DIRECTORS OF DEVELOPMENT/INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT:
D.R. MACKAY (1973-1984)
See RG 6 4.2 Office of the Vice-President (Administration & Finance) for biographical information on D.R. MacKay.
GORDON MCDIARMID (1986 - 1991)
Gordon McDiarmid attended the University of Winnipeg and George Williams College (Chicago). His B.A. included a double major in Social Science and Group Work. His Masters degree was in Counseling Psychology with added course work and aplied research in Organization Dynamics. McDiarmid's psychiatric research and interships were undertaken at Michael Rease and Mount Sinai Hospitals in Chicago.
Prior to taking the posistion of Director of Private Funding at Brandon University, McDiarmid was President and CEO of U-Rent It Ltd. and Wallace & Wallace Fences Ltd. in Winnipeg (1973-1985) and Campaign Director fo the United Way of Calgary (1985-1986).
During his time at Brandon University McDiarmid: established a new University Foundation; organized annual and special gifts campaigns, endowments and the planned gift program; upgraded publications, initiated print standards policy, introduced desktop publishing and managed the media relations program for Communications; and as acting Director of Alumni and External Relations for two and a half years he revitalized the Board, expanded membership, initiated the affinity card program, the alumni directory, the IDC phone/mail program and expanded the national reunion program.
McDiarmid left Brandon University in 1991, to assume the post of Vice-President, Development, at the Banff Centre. He held this position until 1994, when he became the owner of Assiniboine Consulting Group Ltd. (Calgary) and the Vice President Western Canada of Navion Financial Management Ltd. (Vancouver). From 1998-2000, McDiarmid was the Director of Development - Special Projects for Lions Club of Winnipeg Housing Centres. From 2000-2003, he was the Interim Executive Director and an independant consultant for the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba. McDiarmid also owned a private consulting practice from 1995-2006.
As of June 2010, Gordon McDiarmid lives in Winnipeg, MB.
L. JOHNSON (July 15, 1991 - 1994)
Lorraine Johnson was appointed Executive Director, Development and External Relations, effective July 15, 1991. From 1985-1989, she served as Director of University Relations for Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax. Prior to her appointment at Brandon University she was a partner with a management and fund raising consulting firm in Nelson, BC.
S. DECTER HIRST (1994 - 1997/1998)
No biographical information yet.
BRUCE SHAVERS (1998 - 1999)
No biographical information yet.
B. PROVEN (August 1998 - March 2003)
Beth M. Proven attended high school in Carberry, MB in the late 1980s. In 1991, she graduated from the University of Manitoba with a B.A. She continued her education through an international agricultural exchange program in Kianga, Queensland (1992), an Arts Administration Certificate from Grant MacEwan Community College (1995), Certified Fundraising Executive Accreditation (CFRE) (2004) and a four-year Certificate in Management and Administration (CIM) from the University of Manitoba (2006).
Proven began her marketing and fundraising career in the arts, working for Wanuskewin Heritage Park, the Saskatoon International Fringe festival, the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and Shakespeare by the Sea. She moved into university fundraising in 1997 as Development Officer for Dalhousie University's Captial Ideas Campaign.
In August 1998, Proven came to Brandon University where she served as the Director of Development and Alumni Relations. In addition, she also managed the activites of the Brandon University Foundation and participated in the Presidents Advisory Committee. She left Brandon University in March 2003. Since that time she has been employed as the Director of Development for St. Paul's College at the University of Manitoba (2003-2004) and as Manager Planned Giving at the University of Manitoba (2004 - present).
Currently (February 2007), Beth Proven lives in Winnipeg, MB.
K. WHELPTON - acting (2003-2004)
Kate Whelpton was born on January 9, 1973 in Windsor, ON. She received her Honours B.A. in Geography and Political Studies from the University of Guelph in 1996, her B.Ed. from the University of Toronto in 1997 and her M.Ed. from Brandon University in 2005.
After teaching in Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia for a few years, Whelpton returned to working in poast-secondary education as the Sexual Harassment Advisor for Mount Allison and Brandon Universities. Since 2000, Whelpton has assumed the position as the Director of the Office of the President, overseeing the administration of the PResiden'ts Office, including planning and implementing all aspects of the meetings of the Board of Governors, budgets, staff meetings, events, strategic initiatives, and general administrative oversight of the organization. In 2003-2004, she was appointed Acting Executive Director of Institutional Advancement.
MARC DESROSIERS (2003 - July 2007)
No biographical information yet.
CINDY YACYSHEN - acting (July 2007 - October 2009)
Cynthia Hope Yacyshen was born on May 13, 1968 in Brandon, MB. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts (Advanced - Major: Applied Economics, Minor: Business Administration) from the University of Maniotba in 1992. In 2004, she received her "National Certificate in Fundraising Management" from Ryerson University.
