Deserving trio to receive alumni awards at BU Homecoming 2019

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A young doctor who returned to Brandon for her practice, a businessman with a lengthy career in recycling, and a health-care professional who turned to academia and service will all be recognized as outstanding Brandon University and Brandon College alumni.

Jillian DeCosse will receive the Distinguished Young Alumni Award, Cam Davreux will receive the Distinguished Alumni Award for Career Achievement, and Deb Carnegie will receive the Award for Exceptional Service.

All three will be honoured next month at the BU Alumni awards dinner and reception, part of Homecoming weekend.

“We are all thrilled to celebrate these three worthy alumni, who are so representative of the broad scope and deep impact that all Brandon University and Brandon College alumni make,” said Carla Eisler, Director of Advancement and Alumni Affairs at Brandon University. Across very different industries, spanning many decades of experience, and with impact that is local, regional and global, this year’s award-winners are exemplary alumni who make everyone at Brandon University incredibly proud. What an honour to recognize them at Homecoming next month.”

DeCosse, a BU Bachelor of Science graduate with greatest distinction in 2005, went on to earn her medical degree at McMaster University. She completed her residency in Dauphin through the University of Manitoba and now works as an emergency physician in Brandon. She is a devoted volunteer with a sports and medical focus who also sits on the YMCA Board of Directors and serves as co-chair of the Strong Kids campaign.

Davreux graduated from Brandon College with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1959, following that with an MBA from the Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario in 1963. His career with C-I-L and ICI led him to start his own business in stewardship, recycling and life-cycle programs for agricultural products. He has been recognized nationally and internationally for his leadership in industry stewardship initiatives.

Carnegie, a BU Bachelor of Arts graduate in 1976, returned to school after 20 years in health care to complete her Master in Social Work from the University of Manitoba in 1998. She assumed a leadership role her in workplace and in the health-care industry, and began teaching at Brandon University. Recently, among other volunteer roles in retirement, she has been extremely active on the Brandon University Alumni Association, including three years as President.

All three awards will be presented during the gala BU Alumni awards dinner and reception, Saturday evening, Oct. 19, as part of Homecoming weekend.

Homecoming, which will be held Oct. 17–20 this year, will also include a special Homecoming concert, a local research exhibition, class reunions, a Bobcat volleyball reunion, family activities, and much more. A highlight this year will be a tailgate party before the Bobcat volleyball home opener.

“Everyone will find a ton of fun at Homecoming again this year,” Eisler said. “We’re building on our experience from last year’s BU50 celebrations, to bring back the best new additions and to expand again in a few new ways. All alumni are invited, as is the entire community. Join us for a weekend that truly hails the campus-community connection here in Brandon.”

Special anniversary celebrations are planned for class years marking significant milestones as well as the 20th anniversary of the Winnipeg campus and the 80th anniversary of science at BU. As well, the university will be celebrating all Indigenous alumni.

Kicking off Homecoming will be a public keynote presented by Dr. Samantha Nutt, the renowned humanitarian, physician and best-selling author who is co-founder of the international humanitarian organizations War Child Canada and War Child USA.

The keynote is open to all interested members of the public, as is all of Homecoming, which celebrates the university’s history in the community.

Tickets to Dr. Nutt’s keynote are on sale through the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium. To register for the rest of Homecoming, including the gala awards dinner, visit BrandonU.ca/Homecoming.

AWARD WINNERS

Jillian DeCosse

Jillian DeCosse

DISTINGUISHED YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD

The Distinguished Young Alumni Award is presented to Brandon University alumni, 35 years of age or younger, in recognition of their significant achievements in their profession, sport, or community service.

Jillian DeCosse is a proud Brandon University graduate (Bachelor of Science with Greatest Distinction, 2005) who went on to pursue her medical degree at McMaster University, before returning to Manitoba to complete a residency in Rural Family Medicine in Dauphin through the University of Manitoba.  She has since returned to her hometown of Brandon and currently works as an emergency physician.

Jillian DeCosse is a person of inextinguishable energy and has an appetite to serve her community selflessly.  Whether through her work as an emergency physician or through volunteer work within her profession and community, she has led and supported initiatives that ensure people have opportunities to learn, participate, grow, and develop a sense of belonging.  She is the local medical lead in simulation education and a preceptor to many students and residents. She sits on the YMCA’s Board of Directors and serves as co-chair of the Strong Kids Campaign. She further engages in professional commitments as a College examiner and as a provincial representative on a national committee for rural emergency medicine.

Jillian has a knack for organizing and bringing people together with the goal of creating a vibrant community.  She initiated and was a part of establishing the Westman Ultimate Disc League, coordinated an emergency medicine review course targeting rural physicians, and currently captains her curling and ultimate teams.

Jillian enjoys travelling, hiking, and spending time with her infant daughter Ruby, husband Mike and her extended family and friends.

Cam Davreux

Cam Davreux

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD FOR CAREER ACHIEVEMENT

The Distinguished Alumni Award for Career Achievement is presented to Brandon University alumni who have made outstanding achievements in their profession, career, business, or industry.

