Movers & Shakers
LATITUDE
THEY INNOVATE, THEY CREATE, THEY SERVE, THEY GIVE— TWO APEGA MEMBERS RECEIVE ALBERTA’S TOP HONOUR
It is the highest honour the province gives citizens, and the two APEGA members who are about to receive it are nothing short of remarkable. David Manz, P.Eng., PhD, and Ralph Young, P.Eng. , are among eight Albertans who will receive the Alberta Order of Excellence this year. Since 1979, when it was first awarded, only 165 people have been named to the order, which recognizes those who have served Albertans with excellence and distinction. Dr. Manz has devoted his career to providing one basic need, safe drinking water, to the world’s most vulnerable. He is the inventor of
David Manz, P.Eng., PhD. . . . . .better water
Ralph Young, P.Eng. . . . . .more education
the BioSand Filter, an inexpensive and sustainable water filtering device that provides clean water in developing countries. His filter increases the safety of drinking water, food preparation, hygiene, and sanitation for at-risk communities. Initial testing of the filter in Nicaragua led to the country’s only cholera-free area. As a cofounder of the Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology (CAWST), Dr. Manz was instrumental in bringing better water or sanitation to 15.4 million people in 164 countries. In 2011, he won the Alberta Science and Technology Leadership Foundation’s Societal Impact Award for his humanitarian efforts, and in 2017, as The PEG reported in our spring 2018 edition, he earned a place on the Calgary Herald ’s list of the 20 most compelling Calgarians. A community and corporate leader, Mr. Young has spent his entire 42-year career with Melcor Developments, rising in the ranks from a young, entry-level employee in 1971 to CEO and president in 2000. Along with raising a family and playing an influential role in the leadership team at Melcor— transforming the business with assets of $7.4
million to one with revenues of $220 million and assets of $1.2 billion—he has remained deeply committed to serving his community. Mr. Young’s decades-long community service encompasses many areas, but much of it rests on promoting educational opportunities that allow individuals to reach their potential. “I have always had a strong appreciation of the value of education and the role of higher education in society. It is one of the greatest equalizers in any free society,” says Mr. Young in a YEGpeople interview. “I believe it’s important to stay involved in ensuring that post- secondary education is accessible and meeting the needs of the students it serves.” The chancellor of the University of Alberta from 2012 to 2016, he has also served on the boards of MacEwan University and Alberta College (now part of MacEwan). Mr. Young’s accolades include the University of Alberta Alumni Honour Award, the MacEwan University Distinguished Citizen Award, the City of Edmonton Salute to Excellence Award, the Alberta Centennial Medal, and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal.
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