Prior to coming to Brandon University in 1997, Yacyshen was Marketing Coordinator for Manitoba Theatre Centre in Winnipeg, MB. At Brandon University she was Campaign Officer for the Brandon College Legacy Campaign and then Senior Development Officer. In July 2007, Yacyshen was named Acting Director of Institutional Advancement. Yacyshen left her position at Brandon University in October 2009.
Notes
A partial file level inventory for this sub-series exists as a Word document. History/Bio information for Beth Proven was taken from the resume and biography she gave to the Archives (February 2007). Kate Whelpton appears in the Brandon University records as Kate Ramsey, Kate Whelpton and Kate Gross. Kate Whelpton provided her own biographical information (August 2007). Cindy Yacyshen provided her own biographical information (September 2007). Gordon McDiarmid provided his own biographical information (May 2010). History/Bio information for Lorraine Johnson taken from the Fall 1991 issue of Alumni News.
Storage Location
RG 6 Brandon University fonds
Series 10: Office of Development
Student activity: Sticks of office used by Senior Stick and Lady Stick. c. 1919 – 1966 and later, housed in a display case in the Robbins Library Reading Room
The idea of the Keystone Centre was first mentioned in 1958, at a meeting of the board of directors of the Manitoba Winter Fair. The Manitoba Winter Fair wanted a new facility because the old Wheat City Arena had a leaking roof and a deteriorating west wall. The old facility also had limited space and the Winter Fair felt it needed more space for expansion. The Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba also had problems with their facilities, such as old barns and poor display areas. The idea of the Keystone Centre was put on hold until 1969, when the boards of the Provincial Exhibition and the Manitoba Winter Fair joined together as the Provincial Exhibition Association of Manitoba and the Wheat City Arena was sold and demolished. The original estimate for the cost of the Keystone Centre facilities was $4.5 million and funding would be proportioned so that the federal and provincial governments would each put in one-third of the money, with the rest coming from local donations. The financial campaign for the Keystone Centre began in 1970, and construction began in November 1970. The grand opening of the Centre was in March 1973, and coincided with the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair of that year.
Custodial History
This fonds was accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1998. Prior custodial history is unknown.
Scope and Content
Fonds contains many folders full of correspondence, financial statements, meeting minutes and other documents relating to the development and construction of the Keystone Centre from 1970-1974, including those from the Keystone Executive Committee, as well as the Building Committee. Fonds also contains one folder that pertains to the Brandon Area Agricultural Development Survey from 1959. This folder contains the names and locations of all farmers in the Brandon area in 1959. The Brandon Area Agricultural Development Survey was created in 1959, in order to make farming in the Brandon area more profitable. The survey was aided by Doane Agricultural Service from St. Louis, Missouri, who had success creating agricultural development programs in the United States. Fonds also contains folders from the Provincial Exhibition with correspondence, pamphlets, estimates, and studies from the 1960's. There is also one folder belonging to the Manitoba Winter Fair, which contains correspondence and financial statements relating to the Wheat City Arena. Fonds also contains information pertaining to the proposals made in the 1960's, for the building of the Keystone Centre, as well as one folder about the Keystone campaign from 1970-73. There is also one folder about the opening of the Keystone Centre, which contains newspaper clippings and guest lists. Finally, the fonds contains information about a court case involving Albert Bobyk and Robert Stewart. Stewart was the project manager for the Building Committee and Bobyk worked on the Keystone Center. The fonds includes a report about the trial of the two men who were charged with fraud involving their work on the Keystone Centre.
John Dickson (b. 17 Mar 1854, Scotland; d.15 April 1926, Brandon) was considered one of Brandon’s pioneer dentists. Dickson immigrated to Canada in 1857, where he lived in Hamilton, Ontario, for a number of years. Dickson then came to Manitoba and operated a grocery in Chater before he studied dentistry, graduating from the University of Minnesota in 1886. Dickson settled in Brandon where he married Anna Louise Harrison on 28 December 1891.
The couple had four children: Mrs. Irving Cross [Mary Louise, b.20 Dec 1892, Brandon; d. 22 Oct 1981, Saratoga, NY]; Dr. John Harrison Dickson [b. 26 Aug 1894, Brandon; d. 17 June 1956, Killarney]; Dr. Stanley Rodgers Dickson [b. 18 Feb 1896, Brandon; d. 25 July 1963, Brandon]; and Mrs. Emile Baldeschweiler [Isobel Marion Coates, b. 13 Nov 1900, Brandon; d.?] of New York.
Sources: “Pioneer Dentist of Brandon in Dr. John Dickson,” Brandon Daily Sun 16 Apr 1926 and Manitoba Vital Statistics database.
Scope and Content
Photograph shows the interior of a dentist's office with dentist's chair and sink, as well as shelves and a table lined with medicines. This office is possibly that of Dr. John Dickson who had his practice at 804 Rosser Avenue.
Notes
Writing on the front of the photograph matting reads: December 1906.
