Hugh Gillard - May 4, 2022

Hugh Gillard with Jennifer Goodman - Speaker’s Chair and Carol Lynn Gregory - Vice President

HUGH GILLARD

Hugh Gillard is a retired oil industry executive who achieved success in business, his community and in life despite looking and speaking being “different”.

Hugh was born with a cleft lip and palate (CLP) including a severe speech impediment, hearing loss and unusual facial features.   As a child, a teenager and as an adult he faced and overcame many obstacles and challenges including social rejection, stigma and discrimination. 

Born in the heart of Central Alberta and raised on a cattle ranch near Coronation until his parents retired and moved to Okotoks Mr. Gillard gained a unique perspective on life as a child and young adult.  In 1972 he earned his Bachelor of Commerce Degree before joining the oil industry where he spent his entire career. 

Hugh retired as a successful executive having served as President of CanWest Marketing, PrimeWest Energy and Kelso Energy and on multiple boards of directors of public companies.   He has always had a strong commitment to his community including serving as President of the Okotoks Lions Club, Chairman of Hospice Calgary, Chairman of the Calgary Zoo Board and currently a director of the Magical Moments Foundation (USA).  Today, he and his wife Rosie of 37years reside in Calgary.  They have two daughters and five grandchildren. 

Mr. Gillard authored “What Did You Say? Memories on a Road Less Travelled”, an inspirational, candid and humorous memoir (www.hughgillard.com) with 100% of gross proceeds being donated to cleft related charities.  Total sales or donations because of the book now exceed $28,000.   

Hugh has been featured on CTV’s Inspired Albertan (hosted by Darrel Janz) and as a keynote speaker at medical conferences, most recently to over 300 doctors at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.  Recently he was given the rare privilege, as a non-scientist or medical professional, of being ask to write a chapter for a major medical journal.

 

 

 

Partick Fagan Q. C. - April 6, 2022

Candid Perspectives of a Criminal Defense Lawyer

For the past 45 years I have devoted my professional life to upholding the law and pursuit of justice. In addition to conducting cases throughout and at every level of Court in the Provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan, my experience as legal counsel has extended to:

 

·       The Supreme Court of Canada

·       The Law Enforcement Review Board

·       The Provincial Court of Manitoba

·       The Provincial Court of Ontario

·       The Ontario Superior Court of Justice

·       The New Brunswick Provincial Court

·       The New Brunswick Court of Queen’s Bench

·       The Northwest Territorial Court

·       The Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories

·       Nunavut Court of Justice

·       The Provincial Court of Newfoundland and Labrador

·       The Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador

·       The Alberta Securities Commission

Cherie Copithorne-Barnes - March 3, 2022

Cherie is a 4th generation rancher and CEO of CL Ranches Ltd., a cow/calf, backgrounding and mixed grain operation located in Jumping Pound, just west of Calgary, Alberta Canada. 

Cherie currently sits as an Executive Member for the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, is a Director of the Calgary Stampede and co-chair of the Government of Alberta’s Red Tape Reduction Panel for Agriculture.  She also sits on numerous post-secondary advisory boards.

Cherie was also the founding chair of the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef. As the mother of a 5th generation of ranchers, sustainability is something near and dear to her heart.

Ashley Tedham - February 2, 2022

A native Calgarian with a passion for international and community development, Ashley obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Political Science at the University of Calgary in 2007, and a Master's Degree in 2012 at International Affairs at The Graduate Institute in Geneva, Switzerland. 

Over the last ten years, Ashley has worked with various International Organizations in Sierra Leone, Canada, and Switzerland, including the Canadian International Development Agency, the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations and World Trade Organization, the World Meteorological Organization and the World Health Organization. 

In 2016 Ashley returned to Calgary and became the Executive Director of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award (the Award).  In 2020, Ashley was included in Avenue Magazine's Top 40 Under 40, highlighting the Award's work empowering criminally involved youth through a project she developed called The Youth Resiliency Project.

In April 2021, Ashley took on a new role with Benevity acting as their Senior Global Analysis. Ashley is a committed volunteer with the Tom Jackson Rotary Stay-in-School Program, Dress for Success, University of Calgary Women’s Mentorship Program, and sits on the board of CAUSE Canada.

Sue Jacques - November 10, 2021

Sing! Dance! Act! Youth Singers of Calgary is a vibrant performing arts company and an exceptional education program that encompasses singing, dancing, and theatre arts for children, teens, and adults.

The mission of Youth Singers is to provide an inclusive and engaged community that gives young people the opportunity to grow and express themselves through the performing arts.

They are committed to building skills and confidence to perform locally, nationally, and internationally.

Dr Craig Jenne - October 6, 2021

Dr. Craig Jenne Photo.jpeg

Dr. Craig Jenne started his research career as a graduate student at the University of Calgary under the supervision of Dr. John Reynolds. Following his PhD, Dr. Jenne joined an NIH collaboration between the University of California San Francisco and the Australian National University.

Dr. Jenne returned to Calgary to join the group of Dr. Paul Kubes. Here Dr. Jenne was exposed to the field of intravital microscopy, an area that now has become his primary focus. During his time in Dr. Kubes’ lab, Dr. Jenne has developed a number of models to study the innate immune response to viral and highly pathogenic bacterial infections. It was also during this time that Dr. Jenne took on the role of Scientific Director of the Snyder Translational Lab in Critical Care Medicine, a position that allows him to work directly with Clinicians and Researchers on human clinical studies.

Dr. Jenne has a faculty appointment within the department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases and the Department of Critical Care Medicine at the University of Calgary and is continuing his work using intravital microscopy to study the early innate immune response to viral and bacterial infections.