MRU Alumni Association Advisory Committee

Introduction

Alumni and Community Relations embraces Mount Royal’s Face to Face outlook - a concise phrase that captures the personal, approachable and responsive way in which we educate and interact with those we serve and those with whom we work. Alumni and Community Relations lives the slogan as we work closely with graduates to ensure the services and programs we offer to alumni are meaningful.

The most important means of staying in touch with your needs is through the Alumni Association Advisory Committee. This dynamic group of enthusiastic and dedicated individuals includes members with university affiliation ranging from 1958 to a current student. I am proud to introduce the members of your 2011 Advisory Committee.

Sincerely,

Randy Paquette
Director, Alumni and Community Relations

Committee Mandate

The Committee advises the University's Office of Alumni and Community Relations on all matters pertaining to University alumni and provides recommendations to the Office of Alumni and Community Relations regarding the expenditure of Alumni Association funds.

Committee Member Profiles

Lee Genier
Business Administration, 1992

Lee Genier’s job requires lots of travel and as a proud wearer of three Grey Cup rings he regularly sets airport security alarms ringing. Lee has been with the Calgary Stampeders for 15 seasons. He began in marketing, rose to senior sales where he significantly increased season ticket sales, and for the last four years has been VP of Business Development. During his Stampeder career Lee has developed and implemented several successful sales strategies along with building in depth corporate partnerships. An avid outdoorsman, Lee spends part of the off-season white water rafting, golfing and travelling.

Shannon Pestun
Marketing Management, 1999

To say that Shannon Pestun has had a busy career is an understatement.
Since graduating in 2001, she's worked in marketing roles in the legal
profession, education, and oil and gas. In her last role, she was the
director of Marketing and Communications for Certified Management
Accountants of Alberta, where she played an integral role in setting the
organization’s strategic direction. She was also a member on the national
marketing team that launched the highly talked about “Creative Accountants”
campaign. Today she is the Director of Client Relations and Communications
at the Alberta New Home Warranty Program, where she is accountable for the
performance of the communications, marketing and government relations
programs. She also teaches event marketing in the Event Management program at Mount Royal University.

Shannon's reputation for driving marketing results has also made
her a go-to industry voice on marketing trends, including for Alberta Venture,
Alberta’s best-read business magazine. She has also been a guest speaker at Mount Royal's Convocation and a panellist for marketing classes.

Shannon is committed to her profession and community. She is a current
member on the Mount Royal Alumni Advisory committee, and a past volunteer
for the Calgary Stampede, the MRU Marketing Advisory Committee, and
Canadian Women in Communications, where she received a national nomination
in 2007 for the Mentor of the Year award. In her spare time, she is
pursuing an MBA.

Stephanie Rosch
General Studies, 2000

Stephanie takes her work seriously. That’s why you will find her rappelling 30 storeys from Calgary’s Sun Life Tower in September 2009. As the Easter Seals Alberta’s marketing and events coordinator she literally throws herself into her work. Equipped with her diploma and a degree in Leisure Tourism and Society, Stephanie spent three years in the hospitality industry before shifting her focus to not-for-profit work in 2007 at SAIT and the University of Calgary. Stephanie has a passion for culinary arts; you can often find her adding a tried and tasty recipe to her online blog.

Stephanie Stone
Justice Studies, 2002

Stephanie has a remarkable enthusiasm for education having spent the first decade of this century learning. She used her MRC applied degree as the foundation for her law degree from University of Victoria. Since earning her degree in 2007 she has been working for the Canadian government in Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services - the first two years of which require additional training. Stephanie maintains her ties with Mount Royal serving on its Human Research Ethics Review Board and chairing the Students’ Association advisory committee. While Vice President Academic of the Students’ Association of Mount Royal College she helped establish the Safewalk program.

Jackie Cutting
MRC High School Diploma, 1958
Broadcasting Diploma, 2004

Jackie is a self employed entrepreneur creating her own business opportunities. She established Inventory Adjustors a company which manages excess stock and store closures and she and her daughter also own Occasio and event and wedding planning service. Having graduated from the high school program in 1958 and again from the Broadcasting department in 2004, she readily admits that Mount Royal College has played a big part in her life. Volunteering with HIKE Fund Canada, a charity that provides auditory equipment for children with a hearing deficit and reading and producing news stories for VoicePrint Canada fill her spare hours.

Jason Unsworth
Environmental Technology, 2005

Jason Unsworth is the Director of Business Services for the Students’ Association of Mount Royal University and is a proud MRU alum. Throughout his studies, Jason believed in giving back to the organization that gave him so much – and that belief has carried through to his professional life. With a solid foundation in service industry management, combined with extensive international travelling, Jason learned the importance of understanding, acceptance and of putting your customer first. Due to these life lessons, he is passionate about putting Mount Royal’s number one customer - students - first, and feels that philosophy will ensure strong ties with our alumni. Using knowledge gained from his Environmental Technology education and experience in best business practices, he has initiated many sustainability policies which apply to a wide array of business and support services available to MRU students. Jason also recently completed the Centre Point Non-profit Management’s Fund Development mentorship program. In his spare time, Jason refuels his energy and clears his head on the hockey rink.

Amanda Cutting
Theatre Arts, 2001

Salimah Janmohamed
General Studies, 1998

Chelsey Dawes
Nonprofit Studies, 2009