Backgrounder: Distinguished Community Heros Honoured At 2012 VLAs Ceremony

A full list of this year's nominees is available on the Leadership Victoria website: http://www.leadershipvictoria.ca/VLA2012/VLA2012NomineeBiosFINAL.pdf

The following provides biographical details for the winners in each category:

LEADERSHIP VICTORIA LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD (previously announced) — Naz Rayani

Naz Rayani has long been a tireless champion of community advocacy, cross-cultural understanding and inspirational philanthropy in Greater Victoria, both as a successful local businessman and distinguished community leader. He opened his first pharmacy in Nairobi, Kenya in 1972, but immigrated to Canada two years later to live and work in a more politically stable environment.

In 1991 he purchased the small independent Cadboro Bay Pharmacy. It was a business that would provide him with a greater opportunity to invest in the community and participate in fundraising activities. In 2003, he opened his second drugstore in the Student Union Building of the University of Victoria. In 2011, after recovering from a life-threatening illness, Rayani, along with his family, acquired the Peoples Pharmacy locations at Shelbourne Plaza, Fairfield Plaza and Fairfield Road at Moss Street. Working to improve living conditions in Third World countries is a cornerstone issue that Rayani holds closest to his heart. The main focal point for his time and energy these days, aside from his business, is the “World Partnership Walk”, which is held in Victoria on the last Sunday in May. Rayani helped to bring the Partnership Walk to Victoria 24 years ago to increase public awareness about global poverty and to help raise funds to support Third World economic development programs by the Aga Khan Foundation Canada. As testimony to his determination to promote and expand the reach of the Walk, a record $250,000 was raised in sponsor donations in 2010, and Rayani personally raised over $60,000.

A devout Ismaili Muslim and well-known spokesperson in Victoria, Rayani has also worked tirelessly to break down barriers among people of different faiths. To this end, since the late nineties he has conducted regular tours of the Ismaili Jamatkhana and Centre (Mosque) in Burnaby to encourage community understanding and the acceptance of others. He also works hard to broaden community support for the Centre for Studies in Religion and Society at the University of Victoria, an organization that has given him a chance to play ambassador for Islam. Rayani has also participated in learning about other faiths and has been involved with St. George’s Parish and the United Church in Cadboro Bay for many years. In 2006, Naz was appointed as Member of the Order of Canada, by her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, at the Order of Canada Investiture Ceremony held at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.

UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AWARD (two recipients) — Mary Ellen Purkis and Andrew Weaver

Mary Ellen Purkis was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta where her family taught her the importance of sharing and the value of making a commitment to one’s community. She received a Bachelor of Nursing from the University of Calgary and worked as an Emergency Room nurse in Calgary before (literally!) taking flight and spending eight years in Edinburgh, Scotland where she completed two graduate degrees. Mary moved to Victoria in 1993 and has a busy life making contributions to family and community, particularly through her work at the University of Victoria and her volunteer connections with the United Way of Greater Victoria and the Greater Victoria Eldercare Foundation.

Andrew Weaver is a professor and Canada Research Chair in the University of Victoria’s School of Earth and Ocean Sciences. He was a lead author in the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2nd, 3rd and 4th and ongoing 5th scientific assessments. Andrew is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society and the American Meteorological Society. He is a past recipient of the NSERC Steacie, Killam and Guggenheim Fellowships as well as a CIAR Young Explorers Award, CMOS President’s Prize, Royal Society of Canada Miroslaw Romanowski Medal and Huntsman Award for Excellence in Marine Science. He was appointed to the Order of British Columbia in 2008.

