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Annual Alumni Recognition Awards honour achievements

Recipients include veteran TV news anchor, student leader, important patron, and Concordia Shuffle chair
May 15, 2012
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By Howard Bokser


A veteran TV news anchor, a student leader, an important patron and the Concordia Shuffle chair are among the exemplary group of university community members who’ll be celebrated at this year’s Alumni Recognition Awards Banquet.

The awards were launched by the Concordia University Alumni Association (CUAA) in 1990 to acknowledge vital contributions to the institution and the association by alumni, students, faculty members, staff and supporters of Concordia and its founding institutions, Loyola College and Sir George Williams University.

The 21st annual ceremony will be held May 17 at a Montreal hotel.

The evening will also feature a special tribute to Concordia President and Vice-Chancellor Frederick H. Lowy and his wife, Mary Kay Lowy, to commemorate their years of incomparable service and dedication to Concordia.

“Mary Kay and Fred Lowy stand among the most devoted and respected leaders and champions in the university’s history,” says Marie Claire Morin, Concordia’s vice-president of Advancement and Alumni Relations, the unit that organizes the event. “We are proud to thank them in this special way after their years of tireless effort on Concordia’s behalf.”

The  2012 Alumni Recognition Awards winners, as always, have reached outstanding professional and community heights:

All photos by Ryan Blau/PBL Photography

Alumnus/a of the Year Award
Jamie Orchard, BA 91, is senior anchor and news editor for Global Montreal’s Evening News, airing weekdays at 6 p.m. With Jamie as anchor, the Global Evening News was named Best Newscast in Eastern Canada by the Radio/Television News Directors Association in 2007 and earned the award for best breaking news coverage in 2006.

Humberto Santos Award of Merit
John F. Lemieux, BA 66, is a senior counsel at the national law firm Fraser Milner Casgrain in Montreal. He has served on the Loyola Alumni Association’s Board of Directors since 2004 and has been its representative on Concordia’s Board of Governors since 2006. John co-chaired the association’s successful $4-million Loyola Refectory Restoration Campaign, which culminated with the opening of the Loyola Jesuit Hall and Conference Centre in December 2011.

Benôit Pelland Distinguished Service Award
Dennis Y. Chan, BComm 77, is director and CEO of Standard Corporate Advisory Limited in Hong Kong. He is a co-founder of the CUAA’s Hong Kong chapter and a director, senior vice-president and treasurer of the Concordia University Hong Kong Foundation.

Honorary Life Membership Award
Ned Goodman, LLD 97, is president and CEO of Dundee Corporation, chairman of DundeeWealth Inc. and chairman and CEO of Ned Goodman Investment Counsel Ltd. in Toronto. He is founder and benefactor of the Goodman Institute of Investment Management at Concordia’s John Molson School of Business and received an honorary doctorate from the university in 1997.

Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching
James Conklin, MA 04, PhD 09, is an assistant professor in Concordia’s Department of Applied Human Sciences, where he teaches graduate courses in human systems intervention and undergraduate courses in group dynamics. Conklin’s research interest lies in how knowledge is created and moves in workplace settings and how this affects change.

Outstanding Faculty/Staff Award
Jang-Hwan Kwon, GrDip 96, MCSc 03, is manager of administrative systems for Concordia’s Instructional and Information Technology Services, where he has worked in an administrative role since 1999. In 2011, Jang was named chair of the advisory committee of the Concordia Shuffle, the university’s annual walkathon, after serving on the committee for many years.

Outstanding Student Award
Marvin H. Coleby is completing a BA in political science (honours) and philosophy at Concordia. In 2010-11 he won the Best Club Executive Award as president of the Concordia Caribbean Student Union and founded the Unifying Concordia: Inter-Association Charity Soccer Tournament. In 2011-12, Marvin served as chair of the International and Ethnic Associations Council and is currently the president of Colors of Concordia.

Tribute
Mary Kay Lowy and Frederick H. Lowy,
LLD 08

Mary Kay and Frederick Lowy | All photos by Ryan Blau/PBL Photography

Mary Kay Lowy is a psychologist-psychoanalyst, scholar and author. Among many community activities, she was a member of Concordia’s Leonard and Bina Ellen Art Gallery’s advisory board.

Frederick Lowy served as Concordia’s president and vice-chancellor from 1995 to 2005 and returned to the same positions in January 2011. He led Concordia through tremendous growth in its academic programs, enrolment and faculty core. Frederick has received honorary doctorates from the University of Toronto, McGill and Concordia.

The Concordia University Alumni Association’s 21st Annual Alumni Recognition Awards Banquet
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Cost: $75 per person

Online: alumni.concordia.ca/register
Phone: 514-848-2424, ext. 4397
Toll-Free: 1-888-777-3330

Information: nancy.wada@concordia.ca
514-848-2424, ext. 3882

Related links:

•    Find out more about each of the awards
•    Jamie Orchard
•    John F. Lemieux
•    Dennis Y. Chan
•    Ned Goodman
•    James Conklin
•    Jang-Hwan Kwon
•    Marvin H. Coleby
•    Mary Kay Lowy and Frederick H. Lowy
•    Loyola Jesuit Hall and Conference Centre



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