Born in Ninette, Manitoba, Cam graduated from Brandon College in 1959 with a BSc., and later the Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario with an M.B.A. in 1963.

Following graduation, he joined Canadian Industries limited (C-I-L), where he served in roles such as national sales manager and new business acquisitions in their Corporate Planning office.  Later he was seconded to C-I-L’s parent company, ICI, in London, England, working with the central business planning group on analysis of ICI’s existing global businesses.  Three years later he returned to Canada and C-I-L to head the expansion of a newly acquired business in the waste management field.

In 1980, Cam moved into C-I-L’s agricultural business as Director of Sales and Marketing, and assisted the agrichemical industry’s trade association, now CropLife Canada, by chairing several of the association’s committees.

In 1990, he formed his own company, CB Davreux & Associates Inc., with CropLife Canada as the major client, developing and implementing stewardship programs for the industry.  This series of risk management, environmental and health initiatives started with a plastic chemical container collection and recycling program across Canada, and since then, and with the support of many others in the industry, he developed and implemented a full range of product life-cycle programs, including a business to audit all 1,300 agrochemical warehouses across Canada for health, safety and environmental issues, the collection and safe destruction of old obsolete farm chemicals, auditing of all manufacturing/formulation plants, development of an industry sales training program and a Marketing Code of Standards.  The Canada-wide collection and recycling of empty agricultural containers is now a separate stand-alone corporation involving plastic recycling for many other industry sectors.

During this time, Canadian stewardship programs were recognized globally as leaders in the industry.  Through the international chemical trade association in Brussels, Belgium, Cam chaired an industry wide global container collection and recycling initiative from 2004 to 2012.  During these years this program expanded to over twenty countries in the developed world, and pilot programs in 24 countries in the developing world.  Many millions of kilograms of plastic have been removed from the environment in these countries and recycled into useful new products since that time.  Cam continued to advise this organization up to his retirement in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 2017, and has been recognized both in Canada and internationally for his leadership in industry stewardship initiatives.

Cam has also organized recycling programs in African and Latin American countries in conjunction with the FAO (Food & Agricultural Organization of the United Nations), the Canadian Research & Productivity Council, and the World Bank.

Cam resides in Oakville, Ontario, with his wife Maili.  Friends and family now fill his time, having two sons, a daughter-in-law, four grandchildren…plus four other step-adoptees!  He is an avid traveler, a photographer, and do-it-yourselfer.  He has served on the Board of Directors of the Oakville Symphony Orchestra, and is eternally grateful for his early and exceptional years at Brandon College.

Deb Carnegie

Deb Carnegie

AWARD FOR EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE

The Award for Exceptional Service is presented to a nominee in recognition of exceptional service to Brandon University and/or the Alumni Association through a significant contribution of time and self.

Born and raised within a rural community just West of Brandon, where the heritage farm remains a vital part of the family identity it is clear to see that this small community and tight knit family have moulded the enduring traits that have framed the ethos of which Deb subscribes.

Commitment to Care in the service to others became the vision of her teams and was the driving force for all of her work, continuing to be fundamental within both the public and private spheres of her life.

Her education began in the small town of Lenore and shifted to Virden Collegiate with the closure and eventual demise of many rural communities. She went on to Brandon University – graduating in 1976 with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology.  Amidst the business of marriage and motherhood to two now grown children (Kendra and Braden) she returned to University following 20 years in Health Care to complete her Masters of Social Work from UofM in 1998.

Her work carried her to Pelican Lake Training Centre 5 years / Thompson 10 years / BMHC 10 years / and three RHAs – experiencing ever present changes and amalgamations in Health Care throughout the last approx. 15 years.  With the Masters credentials she assumed a leadership role within her workplace and commenced teaching as an Associate Professor with the Dept of Health Studies in BU.  She served on many panels offering insights of the changing course of Social Work and Mental Health Practices.  She was a compassionate clinician passionate in her relationship based work which formed the basis of her career, culminating in employ within Accreditation Canada – developing and maintaining services of excellence within Mental Health Services spanning the Canadian provinces.

Her penchant in the service to others persists within her volunteer commitments that she maintains in retirement.  She has active involvement with her church, the counselling community, and the Brandon University through her efforts within the Alumni Association.   She has continued supporting Master’s students in their practicum experiences, hosted a professional development conference on Mental Health and serves as consultant for future sessions.  She has worked tirelessly in engagement activities and student support activities that further BU’s commitment to present and past Alumni. Deb served nine years on the Alumni Association Board, which included three years as President. No event so minor or prominent is beyond her inputs:  selling frames to grads, manning career fair booths, serving ice cream and pizza at midnight to all night studying students, working the Alumni Night at the Bobcat games, putting up posters city wide . . . all are touched by her inputs.

Her commitment to care in the service to others remains strong in her long-standing commitment to BU.   She continues to work within the job description of “volunteer” with her ever present “yes I can” and “will do” attitude.

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