and trainer for its Refugee Network over a five-year period.

Steve F. Toner, Grand Falls (BScCE’97)

Steve Toner, a Grand Falls, N.B., native, graduated from UNB in 1997 with a bachelor of science in engineering degree. He then worked with his father at Timber Top Trusses Ltd. for one year before purchasing the business. He drastically changed the way the 23-year-old company did business by giving it a customer-based orientation. He also introduced lean thinking techniques in manufacturing, which resulted in productivity increases of more than 200 per cent. This translated to a yearly 40-per-cent increase in sales. Steve is serving the truss industry as the current president of the Canadian Wood Truss Association, past-president of the Atlantic Wood Truss Fabricators Assoc., a board member of the Truss Plate Institute of Canada (TPIC), and a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of N.B. For his innovative and growing success story, Steve, at the age of 30, was awarded the Business Development Bank of Canada’s (BDC) Young Entrepreneur Award for NB for 2005.

Outreach Group of the Year

The recipient group will have made significant contributions to UNB alumni, students, the university or the Associated Alumni during the previous year by holding events, demonstrating growth, and/ or undertaking new initiatives in support of these groups.

UNB Club of Ottawa

The UNB Club of Ottawa is the oldest chapter of North America’s oldest English University. The Chapter was founded in 1947, and has had a record of consistent activity for the ensuing 59 years. The chapter’s first president was Thomas Foulkes Sr., and in his memory the chapter has awarded a scholarship to deserving Ottawa-area students since 1982. The club holds a send-off reception every year for freshmen on their way to UNB. This event, along with the dinner-dance, golf tournament and PUB night, are held every year, and are the cornerstones of the chapter’s activities. As well, the chapter from time-to-time organizes special attractions such as UNB Nights at football and hockey games. The Ottawa Chapter also holds the distinction of having the most Alumni Award of Honour recipients – a total of eight – among the UNB chapters. The Ottawa Chapter has energized and involved literally thousands of Ottawa-area alumni on behalf of the Association and University during its long history.

Outreach Volunteer of the Year

The recipient has made a significant contribution to advancing the objectives of the Outreach Program, either by being a member of an outreach group or individually.

Bob Slipp, Ottawa (BPE’72)

Bob Slipp of Ottawa has been a mainstay of the UNB Ottawa Chapter for more than a decade. In particular, Bob was one of the lead organizers of the annual Ottawa Chapter golf tournament from 1996 to 2005. He also served as chapter secretary-treasurer from 1998 to 2006, and assisted with other activities in one of the Association’s most active chapters. Bob also has found time to give back to his local community, having served on the board of Kiwanis Club of Rideau (Ottawa), and as a Level II CSIA ski instructor and Level I Coach. Professionally, Bob has more than two decades of experience in the financial services and insurance sectors. He is currently a senior compensation policy analyst with the RCMP National Compensation Policy Centre in Ottawa.

Honorary Membership in the UNB Associated Alumni

This honour is conferred on any person who has rendered outstanding service to the association and UNB.

John Meagher, Fredericton

John Meagher was born in Montreal. In July 1957, he accepted an invitation from President Colin B. Mackay to establish the Maritimes’ first physical education degree program at UNB in Fredericton. He is proud to say that there is a UNB physical education graduate in almost every English-speaking secondary school in New Brunswick, as well as on the faculties of all four N.B. universities and several community colleges, and at every university in Atlantic Canada. He was the executive assistant to UNB President John Anderson from 1972-76, and was chair of the management committee of UNB’s successful capital campaign, The Third Century Fund, on behalf of President James Downey from 1980-84. Dr. Meagher also co-chaired the committee charged with designing and funding the Aitken University Centre and the G. Forbes Elliot Field House. He was responsible for the institution of: the N.B. Winter Games; the N.B. Federation of Sport, Recreation & Physical Education and the N.B. Sports Hall of Fame. John Meagher received the honour awards of the Canadian (1967) and Atlantic Provinces (1970) Associations for Health, Physical Education and Recreation, and was a recipient of the Queen’s Jubilee Medal (1977).

Don Nelson, Fredericton

Don Nelson came to UNB in 1956 as head football and basketball coach. He served 11 years as football coach, 32 years as basketball coach and 33 years teaching in the Faculty of Physical Education and Kinesiology. In 1971 Don established the first UNB summer sports camp program and directed basketball and volleyball programs for a period of 17 years. Following his retirement in 1991, the UNB Varsity Reds Alumni named two scholarships in his honour - The Don Nelson Merit Award and The Don Nelson Leadership Award. Don was enrolled in the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame in 2001 and in the City of Fredericton Sports Wall of Fame in 2002. Don and his wife Margie (Lewis) have served the university community in a number of ways and now are enjoying retirement with their three daughters, family and grandchildren.

• For more photos from the Proudly UNB Awards 2006 dinner, click here.
• For more information on the awards program, click here for a PDF brochure.
• For a nomination form in PDF, click here.