Associate Alumni of the Year Award

Associate Alumni Award

You don’t have to be a Saint Mary’s graduate to be recognized as a valuable member of our community. The Associate Alumni Award recognizes those who are not alumni but have shown dedication and support to the University and its endeavours. A maximum of three candidates per year will be granted this distinction, and given full Alumni Association privileges.            

All University employees and members of the Saint Mary's University Alumni Association may submit a one-page letter of recommendation for a candidate, illustrating their suitability for this award. A completed Alumni Awards Nomination Form must accompany the letter.

Selection

Candidates are considered annually by the Saint Mary's University Alumni Association's Awards & Nomination Committee.  

Timeline

The nomination period for the 2024 Alumni Awards is now closed.

Nomination Form

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2023 Recipient

Heather Fitzpatrick

In March 2023, Heather Fitzpatrick, a Certified Fundraising Executive with a Bachelor of Public Relations degree from Mount Saint Vincent University, retired from Saint Mary’s University after a fulfilling and rewarding 34-year career as a professional fundraiser in healthcare and higher education.  
 
During her 22-year career at Saint Mary’s University, Heather held many roles including Manager of Annual Giving and Special Projects, Senior Development Officer, Director of Development, completing her time at Saint Mary’s as Director of Principal Gifts.  
 
Heather’s greatest passion was connecting donors to Saint Mary’s and the initiatives that were most dear to them.  Her caring and empathic personality allowed her to establish lifetime relationships between alumni, friends and donors, and the university. She cherished the opportunity to connect scholarship and bursary recipients with their donors. Building rapport with countless students while working as the Manager of Annual Giving in the student calling program was some of her most memorable moments at Saint Mary’s. 
 
Heather comes from a proud family of Santamarians; her father-in-law, husband, three children, son-in-law, sister- and brothers-in-law attended Saint Mary’s.  
 
Heather and her husband, John, also make Saint Mary’s a philanthropic priority through many gifts over the years, most notably their establishment and support of the John and Heather Fitzpatrick Valedictorian Awards which are presented at each convocation ceremony through the year. 

Past Recipients

• 2022: Ann Boswick, Janis Sobey-Hames and Roberta Graham
• 2021: Derek E. Isaacs
• 2020: Rakesh Jain FCPA, CPA 
• 2019: Glen & Nancy Holmes
• 2018: Sheila Donahoe and Cathie Ross
• 2017: Dr. Patricia Bradshaw, Lawrence Freeman Q.C and Shirley Boudreau
• 2016: David Gauthier
• 2015: Lori Forbes
• 2014: Gary Schmeisser
• 2013: Wally Bowes
• 2012: John Landry
• 2011: Joe Chrvala Greg King
• 2010: Donna Filek
• 2009: Fred Smithers and Kathy MacFarlane
• 2008 Kathy Naulls and Dave Randall
• 2007 Tony Arab, Wadih Fares, Frank Matheson and  Paul Sobey
• 2005 Carol MacLean and Jennifer E. Ozon
• 2004 Patricia Bishara and David J. Grace
• 2002 Blake Nill
• 2001 Trevor Stienburg, Elizabeth Colwell and Stephanie Babcock
• 2000 Gabrielle Morrison, Nicola M. Young and Mary Lou Gomes
• 1999 Jean Larsen and Paul Dixon
• 1998 Denis LeClaire and Bernadine Halliday
• 1997 Ann MacDonald, William H. McGrath and Frank P. Dougherty
• 1996 Toni P. Croft, Virginia Jackson and Gloria Jewers
• 1995 J. Colin Dodds and Christine MacGillivray
• 1994 Colin Howell, Joan Whitney, Philip MacDonald and Daniel G. Stone
• 1992 Geraldine Coll, Betty Jean Frenette and Paul Mason
• 1990 Fred Voeltz and Ralph Curran
• 1989 Randy Nesbitt
• 1987 Fred P. Laphen
• 1986 Jill Linquist
• 1985 Paula Glencross, M. Shields, Joseph Wilson, D. H. Gillis, J. Lynch, T. Wardell and Hermann F. Schwind
• 1984 David F. Zareski, William H. Richardson and Larry Uteck
• 1982 Dermot L. Mulrooney, Carol Markesino, Mary Sun, Peter Weal and Heinz M. Morstatt
• 1981 Kenneth L. Ozmon and Owen Carrigan
• 1980 John A. Mills
• 1979 Charles J. MacDonald, Richard W. Lowery and Belinda S. Gallagher
• 1978 Charles A. Vaughan, Doug Wright and Brian P. Heaney
• 1975 Michael A. Overington, Douglas Day, Anthony Farrell and Gordon MacLeod
• 1974 Keith G. Fillmore, Joseph Jabbra and Roy W. Clements
• 1973 John C. Young
• 1971 Elizabeth A. Chard
• 1970 Henry J. Labelle
• 1969 Roger A. MacDonald
• 1967 K. McKenna, Robert MacDougall and Verdon Creighton
• 1963 Henry Habib