VIU recognizes employees for long service

When Lynn Redford was a struggling student and single mom, her goal was to get educated, graduate, land a well-paying job and buy a red sports car.

Redford, one of 225 employees honoured this week for long service at Vancouver Island University, has achieved her dreams.

Teaching English to adults was Redford’s goal from the outset of her educational journey. After earning a teaching certificate and degree, she moved to Nanaimo and found a job at VIU. Redford has been teaching for more than ten years in VIU’s Access programs and in Adult Basic Education (ABE). For the past six years, she's taught English and Education and Career Planning in ABE.

 “I feel fortunate to be working at one of the most beautiful campuses in Canada, and to be driving my dream car, a red mustang I bought in 2005,” said Redford.  “I enthusiastically pass this story on to my students in an effort to encourage them to follow their dreams, no matter how far-fetched they may seem.”

“Receiving this award was very special to me, as I did not attend my high school graduation, nor my university grad ceremonies,” added Redford. “VIU’s long service recognition ceremony was like graduation for me. Getting this kind of recognition is very important, and I'm happy our university provided me with an opportunity to celebrate my accomplishments, both past and present.”

VIU’s long service celebration recognized the career milestone achievements of 225 employees celebrating 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 years of service.

 “The dedication and commitment of our employees has allowed VIU to thrive and grow,” said President Dr. Ralph Nilson. “Our employees are our most valuable asset.  We recognize the value added to our organization through having a motivated and engaged workforce.

“Our reputation is built on the quality and history of our faculty and staff and their interactions with students. While VIU exists to serve our students and our communities, it’s through our employees that we achieve our goals and ultimately our students achieve theirs.”

Employee Les Malbon who teaches in the Sport, Health and Physical Education department, was one of seven employees honoured for 30 years of service to VIU. “I retain a tremendous amount of gratitude for VIU,” said Malbon. “As a native son of Nanaimo I have borne witness to the powerful interface it has had with our community. It’s afforded me the opportunity to give back and in return receive many blessings.”

Music professor Bryan Stovell, celebrating 10 years service, taught part-time at VIU (formerly Malaspina) back in the 1970s. One of his students was Collin MacQuarrie who went on to become a professor in the same department.

“I left the institution to teach band full-time in Nanaimo secondary schools,” said Stovell. “At the time, I recommended Steve Jones for the music position and he’s still teaching at VIU today. Myron Makepeace, another current music professor at VIU, was one of my band students at Wellington in the early 1970s. Now we share an office at VIU. It’s strange how things turn out!”