Community builders honoured at annual Haskayne Alumni Awards

The word community can mean many different things. Where you live, where you work, your professional network, your family or your friends. Typically one might focus solely on business success, but this year’s Haskayne Alumni Award recipients are deeply committed to community building in all the capacities mentioned above. It’s at the heart of what they do every single day. Eleanor Chiu (BComm’85), Audra Stevenson (MBA’17), and Whitney Rockley (MBA’97) will be honoured for the impact they are making in their communities and careers.

“This year’s award recipients have two things in common: they believe in the power of community and Haskayne was part of their journey to success,” says Jim Dewald, dean of the Haskayne School of Business. “This group of amazing women are change makers, leaders and innovators in their field. We’re proud to have played a part in their success.”

Eleanor Chiu, BComm’85 – 2021 Management Alumni Excellence Award

Eleanor’s personal and professional life are rooted in supporting her community. She came to Canada from Hong Kong in 1982 with her husband to start their careers and build a new life for their family. Together they created Trico Homes and the Trico Charitable Foundation. Trico Homes is one of very few certified B Corp organizations in Calgary.

“The well-being of the community as a whole is very important. Our family’s passion is to share what we’ve learned with the people around us. We’re very fortunate to be able to make other people’s lives easier and happier,” reflects Eleanor.

Fun fact about Eleanor: if she was stranded on a desert island, she would bring a blanket for warmth at night, a lighter to start a fire and a knife to hunt with. Very practical!

Audra Stevenson, MBA’17 – 2021 Rising Star Award

Anyone that meets Audra immediately notices her infectious energy. She’s positive, upbeat and inspirationally dedicated to her work. Audra is a Haskayne MBA grad and the Interim CEO of the Leftovers Foundation, a non-profit organization that focuses on fighting poverty, reducing food waste and saving our environment.

Having come from a Fine Arts background, Audra describes herself as a non-traditional business student. “During my time in theatre production, I was doing a lot of problem solving. Studying and now working in business allows me to problem solve on a much larger scale,” says Audra.

Fun facts about Audra: she can often be found rocking Vans sneakers and is an avid reader of ‘witchy fiction’.

Whitney Rockley, MBA’97 – 2021 Big Ideas Bold Leaders Award

During her time at Haskyane, Whitney was known by her peers as being very studious. She was enthralled with the MBA content she was learning and it paid off. Whitney is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of McRock Capital – an investment firm focused on supporting founders to upend the Industrial Internet of Things.

Whitney believes in the power of surrounding yourself with good people personally and professionally. “It’s about family. About having the support around you and having a sounding board. Surround yourself with people you admire and look up to.”

Fun facts about Whitney: one of her personal hobbies is martial arts and her favourite work from home accessory are fuzzy slippers.

Join us this Fall

The Haskayne Alumni Awards will be held virtually on November 3, 2021. We hope you’ll join us to learn more about community building and celebrate Eleanor, Audra, Whitney and the entire Haskayne alumni network – over 28,000 people worldwide. Learn more about the Haskayne Alumni Awards and register here.