'Exceptional members of our community' to be feted at Lakehead

NEWS RELEASE
LAKEHEAD UNIVERSITY
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Deborah Martin-Downs, ecologist and conservationist, will be the recipient of an honorary degree, and Bruce Waite, lawyer, philanthropist and accomplished community leader, will receive the Civitas Award as Lakehead University Orillia celebrates its convocation in June.

Lakehead Orillia’s convocation ceremony will take place in Orillia at Rotary Place on Saturday, June 9.

“Convocation is not only a time when we celebrate the achievements of our graduates, it is an opportunity to honour exceptional members of our university and region’s communities,” said Dr. Moira McPherson, Lakehead’s Interim President and Vice-Chancellor.

Lakehead University confers honorary degrees in celebration and recognition of individuals who make significant contributions in their areas of experience and support the values of advanced learning and pursuit of knowledge.

The Civitas Award recognizes significant contributions to the university and the community by members of the County of Simcoe.

Deborah Martin-Downs
Honorary Degree – Doctor of Science

Martin-Downs has worked in ecology and conservation for over 30 years. She is currently the Chief Administrative Officer of the Credit Valley Conservation Authority, as well as the founder of the executive training program, Conservation Authorities University.

Over the course of her career, Martin-Downs developed her expertise within a variety of public and private sector positions. She has held progressive roles managing multidisciplinary teams of technical specialists in the fields of geoenvironmental, watershed planning, terrestrial and aquatic ecology, flood risk and infrastructure, water resources engineering, source water protection, and environmental monitoring.

In these roles she has participated in the research and development of new policies, practices and guidance based on research and monitoring.  Such endeavours included headwater tributaries, low impact development, natural heritage systems and compensation, watershed plans, and green infrastructure.

In addition to her work, Martin-Downs spent 12 years as a volunteer with the Don Watershed Regeneration Council. Currently, she is a volunteer director with the Muskoka Lakes Association, and a founding member and chair of the Green Infrastructure Ontario Coalition. Martin-Downs is also a provincially appointed director for the Walkerton Clean Water Centre and the Greenbelt Council.

She has a Bachelor of Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo and a Master of Science in Zoology and Environmental Studies from the University of Toronto.

Since 2008, Waite has been the éminence grise of Lakehead University Orillia, working tirelessly to help Lakehead University achieve status as a student and community-centred institution.

An enthusiastic supporter of Lakehead University, he has gone above and beyond with his generous contribution of time, expertise and passion. A former member of the Board of Governors, Waite championed the interests of Lakehead Orillia and the citizens of the County of Simcoe for over nine years. His involvement on the Capital Fundraising Campaign Team and the Lakehead Orillia Campus Advisory Committee was pivotal in achieving the development of the Orillia campus on University Avenue. 

Through his leadership and advisory roles with Lakehead University, Waite has helped to ensure effective partnerships between the community and the University, resulting in the best outcomes for both our students and the County of Simcoe. His outstanding contribution to Lakehead University continues to this day albeit in an unofficial capacity.

An active Kiwanian, past vice-chair of Orillia Soldiers' Memorial Hospital Foundation, past chair and member of the Orillia & Area Physician Recruitment and Retention Committee, and past president of the Orillia Law Society, Waite lives his commitment to volunteerism within the Orillia community. In 2006, he and his wife Susan were the recipients of the Ontario Medical Association Community Service Award. 

Waite has lived and practiced law in Orillia for more than 50 years and is currently an active member of the law firm HGR Graham Partners LLP.

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