THE DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS AWARD The Distinguished Alumnus Award is presented annually to an alumnus who has distinguished him or herself in one or more of the following areas: personal achievement, academic achievement or public service.
The Distinguished Alumnus Award
SCOTT ROBINSON Through his work with the 2019 Canada Winter Games, Scott Robinson (Physical Education Diploma, 1988) has made a lasting impact on our city, our region and our nation. As a member of the Bid Committee, Robinson’s vision and organizational skills played a critical role in developing a bid package that was ultimately successful. As a part of the subsequent Transition Team, Robinson’s leadership as CEO of the 2019 Canada Winter Games was key to executing that plan. The Games resulted in significant social, cultural and infrastructure development that will impact generations of central Albertans. But this role is only the most recent of a long career in sport promotion and administration. As an Executive Director with the Hockey Alberta Foundation, Robinson’s leadership and vision created new pathways to connect young athletes with supporters. In this role, he worked directly with students RDC ’s Donald School of Business to create an economic impact study related to Hockey Alberta’s effect
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Notebook | 2019
THE ALUMNI LEGACY AWARD
on the province’s economy, which created valuable learning for both the students and the organization. As a student at RDC, Robinson overcame some initial challenges to become a successful student, and thrive as a student-manager of Kings Hockey and a member of the Kinesiology and Sports Studies society. Ultimately, Robinson went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from the University of Alberta and a Masters in Leadership from Royal Roads University. RDC is proud to recognize Scott Robinson with the 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award for his leadership, vision, and his many contributions to our community. His work ethic and perseverance serve as inspiration to our learners and a source of great pride for RDC.
First established in 2004, the Alumni Legacy Award is a posthumous award given to recognize an individual alumnus’ contribution to the community. The award honours the spirit and commitment to Red Deer and central Alberta exemplified by the first honouree, Phil Rauch.
The Alumni Legacy Award
DAWNINE “DJ” JACKSON Dawnine Jackson (B achelor of Ar ts – Recreation Administration, 1987) established herself as a committed professional, a dedicated leader and an important mentor in her decades-long career in Recreation. She was known as a leader in community programming in central Alberta; the training systems and certification requirements that she originally established as part of the Collicutt Centre Water Park staffing model still stand today as the gold standard for operation. She was respected by her peers, colleagues and staff for her conscientious self-evaluation, her commitment to developing her team members, and her passion for leadership excellence. However, she is remembered most for her kind and compassionate mentorship. Her career in recreation began with volunteer work in her teens and she remained passionately committed to this path for her whole life. She coached and mentored countless of our region’s young people as a swim instructor, lifeguard and gymnastics coach. In her career with the City of Red
Deer, she impacted the lives of a generation of Red Deer youth through her work in community programming, and she left an indelible mark on the people she worked with daily. She mentored trainers, instructors and lifeguards to become effective leaders, and she inspired the young, enthusiastic lifeguards she worked with at the Collicutt Center to become capable community contributors who are now adults, sharing their skills and abilities in our community. RDC is honoured to recognize the rippling impact that DJ’s kindness, encouragement, expertise and professionalism have had on our region. In honour of DJ Jackson, the Alumni Association will bestow a $750 award to a deserving student who is making a meaningful contribution of time, effort and leadership that makes our communities special places for our citizens. To learn more about the contributions of alumni who have been recognized with this award, or how you can nominate a deserving alumnus for one of these awards, please visit rdc.ab.ca/alumniawards
rdc.ab.ca/alumni | Notebook
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