Chancellor Emeritus Jim Leech, MBA鈥73, is being honoured for his decades of support to Queen鈥檚 and the post-secondary community with a major award from the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education (CCAE).
Leech is receiving the , which goes to a person in a leadership role who has made significant contributions to education in Canada.
鈥淗e served two terms in our highest ceremonial office and distinguished himself as a leader, an adviser, a mentor, and a friend to Queen鈥檚 students, faculty, staff, and alumni,鈥 says Queen鈥檚 Principal and Vice-Chancellor Patrick Deane. 鈥淗is service, both formal and informal, has impacted every level of our university, from the institutional to the personal. He presided over convocations, cheering on our new graduates and offering them words of wisdom. He served on innumerable committees, lending his vast and varied expertise to decision-making processes that have shaped our university鈥檚 future.鈥
While many in the Queen鈥檚 community know Leech as the university鈥檚 14th chancellor, he has a long list of accomplishments as a volunteer, philanthropist, and administrator that will have impact for decades to come.
Leech has shared his talents with countless educational institutions and other organizations across Canada and has made astounding strides in the sector.
When the architects of the University Pension Plan contemplated a sweeping reform initiative, they drew on Leech鈥檚 vast experience as the former CEO of the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan to create a plan that would establish greater retirement stability for the employees of Ontario universities.
Leech has also chaired the Smith School of Business Advisory Board for multiple terms and served on the Board of Trustees, the University Council, and as an active member of the Initiative Campaign Cabinet, whose leadership team steered a decade-long $640-million capital campaign.
Leech has also had a tremendous impact on education in Canada and internationally through his work as chair of the . The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program is the world鈥檚 largest scholarship program for post-secondary education of African youth at 28 universities around the world, including Queen鈥檚, University of Toronto, McGill, and UBC.
Another Mastercard Foundation partnership with the Dunin-Deshpande Queen鈥檚 Innovation Centre created the Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship, which empowers thousands of African students to start or continue scalable businesses.
Mastercard Foundation also partnered with Queen鈥檚 and the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority (WAHA) to expand education for Indigenous youth by creating the Queen鈥檚 Weeneebayko Health Education Program.
Helping Indigenous communities is an important cause for Leech. In the wake of the federal government鈥檚 Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Leech established a $15,000 need-based bursary for Indigenous students at Queen鈥檚.
鈥淭hroughout my career I鈥檝e been driven by a passion for education and a commitment to giving back to the community,鈥 says Leech. 鈥淎s a graduate of both Queen鈥檚 and the Royal Military College of Canada, I鈥檝e been privileged to witness the transformative power of education and I鈥檝e dedicated myself to ensuring others can benefit from this same opportunity.鈥
Another Queen鈥檚 community member being honoured by CCAE is alumna Emma Clarke, Artsci鈥14. The Smith School of Business Senior Relationship Manager is receiving the which goes to young professionals who demonstrate achievements, early success, and commitment in the advancement field.
Clarke began her career at Smith School of Business in 2017 as a Development and Stewardship Coordinator. Her keen sense of communications and building relationships led to great success and she quickly rose through the ranks. Last year she was promoted to senior relationship manager and was given the important responsibility of being in charge of a major gift prospect pool.
