Donald Ipperciel, Principal, with Lesley Lewis, Gala Chair
Dignitaries, alumni and employees of Glendon came together in Glendon Hall on Saturday, October 1 as part of the College’s 50th Anniversary Gala. Rather than an evening of formal proceedings, the Gala was deliberately planned as a celebration. Indeed, such was the message delivered by Glendon Principal Donald Ipperciel as he welcomed nearly 200 guests. “I give you my promise that there will be no long-winded speeches tonight; we’re here to enjoy ourselves and celebrate our success,” he said as the Gala got under way.
50th Anniversary Awards
During this event, Donald Ipperciel and Gala Chairperson Lesley Lewis presented the Glendon 50th Anniversary Awards to three alumni who had been selected by a nine-professor panel as best representing the College during its first half-century. These awards covered three categories: Ontario, Canada and internationally.
Annie Demirjian, BA’77
Russell D. Smith, BA’67
Hon. Gregory S. Sorbara, BA’78, LLB’81, LLD’13
The winner of the Alteri Saeculo Award (for future generations) was Annie Demirjian, Director of the Glendon School of Public and International Affairs of York University. In 2014-2015, in her role as Director of the Political Affairs & Mediation Group at the UN Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), she was responsible for peacekeeping, state-building, political dialogue and local reconciliation. From 2004 to 2013, she headed UNDP’s Democratic Governance portfolio in the Middle East and Eastern European countries.
An Outstanding Contribution Award was given to Russell D. Smith, a graduate of the first cohort in 1967 who still has fond memories of his Glendon years. It was here that he was inspired to discover what would become his lifelong mission: to enhance the value offered to society by Canada’s public servants. Mr. Smith had a fulfilling career as a human resources manager in a number of Ontario government ministries before taking his retirement in 1988. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of his graduation, he created the Russell David Smith Alumni Award in Public and International Affairs, for which he provides annual support and a future bequest. His motto is “Giving back to Glendon!”
The last award was for Outstanding Achievement and was presented to Gregory S. Sorbara, Class of 1978. Mr. Sorbara is a director of the Ontario-based Sorbara Group of companies, which is involved in land development and real estate management. People will principally remember him for his 21 years as an MPP in the Ontario Legislative Assembly, where he held a number of ministerial positions including Minister of Finance, Minister of Government and Consumer Services, Minister of Labour and Minister Responsible for Women’s Issues, Minister of Colleges and Universities and Minister of Skills Development. In June 2014, Mr. Sorbara was appointed Chancellor of York University.
Several prominent politicians attended this event, including Marie-France Lalonde, Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs, and David Collenette, a member of the Liberal Party of Canada from 1974 to 2004 and former Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister of National Defence. Mr. Collenette is also a Glendon alumnus. The evening ended with a DJ dance party. There are only two more scheduled festivities for Glendon’s Jubilee Year: the Young Alumni Costume Night on October 29 and the 50th Anniversary closing reception after the John. W. Holmes Memorial Lecture on November 2.
By Richard Caumartin, published in Le Métropolitain on October 5, 2016.
