Jean Warwick Conroy - The Economic Review

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ECONOMIC

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CANADIAN EDITION

VOL. 1 • OCTOBER 2015

JEAN WARWICK CONROY PILLARS OF THE PROVINCE

OCTOBER 15 VOL 1 • ISSUE 3

EVOLUTION

BUSINESSMEDIA I nspi re d by E c onom ic Growth


J EAN WAR WICK CO NR OY

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PILLARS OF THE PROVINCE

iving in the province of Ontario, in the city of Sudbury, the life stories of Mrs. Jeanne Conroy and her husband Ted Conroy can be described as the embodiment of everything the Economic Review represents. Their passion and ambition resonate heavily with this publication, as they illustrate how valuable service to the community can impact the lives of not just local, but national communities. Married for twentytwo years, Jeanne and Ted Conroy, now a highly decorated couple, have arguably more love for the community of Sudbury than ever. Firstly, Jeanne has an

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educational history bursting of achievements. As a graduate from the University of Western Ontario, a nursing degree saw Mrs. Conroy complete imperative courses at Victoria Hospital’s School of Nursing. Jeanne did not halt her progression academically there however, and moved on to graduate from the Diet Center School of Nutritional Dietology as a certified dietologist. This achievement included courses in behavior modification. A B.Sc.N. nurse by profession, her career involved additionally teaching within the medical field, prior to her pinnacle decision to become an entrepreneur. Jeanne founded the Diet Center

of Sudbury, and continued to operate the business for twenty years. Anyone can agree this is some achievement alone. Contrarily, Mrs. Conroy herself decided to additionally undertake a community vocation, serving as the president of the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, as well as chairing the Chamber’s Centennial Celebrations. Additional to this, Jeanne was an active participant in the ‘Careers 2000’ and ‘The Next Ten Years’ initiatives. Her most recent participations have subsequently led to her leading the Business Retention and Expansion Program for the Chamber of Commerce and as a consequence, a new ambassador


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program. As well as this, Jeanne was the Chair of the Sudbury Police Services Board, which is unusual for a woman, and received the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Sacred Letters in 2013. Her husband Ted had previously got his Honorary Doctorate in 2010. This remarkable woman’s achievements are continuous, as is her progression in active community participation. This is explicitly clear within one of Mrs. Conroy’s most recent accolades, as she chaired the 2011 United Way Annual Campaign. Her campaigns prior to this are of no insignificance either as they include the Business Community Division, the Retail Section and the Leadership Category. Not only does Jeanne devote her valuable time to community projects, but her charitable work likewise deserves recognition. She has taken a seat on several

fundraising committees, such as the St. Joseph’s Villa and Northern Ontario Medical School bursaries. Whilst on the Laurentian Board of Governors, she additionally helped fundraise for schools. The list of fundraising for education and in particular medical education continues; Jeanne was on the committee to recruit Doctors to the North, and in 2003 raised capital for bursaries to provide financial support to the students at a new medical school. The following year, not satisfied with aiding financially to a medical school alone, Jeanne assisted in raising capital for a new Hospital within the community. Most recently Jeanne has joined the Maison Vale Hospice Foundation committee which is fundraising to build a children’s wing. Her ambition for communal impact is boundless, as in addition to academic and

charitable achievements within her lustrous career, Jeanne Conroy furthermore sat on the Northeastern Ontario Cancer Research Board. Whilst co-chairing the Breast Cancer Luncheon four times, she raised over $120,000. Moreover, Jeanne co-convened the St. Joseph’s Gala for the past five years which raised $70,000 last year alone. Not satisfied with financial donations alone, Mrs. Conroy, as a member of the Grant Review Team for the Ontario Trillium Foundation for six years, has donated a wild game dinner for the Sudbury Theatre Centre’s Annual Dinner Auction for the last fifteen years! Jeanne continues to return to the roots of her education, remaining an avid canvasser for Diabetes; she has acted in the past four celebrity night fundraisers for the Sudbury Theatre Centre in support.

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This unbelievable amount of charity work as unsurprisingly resulted in many accolades being awarded to Jeanne Conroy. This list is predictably endless. They include honors such as Sudbury Business and Professional Women’s Club’s ‘Woman of the Week’ as well as the annual ‘Bernadine Yackman Award’. Further to this, the club presented her with the Business Leadership Award. As well as honors for her community club, Jeanne earned the prestigious Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada. The Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce honored her with a Life Membership and the Rotary Club of Sudbury Sunrisers presented her with a Paul Harris Award. Additionally, in 2004, the Ontario Medical Association granted Jeanne the Community Service Award for outstanding contributions to the health and welfare of the people of Sudbury. A year later, she became an honorary member of the Board of Directors of the Northern Cancer Research Foundation. Most recently, Jeanne received the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship (OMGC), the 2011 Community Builders Hall of Fame Award and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. Ted Conroy, like his wife, possesses an immeasurable amount of personal determination. Ted grew up with mining in his blood; his father, a bonus hardrock miner and his mother under the employment of a gold mining company. His education saw him study at Sudbury Mining and Technical School, followed by Victoria University in Toronto and subsequently the Osgoode Hall Law School at York University.

Excelling in academia is a similarity regarding traits with the couple, as Mr. Conroy graduated with the Governor General’s Silver Medal for the highest marks in English that year, as well as noticeable achievements out of the classroom; taking home the Victoria Athletic Letter in hockey, soccer, lacrosse, track and field. This extremely versatile individual worked for the Ontario Hydro painting transmission towers and the Foundation Company of Canada to build surface installation for fresh air underground. He found a talent for many things including; gardening as a wild blueberry picker, Trapper, working at International Nickel Company as a qualified driller, blaster timberman, trackman and bonus underground miner. Embracing the same entrepreneurial talents as his wife, Ted founding and operated Nordic Ski Hills resort and prospected for Nickel, uranium and chromium. Utilizing an additional flare for law, Mr. Conroy became a barrister and solicitor in 1958; starting up a private practice of his own. Using his academic abilities as an educational tool is clearly as important to Ted as it is to Jeanne as he taught business law in both Western University and Laurentian University. Furthermore, Ted was a Deputy Judge for a small claims court, fully evidencing his talents within the law vocation. Finally, in 1988 Ted became a Specialist in Civil Litigation. Ted, although choosing a vocation heavily involving law, did not forget his heritage, and in 1967 he was appointed to the Membership of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. In addition, in 1981 he became a Life Member Sudbury Game and Fish Protective

Association. Not only is Ted as academically gifted, and as passionate about education as his wife of over two decades, but in addition his charitable efforts can be recognized. Ted, along with eleven others, began Huntington University which created Laurentian University; additionally, sitting upon the committee to create the School of Commerce at the Laurentian University. Ted is now Adjunct professor of law at Laurentian University and has been Chancellor of Huntington University for 9 years. To note, he was the Local President of the Canadian Cancer Society; evidencing his compassion for illness as Jeanne has. Moreover, Ted was a Health Sciences North fundraiser and on a committee to attract and retain physicians. Ted Conroy’s actions have received recognition. He has a new lecture series and awards program named in his honor at Huntington University; only fitting as he was around when the university began in 1960. This annual event took place for the first time this year at St. Andrew’s United Church, May 28, recognizing Ted’s substantial contribution. Without argument, this incredible power couple have devoted their lives serving their community. We ponder as to how they have found the time whilst achieving these various accolades to plant an entire forest within their back garden; truly astonishing. Whether through financial or educational means, both Jeanne had Ted Conroy have left an irrevocable mark on those around them, as well as founding buildings that will remain to contribute to the lives of young citizens in the future.

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