@nformer

Former board chair honoured for her
extraordinary contribution to post-
secondary education in B.C.

S quamish resident and former Capilano
College board chair, Hilda Rizun,
will be presented this June with an
honorary life membership with the
Advanced Education Council of British
Columbia.

The AECBC grants this honour to
selected individuals who have made
significant contributions to the post-
secondary education system in B.C. and
who have represented it and the AECBC
with distinction.

For 20 years, Hilda actively
participated in the province’s post-
secondary system — first at Capilano
College, next at the British Columbia
Institute of Technology, and finally at the
B.C. Council on Admissions and Transfer.
She also served for a period as a director,
then vice-president of the British
Columbia Association of Colleges before
it became AECBC.

“As a hard-working vice chair and later,
chair, Hilda missed only one meeting in
North Vancouver during her 13 years on
the board,” says Capilano College
president, Greg Lee. “This was despite
travelling the infamous Squamish
highway and the responsibilities of home
and her full-time job as a representative
of an accountancy firm in Squamish.

“During her tenure at Capilano
College,” he added, “she proved to be a
consummate team builder and a tireless
advocate for her community. She also took
a very active part in establishing the
Squamish campus of Capilano College.
Hilda is more than deserving of this
honour.”

Hilda was born in a small coal mining
town in Alberta. Her family moved to
Langley, B.C. where Hilda graduated

Hilda
Rizun

from high school and psychiatric nursing
school. She spent several years working
in the field of psychiatric nursing, with
particular emphasis on children with
special needs. In 1953, she married her
husband Steve and in 1964 they moved
with their two children to Sqamish. It
wasn’t long before she was making her
mark in the community, contributing to
Loggers’ Sports Day, organizing a local
pageant for young women, and helping
several service organizations — all while
running her own accounting business.

After campaigning for Howe Sound to
become part of the Capilano College
region at the time of the referendum on
that subject, Hilda was appointed in 1975
to the board of Capilano College as a
community representative. She became
vice chair in 1976 and served as chair from
1981 to 1988.

“IT. am delighted that Hilda’s
contributions have been recognized,” says
current board chair, Naomi Yamamoto.
“She gave a great deal in terms of
leadership, time and enthusiasm and
helped shape the College during some of
its most formative years.”

@ e@= Capilano
@€em College

Vol. XXI No. 6
June 18/99