A tireless proponent for Red Deer environmental causes and a dedicated educator were recognized during Red Deer College convocation on Friday.
Peter Weddell was awarded the college’s Distinguished Alumni 2011 honours and Paulette Hanna was designated with this year’s G.H. Dawe Memorial Award of Excellence.
The awards were named during Red Deer College Convocation on Friday. More than 420 students were slated to graduate at two separate ceremonies.
Weddell was RDC’s first students’ association president in 1964, when the college was still a junior college. He enjoyed a lifelong career in parks and recreation at the City of Red Deer and was appointed the information officer at the Waskasoo Park System in 1986. Weddell ended his career in 2006 as a City of Red Deer bylaw officer.
For the past 23 years, Weddell has been organizing the annual neighbourhood Green Deer campaign — an opportunity for Red Deer citizens to show special care to their environment and think about the future of our ecosystems.
Weddell regularly contributes poetry and opinion on CBC radio, writes letters in Red Deer newspapers, and speaks his mind on behalf of the Kerry Wood Nature Centre, Re-Think Red Deer, and many other civic and community affairs he is passionate about.
Hanna, superintendent of schools for Red Deer Catholic Regional Division, was given the G.H. Dawe Award for her excellence in various leadership roles in the education sector in Alberta.
The Dawe award is presented to a community member who best exemplifies the values of George Harold Dawe, a strong college supporter and active member of Central Alberta’s community, who died in March 1999.
Hanna was also named a Woman of Excellence and won the National Canadian Association of School Administrators EXL Award in 2010 — a national employee-nominated award that recognizes the dedication and enthusiasm of administrators who guide children’s educational experiences.
Her impact on students’ lives through involvement with local community groups is regarded by her peers as progressive thinking in educational leadership.
Hanna has run 35 half-marathons in the past 10 years and is a strong promoter of healthy lifestyles for the youth of Red Deer. She has also provided mentorship for many young women aspiring to undertake administrative, teaching and leadership roles in Central Alberta.