St. Mary’s has come a long way since being founded in 1986
David Parker – Calgary Herald
The vision of St. Mary’s University is to be the pre-eminent Catholic University in Canada. President and vice-chancellor Sinda Vanderpool and her board of governors have approved a new strategic planning process that will ensure St. Mary’s will be known as a centre of academic excellence, providing a vibrant and engaged student experience that prepares authentic leaders committed to the service of others.
Vanderpool has led the university for the past two years after relocating from Baylor University in Texas and, working alongside board chair Gary Strother, has set a bold vision for the future — Expanding Minds, Inspiring Hearts — focused on equipping her students to navigate the challenges they will face as global citizens.
To help support the vision, it has welcomed Lisa Laskowski, who was excited to get the call from Kevin Gregor, managing partner of DHR Global, inviting her to apply for the position as vice-president of external relations that she was delighted to accept.
Laskowski was most recently regional vice-president and member of the national senior leadership team at Make-A-Wish Canada Foundation, where she rebuilt and led the team of staff and volunteers in Atlantic Canada. Before that, she led the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia’s successful $140-million capital campaign.
But Laskowski is a proud Prairie girl — growing up in Middle Lake, Sask., and being the first female from the village to attend a college of commerce. At the university in Saskatoon, she earned degrees in commerce and music performance, and furthered her education with a post-degree McConnell Fellowship in Institutional Development. With a wealth of experience in fundraising, which includes positions with St. Peter’s College and the Royal University Hospital Foundation in Saskatoon, Assiniboine Community College in Brandon, Man., and membership with several external relations boards — including as Canada’s appointed representative to the International Committee of the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy — Laskowski is well suited to perform her tasks at St. Mary’s that will include development, marketing, communications. alumni and government relations.