Okanagan College Foundation

The Jim Pattison Centre of Excellence   CLICK HERE for the most up-to-date developments and news stories about the Centre! The Jim Pattison Centre of Excellence Penticton, BC   On December 12, 2011 the Honourable Christy Clark, Premier of British Columbia, officially opened The Jim Pattison Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Building Technologies and Renewable Energy Conservation in Penticton. Mr. Jim Pattison joined Premier Clark, MP Dan Albas and approximately 250 guests, students and members of the community to celebrate the naming of the building and announce a commitment of $2.5 million in matching funds to Okanagan College. This announcement marked the largest private gift ever given to a college in British Columbia and provides a tremendous boost to the fundraising campaign for this $28-million building. In true entrepreneurial style, Mr. Pattison chose to make a commitment with a vision of attracting further investment to this unique project by promising to match all new donations – dollar for dollar – to a total of $2.5 million. These donations may be made to programs, equipment, applied research, library resources or through gifts-in-kind. Donate today and join a community of people that support innovation, education and sustainability! Do you want to support The Jim Pattison Centre of Excellence? Need more information?

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Updates 2012 Charity Golf REGISTER TODAY Great-West Life Donates $100,000 Sewell's Legacy Honoured Through New Bursary Award London Drugs Announces New Scholarships  Thorpes Enhance Their Commitment

February 29, 2012

Great-West Life Donates $100,000 to Penticton Campus

One of Canada’s leading insurers, Great-West Life – together with its subsidiaries, London Life and Canada Life – is contributing $100,000 to Okanagan College to encourage sustainability training.

“Okanagan College has built one of the most innovative and sustainable post-secondary facilities in the world and will soon be training the next generation of tradespeople in sustainable building practices,” said Great-West Life’s Dave Kent, Regional Director, Sales and Marketing Centre, BC Region.

Half of the funding will go towards the capital cost of The Jim Pattison Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Building Technologies and Renewable Energy Conservation located at the Penticton Campus. The remaining $50,000 will go towards development of a new three-year Sustainable Construction Management Technology program at Okanagan College.

Added Paul Finkbeiner, President of GWL Realty Advisors, Great-West Life’s real estate investment subsidiary: “This new program aligns closely with our commitment to sustainability, and it’s great to attract trades into a program dedicated to green construction management.”

GWL Realty Advisors partners with its clients to develop LEED-certified buildings and implement sustainable initiatives across its clients’ portfolios.

Great-West Life’s long-standing relationship with the College dates back to 1990 when Canada Life established a scholarship. Since then, Okanagan College students have received 20 awards totaling $11,800.

“We saw the College’s new initiative as an opportunity to deepen that relationship,” said Dave Kent.

Through its national corporate citizenship program, Great-West Life contributes to charitable, non-profit and community-based organizations focused on issues that address community interests important to Canadians.

Kathy Butler, Executive Director of the Okanagan College Foundation, said Great-West Life’s contribution is the first corporate donation to the Centre since December when Jim Pattison announced his commitment of $2.5-million in matching funds.

“It’s significant that a company like Great-West Life recognizes what we’re doing here and that this is valuable on a national level – both in terms of the building, and the programming that will be offered here,” Butler said.

The Sustainable Construction Management Technology program has already received support from the Applied Science Technologists & Technicians of BC (ASTTBC), and major construction firms such as North America Construction Group.

Donors wishing to support The Jim Pattison Centre of Excellence can contribute to a wide variety of initiatives from applied research and library resources, to awards and programming.

In Canada, Great-West Life and its subsidiaries, London Life and Canada Life, offer a broad portfolio of financial and benefit plan solutions and serve the financial security needs of more than 12 million people. Last year, the companies donated $11.9 million to non-profit, charitable and community projects.

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SEWELL'S LEGACY HONOURED THROUGH NEW BURSARY AWARD

A new award that will support Summerland students pursuing post-secondary training in trades or business has been established in honour of Art Sewell, one of Summerland’s most dedicated community members and strongest advocates for youth and education.

At its regular evening meeting on Tuesday, the Summerland Rotary Club, Summerland Penny Lane and members of the Sewell family announced they will each contribute $25,000 to establish a $75,000 bursary fund to support local students.

Sewell was a founding member of Summerland Penny Lane and served as its Chairman for eight years. As an active Rotarian for 35 years, he believed in the importance of providing access to education and training, as well as business leaders’ responsibility to provide opportunities for skill development in youth to help them reach their full potential.

“We wanted to do something that would honour the legacy of our dad as well as benefit others,” explained Ken Sewell. “Our father joined Rotary to provide service to his community. Raising money for important causes or contributing to community initiatives, that’s where he was in his element. This new bursary is an extension of his legacy of service.”

“In establishing this new bursary we are following Art’s dream of supporting youth in Summerland by providing greater access to education,” said Bob Van Balkom, President of the Summerland Rotary Club. “Our Rotary Club also firmly believes in Okanagan College and its role in both educating our youth and providing local and regional job opportunities for the future.”

The Summerland Rotary, Art Sewell, Summerland Penny Lane Bursary will provide an annual award of $2,500 to a student entering full-time studies in a Trades Foundation program or Business Administration program at Okanagan College. The recipient will be a resident of Summerland or will have attended high school in Summerland. Selection of the award recipient will be based on financial need.

“Art was instrumental in developing Summerland Penny Lane and S.A.D.I. (Summerland Asset Development Initiative),” said Orv Robson, Chairman of Summerland Penny Lane. “He and his family have been a great asset to this community. Art’s legacy will live on without this award but I think we can all be proud that we brought this bursary forward in Art’s name to help carry on the work he was so invested in – that being investing in young people and their success.”

