UPEI to confer four honorary degrees at convocation, May 7
The University of Prince Edward Island will recognize the leadership, and public and community service of four exceptional people by conferring honorary degrees on them during convocation on Saturday, May 7.
The honorary graduands are: Danny Williams, QC, former premier of Newfoundland and Labrador; Louis W. MacEachern, entrepreneur, community leader, and philanthropist; Teresa Mellish, the driving force behind the PEI-based, non-governmental organization, Farmers Helping Farmers; and Monique Collette, senior advisor to the Privy Council Office and former president of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.
The convocation ceremonies will take place in the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre at 10 am and 2:30 pm. Williams will address the morning convocation where graduates will receive BEd, BBA, BBA (co-op), BBTH, BScN, DVM, MVSc, MEd, MBA, and PhD degrees; Mellish will speak at the afternoon ceremony where graduates will receive BA, BIS, BMus, BMusEd, BSc, MSc, MAIS degrees and public administration and engineering diplomas. (For complete convocation information, click here to visit the UPEI Convocation 2011 webpage.)
UPEI President Wade MacLauchlan said, 'The University is truly pleased to honour these four people who have contributed so much to the communities in which they live, work, and serve, and to our country. UPEI convocations are very special celebrations of community and achievement, and we are proud that Danny Williams, Lou MacEachern, Teresa Mellish, and Monique Collette will be joining us, and honouring us, as UPEI honorary graduates. May 7 will be a great day for all of us.'
Danny Williams served as premier of Newfoundland and Labrador from 2003-2010. Under his leadership, the province experienced unprecedented economic growth and activity, and a substantial reduction in the provincial debt. A Rhodes Scholar, Williams is a founding partner of one of Newfoundland and Labrador's pre-eminent law firms and was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1984. He has also been a corporate leader in the cable/communications industry, the oil and gas industry, and the hospitality and tourism industry as founder and operator of three golf courses and one hotel resort. He has been actively involved in hockey as a player and coach, was the founder and president of the St. John's Junior Hockey League, and served as a member of the Board of Governors of the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. His private family charity, The Williams Foundation, primarily provides assistance to individual children with illnesses.
A native of Hazel Grove, PEI, Lou MacEachern is a well-known Calgary businessman and contributor to community organizations. MacEachern is president and owner of Fortune Industries Ltd. and is involved in a number of publicly traded companies. MacEachern has served three terms on UPEI's Board of Governors from 2003-09, is a founding member of the Global Associates of the UPEI School of Business and serves on the Board of the Confederation Centre of the Arts. He has been involved in numerous community organizations in Alberta, including the Calgary Rotary Club, The Duke of Edinburgh Awards, the William Booth Society, the 1988 Calgary Olympics, and as a founding supporter of Calgary Friends of UPEI group that has created funds to support Alberta and PEI students at UPEI.
Since 1979, Teresa Mellish has played a pivotal role with Farmers Helping Farmers. Working with many other Islanders, she has made the improvement of the lives of farming women in Kenya her focus, always guided by the belief that the improvement of women's status and skills is the most effective way to empower them within their families and communities. Her untiring efforts and dedication to improve the livelihood of rural families in developing countries has resulted in the exemplary reputation she now holds in the field of international development. Mellish has been a passionate supporter of sustainable agriculture in her career with PEI Department of Agriculture, and lives on her family's horse-breeding farm in New Perth.
Monique Collette assumed the responsibilities of senior advisor to the Privy Council Office (PCO) on November 15, 2010 after having served as president of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) since May 31, 2003, becoming the first former employee to lead ACOA. Collette began her public service career with the Department of the Secretary of State in Moncton, New Brunswick. She subsequently held several positions within the Department, including regional director for New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, and director general, Regional Operations, in Ottawa. In addition to her PCO and ACOA responsibilities, she chaired the selection committee for the Public Service Awards of Excellence.
