Janet Davidson (BScN 1971, LLD 2009), president of Trillium Health Centre, received the Alumni Association's highest honour at its Annual General Meeting and Award Presentations Wednesday night. The Alumni Award of Merit is presented to a graduate for distinguished accomplishments which have brought honour to the University.
Davidson has more than 30 years experience in health care management in the hospital, government and voluntary sectors in Ontario, B.C. and Alberta. She joined Trillium Health Centre as president and CEO in March 2007 after serving as chief operating officer of Vancouver acute for the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, president of Toronto East General Hospital, Alberta’s assistant deputy minister of health, and chief operating officer of the University of Alberta Hospital.
Neatly interwoven into her career has been volunteer work with the International Red Cross/Red Crescent, the largest voluntary humanitarian organization in the world. Honoured as an Officer of the Order of the Red Cross, Davidson has volunteered for more than 30 years fighting on the front lines of malaria and HIV/AIDS relief in Africa, rebuilding tsunami- and hurricane-affected countries, providing feeding programs in war-ravaged and drought-ridden countries, and protecting victims of conflict in different regions of the world.
In 2006, Davidson was named an Officer of the Order of Canada for her work with the Red Cross. She has also been recognized for her professional contributions, including the 1998 YMCA Woman of the Year Award in Business and Management, and in 1999, the 125th Anniversary and Queen’s Jubilee medals and recognition in Chatelaine magazine’s Who’s Who of Canadian Women.
Alumni celebrate early-career successes
The University of Windsor Alumni Association also honoured seven recent graduates Wednesday, conferring its Odyssey Award in recognition of alumni in the early years of their careers. This year’s recipients include:
Actor Jim Annan (BFA 2000)
This bilingual alumnus has a great talent for sketch, improv and all things comedy and has become a familiar face in both film and television. He starred in numerous television commercials in Canada and the US for such companies as the iconic Tim Horton’s and Verizon. In addition to roles at Toronto’s Second City theatre, he has performed four original revues: Bird Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Tip of the Melting Iceberg, Facebook of Relevations and Tazed & Confused.
Journalist Steven Bull (BComm 2005)
Bull graduated from the marketing stream of the Odette School of Business Bachelor of Commerce program, after which he spent a few years trying out different marketing roles before returning to school and completing a Master of Arts in Journalism. Since May 2010, he has been working as a video journalist and reporter filing for the daily TV news on CBC Windsor. He has had reports on The National, World Report, CBC Toronto, The World This Hour and on local radio.
Physiotherapists Jean-Pierre Chartrand (BHK 1999) and Sherri Chartrand (BHK 1999)
Co- owners of Active Body Physical Therapy with locations in LaSalle and Lakeshore, the Chartrands are passing their knowledge and expertise on to current University of Windsor co-op students – and feel that this program is invaluable to them as employers. These students have actively assisted in a number of the clinics’ projects, including Web site development – writing pamphlets describing common ailments and how to treat them accurately. Each student becomes an important part of the clinics’ daily treatment team.
Biologist Christine Daly (BSc 2003, MSc 2007)
Daly has already achieved some celebrity and significant milestones in her environmental career as a wetland biologist. She was hired by Suncor Energy in Alberta to improve wetland reclamation practices in the oil sands industry. She participates in the design, reclamation, and ongoing research and monitoring of Wapisiw Lookout, and developed the revegetation strategy for the riparian area surrounding the wetland, now a watershed composed of rolling hills, streams, developing forest and – equally important – a habitat for numerous wildlife species.
Lawyer Melanie Gardin (BPA 1997, LLB 2000)
As a partner with the law firm Chapman Gordon Gardin, Gardin practises exclusively in the areas of serious and catastrophic personal injury. She has seen first-hand the impact that accidents have on lives, making her passionate about advocating on behalf of victims. Currently serving as president of the Brain Injury Association of Windsor/Essex County, she brought the provincial program “Helmets on Kids” to Essex County, seeing more than 2,000 helmets purchased and distributed to local children in need.
Cinematographer Cameron Hucker (BA 2003)
Hucker joined with fellow alum Nick Shields to found Suede Productions, a boutique film and television production company based in Windsor, but maintaining relationships with clients around the globe – Mercedez-Benz, Fiat, and Absolut Vodka, to name just a few. His unique skills helped the company win multiple awards, including the 2010 Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Company of the Year Award, two Aurora Awards, and three Telly’s.