“I’ve got big shoes to fill,” remarked Tony Dhaliwal (BA ’12) as he took the podium at the recent UFV Alumni Association annual general meeting.

Dhaliwal was welcomed as the newest Chair of the UFV Alumni Association, receiving the gavel from Derrick Uittenbosch (BA Crim ’13), who will now take on the role of Chair Emeritus.

“We express our gratitude and bid farewell to our esteemed UFV Alumni Association Chair, Derrick Uittenbosch. Derrick has been an invaluable asset to our organization, and we are grateful for the dedication and leadership he has shown throughout his tenure on the board,” said Dhaliwal.

The Association thanked Uittenbosch for his service, and his devoted efforts to helping to develop and reveal the Association’s newest strategic plan, renew the memorandum of understanding with UFV, welcome the Association’s first Executive Director, and help grow the alumni Office team to three members.

This year, the Alumni Association also appointed two Associate Vice-Chairs: Tricia Taylor (BA ’10) and Jennifer Trithardt-Tufts (BBA ’17).

As part of the presentation, Executive Director Whitney Fordham revealed the Alumni Association’s strategic plan. The plan focuses on five strategic pillars: engagement, advocacy, philanthropy, governance, and alumni stewardship. Each pillar serves to empower the association’s vision: All UFV alumni will proudly identify as active and integral parts of the UFV community and be meaningfully connected with each other and their communities.

“As Executive Director, I am thrilled that we are moving forward with our new strategic plan,” says Fordham. “This exciting milestone marks the beginning of a new chapter for our organization, as the office embarks on the next step of developing an operational plan with clearly defined goals, strategies, and tactics.”

Fordham also outlined the successes the UFV Alumni Association and Alumni Relations team has had over the last year.

“Our focus this year has been on collaboration, mentorship, affinity partnerships, governance, infrastructure, events, community engagement & relationship building, storytelling, and communications. We have engaged with a diverse range of alumni,” says Fordham.

Of these successes, the inaugural Outstanding Student Leader Award winner, Manjot Benning, was announced during the meeting.

“This award is given to a student leader who has gone above and beyond the typical expectations on campus, and as we have seen in the video shown tonight,” said Dhaliwal. “Manjot has certainly demonstrated this through her exceptional leadership skills and dedication to her community.”

Manjot’s entire family attended to celebrate and watch her receive her award. In addition to public recognition, the UFV Alumni Association also provides the recipient with  a $1,000 honorarium.

Over the last year, the UFV Alumni Association has awarded over $10,000 in bursaries and awards.

At the AGM, the board bid farewell to and thanked three members, including Keenan Beavis (BBA ’19), Kevin Renso (BGS ’10), and Marc Bergen (BA ’99). As well, they recognized Derek Ward-Hall (BBA ’17) for his five years of service to the board.

The evening wrapped up with a reception featuring a performance by Cambree Lovesy (BA ’21), where the last pour of the 2022 alumni wine featuring the artwork of Shannon Thiesen (Cert ’12) was enjoyed.

Read more about the inaugural Outstanding Student Leader award winner, Manjot Benning.

Review the 2022-2023 Annual Report