Campaign News

MESSAGE FROM PROMISING FUTURES™ CAMPAIGN CHAIR, HEATHER CULBERT  

Keith MacPhail, former Chair of the Promising Futures™ Campaign Cabinet hands over the gavel to Heather Culbert. See more photos

I recently had a chance go on a tour of the new Trades and Technology Complex and I am pleased to tell you that students are already seeing the benefits of our impressive new educational facility.

They are already attending classes in the South Wing; that’s the building with the landmark barrel-shaped roof. Meanwhile, workers are putting the finishing touches on the South Wing as SAIT makes plans to install new world-class equipment to create a “live” lab that will help train our much needed Power Engineering students.

I am pleased to be taking over as Chair of the Promising Futures™ Campaign at this exciting time for SAIT. I’d like to thank Keith MacPhail for his exemplary work as Chair and I am pleased he plans to stay on as a member of the cabinet.  

As we approach the New Year, it’s fitting to look back on an extremely successful 2011. The year was marked by a number of gifts from many generous individuals and companies that helped us reach our milestone of $75 million towards the capital phase of Campaign under Keith’s leadership.

Highlights included a number of leadership gifts and celebrations.

• The new home of the MacPhail School of Energy will be in the Johnson-Cobbe Energy Centre named for the Johnson and Cobbe families’ combined gift of $10 million.

• The Heart Building will become the Stan Grad Centre in honour of a $7 million gift to the Campaign from the Grad family. The SAIT Library will be named the Reg Erhardt Library, in honour of Stan’s friend, mentor and former SAIT President Reg Erhardt.

• The Ramsay Centre for Petroleum Engineering Technology and the Mathison Drilling and Geosciences Lab Suite will be established in recognition of a $3 million gift from David and Susan Ramsay and $1 million from their business partner Ron Mathison.

We are grateful to all our donors for making 2011 a banner year but we have much more work to do to accomplish our next Campaign milestone: to raise an additional $25 million by the end of 2012. 

The additional funds will support:

• cutting edge technology and equipment,
• teaching excellence and curriculum development, and  
• student success through scholarships, bursaries and peer support programs

I am proud to work with our Promising Futures™ Campaign Cabinet that includes many proud SAIT alumni and some of Calgary’s most influential industry and community leaders. We are committed to promoting the value of SAIT Polytechnic as Alberta’s premier polytechnic.

On behalf of my family, the Campaign Cabinet, the SAIT family including students, staff and the Board of Directors, I send you Seasons Greetings and best wishes for a joyous and prosperous new year.

All the best,

Heather Culbert, CT ‘79
Chair, Promising Futures TM Campaign Cabinet