“We are extremely grateful to each of the partners who came together to create this new award in Art Sewell’s name,” said Jim Henderson, President of the Okanagan College Foundation. “We are well aware of the impact Art has had on this community and are fortunate to be able to play a role in continuing his good work in the lives of future students.”

Okanagan College President Jim Hamilton (middle) accepts a $30,000 donation from HSBC Canada’s Barry Taitinger, Assistant Vice President and Regional Manager (left) and Kelowna Branch Manager Marcia Jones during the Okanagan Business Students’ Association banquet.

One award will be granted annually to a first-year student at Okanagan College enrolled in the Faculty of Business Administration. Award recipients must demonstrate academic achievement, financial need and community service.

“Corporate and community support helps ensure that students who can benefit from post-secondary education get the chance,” said Okanagan College President Jim Hamilton, who is also a director of the Okanagan College Foundation. “HSBC Bank Canada understands and has been a strong supporter of our business program. As I express our appreciation, I’m doing so on behalf of a group of students who will benefit in the years ahead.”

“HSBC Bank Canada has a long-standing commitment to education, one of the main focuses of our charitable giving, and we are delighted to have established this Award at Okanagan College,” said Sandra Stuart, Chief Operating Officer, HSBC Bank Canada. “We are proud that this donation will help students pursue post-secondary education, giving them a bright future and opportunities for success.”

The Okanagan College School of Business offers a two-year diploma program and a four-year bachelor’s degree. Both offer specialty options in accounting, financial services, general studies, hospitality management, human resources management, management and marketing.

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The Okanagan College Students’ Union is demonstrating its support for the environment, for leadership in education and for enhanced learning spaces and opportunities, with a $36,997.10 donation to the fundraising campaign for the Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Building Technologies and Renewable Energy Conservation.

“Looking back to when this building was first announced, I remember thinking of the incredible impact it would have for students on this campus as well as residents in the South Okanagan-Similkameen,” observed Cory Nelmes, Financial Co-ordinator for the OCSU. “From the very first days of the design process Okanagan College has committed to making this building truly a Centre of Excellence. As students and as an organization, we’re pleased to have been involved in the process that led to its development and are eagerly awaiting the doors opening on its shops, classrooms, and student spaces.”

“It will make a difference in where we learn, how we learn and what we learn.”

“We don’t have a great deal of money, but careful stewardship of funds over the years by ourselves and our predecessors left us with an opportunity to make a contribution to the fundraising campaign. We have already seen many groups and individuals step forward to contribute to this building and we are appreciative. We hope that our donation will inspire others to contribute to the $5 million campaign as well. As students we see the tremendous investment in our future that this building represents.”

The Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Building Technologies and Renewable Energy Conservation will be one of the most environmentally responsible public buildings in North America when it is complete later this spring. Okanagan College, CEI Architecture and PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc. and many other companies and organizations have been co-operating to build the $28-million project to allow it to meet the Living Building Challenge. That challenge incorporates some of the most demanding environmental building standards that focus not just on construction, but also on building operation.

“We involved our students from the start of the design process,” notes Okanagan College President Jim Hamilton. “They’ve been supportive and understand what the building means in terms of improvements to the campus and in terms of educational opportunities in the region.”

When it opens, the building will create space for approximately 500 more students at the South Okanagan-Similkameen campus in Penticton.

“Having the students choose to support our fundraising efforts is a vital signal to the rest of the region,” says Jim Henderson, President of the Okanagan College Foundation and Chair of the Campaign Committee.

“At a point when we are broadening our appeal to the larger community, it is a great show of support from the people that this project will affect the most: our students. We appreciate their commitment.”

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Losing a Long Time Friend - Ron Russell

We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Ron Russell on January 27, 2010. He was a long-time friend of Okanagan College and Okanagan College Foundation.

His was a prominent and friendly face each year at the College’s Kelowna Golf Tournament. He was the Honorary Chair of that tournament in 2007, just one of the 18 years he played or supported the fundraiser. Ron also sat on the Foundation’s Planned Giving Advisory Committee, willingly sharing his 38 years of experience as a Certified Financial Planner, a Chartered Life Underwriter and a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC).

A consummate professional in his field, he received the Canadian Medal of Achievement for the top marks in Canada upon graduation from the ChFC. program. In the past 38 years, Ron was actively involved in a number of organizations including the Estate Planning Council of Kelowna as past President, the Gyro Club of Kelowna, and the Central Okanagan Foundation.

We were very fortunate to have benefited from the caring counsel and friendship provided over the years. While we have lost a dear friend, we will cherish his many gifts in many ways.

Our condolences to his wife Priscilla, their children and extended family and friends.

Link to Mr. Russell's Obituary

 

The Okanagan College Foundation has been receiving inquiries from friends and colleagues of Mr. Jeffels regarding the Maebritte and Ron Jeffels Scholarship. 

Should you wish to donate to the Maebritte and Ron Jeffels Scholarship in memory of Mr. Jeffels, you may do so in one of the following ways:

In Person/By Mail
Online

The Maebritte and Ron Jeffels Scholarship is an endowment that was established in recognition of Ron and Maebritte’s contribution to the College and the Okanagan during the period Ron Jeffels was Principal of Okanagan College (1975-1980). The recipient will have completed the first year of full-time study in a university transfer program at any Campus of Okanagan College and will be returning the following September for a subsequent year of full-time study in that program. Selection of the award recipient will be based on academic achievement. Should two or more students have similar academic standing, other factors such as financial need, contribution to and/or involvement in college/community activities will be considered. Successful candidates must be residents of the Okanagan College region.  
  

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