ROTARY COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AWARD (two recipients) — Christopher M. Causton and Bruce Williams

Christopher M. Causton was born in England and educated at Marlborough and the Scottish Hotel School. He has resided in Canada since 1970 after having first worked in Denmark, Switzerland and the United States. He introduced Jason's Restaurant as the first bistro in Victoria in 1972, and followed that success with Rattenbury's Restaurant in 1979. Christopher was elected as an Oak Bay councilor in 1987 and held the position of mayor from 1996 to 2011 when he stepped down. As chair of the CRD board from 1999 to 2002 he was instrumental in initiating the popular Park's Levy. Christopher is also chair of the Regional Parks Board and has been the driving force behind the E&N Rail Trail. Christopher is married to Elizabeth and they have two grown children.

Bruce Williams epitomizes the term “community leadership.” Every year, he volunteers hundreds of hours to support charities in Victoria and throughout Vancouver Island. His leadership includes being a member of the Campaign Cabinet for both the Greater Victoria and Central/North Island United Way, chair of the Vancouver Island University Foundation’s capital campaign, fundraising chair for Jeneece Place, director for C‐FAX Santas Anonymous and emcee for hundreds of charitable events. He is a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow and the recipient of the Chair’s Award of Excellence by the United Way of Canada. Bruce is the Community and Client Relations Manager for CTV Vancouver Island.

VANCITY YOUTH AWARD — Leanna Hill

Leanna Hill serves as Volunteer Victoria's youth program coordinator. She has worked with hundreds of youth in Victoria and Vancouver to help them fulfill their leadership potential and develop essential skills. She is passionate about community building and works to leverage the talents of youth to build a vibrant community. Leanna holds a Master of Arts in Leadership from Royal Roads University with a major project on youth engagement with the Canadian Commission for UNESCO (CCUNESCO). She co‐authored UNESCO's Youth Engagement in National Commissions Toolkit which has been used in Canada and around the world as a model of promising youth engagement practices. Leanna is the co‐provincial coordinator for CCUNESCO’s Youth Advisory Group, and is an active community leader promoting sustainability education, social and environmental engagement, and local food security initiatives.

LEADERSHIP VICTORIA ALUMNI AWARD — Jeannette Hughes

Jeannette Hughes exemplifies all that community leadership can be. Taking on the role as a city councilor; bringing music to her community; and organizing meals for the unfortunate demonstrates her work as an engaged and active leader in Sidney and the CRD community. As a graduate of Leadership Victoria she has touched peoples’ lives in many diverse ways. She has rallied resources to tackle diverse issues in housing, the rights of the disabled, and supported those with MS in her community. Jeanette also continually improves peoples’ lives through her vocation‐ nursing. We say at Leadership Victoria that a true leader “models the way”. Jeanette has truly done that with compassion and a deliberate focus and bias on action. She is a role model for all Leadership Victoria graduates and all of us who call the CRD home.

UNITED WAY OF GREATER VICTORIA AWARD FOR COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP — Kathy Stinson

Kathy Stinson has been providing leadership in the not‐for‐profit and public sectors since 1989. As executive director of Victoria Cool Aid Society from 2005, Kathy’s work has helped to build the capacity of Greater Victoria to identify and confront some of the key challenges we face. Whether leading initiatives like the creation of the Access Health Centre or working collaboratively with community groups like the Downtown Service Providers or the Coalition to End Homelessness, Kathy has a talent and passion for bringing people together and making good things happen, helping create a better future for our community.

ROYAL ROADS UNIVERSITY LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE THROUGH COACHING AND MENTORING AWARD — Sherry LeBlanc

Sherry LeBlanc is a confidante, coach and mentor to individuals, groups and teams across the country. She has two decades of entrepreneurial and senior level experience. Sherry’s vast expertise in dealing with personal, professional and business change using out of the box creative solutions enables her to provide unique and unparalleled coaching to a diverse range of industry professionals. With her strong professional background and sharp intuition, Sherry’s business acumen is complimented with a Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching (2001) from Royal Roads University and has been awarded the Master Certified Coach designation from the International Coach Federation, one of only 600 people in the world who hold this title. Sherry is strongly committed to the ongoing growth of the coaching profession, actively participating in educational initiatives that increase public awareness of the goals and benefits of professional coaching.