Recap: 2022 RDPAA Annual General Meeting
On November 23rd, alumni from across Canada came together in a hybrid environment for the Alumni Association Annual General Meeting. This year’s meeting drew a 1,200% increase in registrations compared to previous years. We came together to celebrate our accomplishments and took a look back at all of the exciting initiatives that took place in 2021 and 2022. We honoured two retiring Board members and welcomed five new members to the Board of Directors.
Retiring community members were Evan Staal, Chair and Sharyl James, Vice-Chair. Evan and Sharyl have served on the RDP Alumni Association Board of Directors for the past four and three years, respectively Evan’s passion for engaging alumni was evident in the growth and development of the Alumni Association over the past four years. His innovative ideas and outgoing personality were a catalyst in bringing the Board of Directors together to reach their goals. Sharyl’s experience and enthusiasm working in higher education and strategic thinking were an asset to idea generation and strategic planning for the Alumni Association.
The Board Executive saw a refresher with the election of Courtney Avram as Chair and Lynne Madsen as Vice-Chair. Courtney is a talented, passionate community builder with experience in event planning, proposal development, and operational planning, which puts the Alumni Association in great hands as she steps forward to lead the team with its new strategic vision. Lynne’s first-hand knowledge of post-secondary operations and her compassionate approach to leading teams and working with students will be an asset to the Board of Directors and increase engagement across the RDP community. Roxanne Martin continues her role as Treasurer and has proven to be an incredible alumni ambassador through her community connections, which was evident in her role on the Palate: A Taste of Local sub-committee.
J’Anna Aitchison was re-elected to her second term as Director of the RDPAA, bringing a wealth of knowledge and passion for Board development and event planning. Jarret Seim continues his second term by supporting the team with technical skills, collaboration, and community engagement. Rieley Kay begins his second year on the Board with pride and affinity for the institution by facilitating community connections.
New members to the Board of Directors are Student’s Association Vice President External, Erin Bast, and community members, Danny Allen, Maddy Bruce, Kolson Moore, and Martin Cruz. The new members bring a wealth of knowledge, experience, and diverse skill sets to the Board of Directors and we are so excited to welcome them to the team. With the addition of the new Directors, the Board is in a position to strengthen our ties with students, alumni, and the community and there are exciting things on the horizon.
The AGM took a look back at activities that RDP Alumni were involved in and supported over the past year. The Alumni Association supported events and initiatives for students, alumni, and the community, both on and off campus. Board Chair Evan Staal reflected that one of his most memorable achievements of the year was participating in the RDP Student and Alumni Mentorship program. This pilot project matched students with alumni and community members in a one-on-one mentorship.
The Board celebrated being a part of RDP’s first Homecoming Weekend which drew over 2,600 people to campus. The Association was proud to have kicked off the three days of events by hosting the inaugural Palate: A Taste of Local signature event. Palate brought over 250 alumni, partners, students, and community together, showcasing alumni and community talent and connections. The RDPAA’s signature event raised over $16,000, which helps to support the Student’s Association Food Bank, student activities and events, six scholarships and bursaries that are given to students each year, and over $3,000 in honourariums given to student and alumni volunteers.
The RDPAA also celebrated Distinguished Alumni Award recipients Chris Rolida (2020) and Cory Kaun (2021) and Alumni Legacy Award winner Gary W. Harris (2021) at RDP’s Community Awards. These awards are given to innovators, community supporters, and champions of RDP who make incredible impacts on the lives of students, alumni, and our community.
Supporting students and celebrating alumni are at the forefront of the Alumni Association’s mission and the support, both financially and through connections and collaboration that they were able to provide to students and alumni over the year was their most memorable accomplishments.
Looking at the year ahead, the RDPAA will be launching its Strategic Plan which will outline their commitments to alumni and the community over the next 1-5 years. The Board of Directors have great things in store for you and want to ensure you don’t miss out on any opportunities to be involved. The Alumni team will be making appearances in communities around the nation and hope to connect with you. Please keep your contact information up-to-date and share this message with your friends so that we can celebrate you in communities near and far.