News Archives: GPRC Awards Recognize Community
Tuesday, March 5th, 2013
The annual Grande Prairie Regional College President’s Awards Luncheon today recognized several members of the community for contributions to excellence in education. The event was established in 2004, and the awards honouring volunteers, alumni and community builders are the most prestigious presented by the College. The Distinguished Volunteer Award was presented to Carolyn Vasileiou, a GPRC instructor who works with her students in support of numerous events throughout the community, building an ethic of volunteerism as part of the curriculum. Mike Reeve of Velocity Video was the first ever recipient of the Steps to the Greater Alumni Award, which has been established to recognize outstanding achievements of GPRC alumni early in their careers. An alumnus of Fairview College, now GPRC Fairview, was presented with the Alumni Award of Excellence. Ian Macdonald, now retired, is widely known for his contributions in both education and agriculture. He served two terms as chair of the Fairview College board of governors, and is widely known for having helped the Alberta cattle industry earn its international reputation for high-quality beef. Mr. Macdonald was named to the Alberta Order of Excellence in 1997. Former chair of the GPRC Board of Governors, Fletcher Bootle, received the College’s highest tribute. The Board of Governors Award of Distinction was established to honour exceptional commitment to supporting higher education for the people of our region. Mr. Bootle served two terms as Chair of the GPRC Board, and has a long history of leadership with the Chamber of Commerce, the United Way, the Grande Prairie Youth Emergency Shelter Society. He currently serves on the provincial Board of Directors for Careers The Next Generation. Current Board Chair Vincent Vavrek, President and CEO Don Gnatiuk, and Alumni/Foundation Chair Kelly Chalmers made the presentations before an audience of 170 invited guests.