Class Notes
Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Medal to STEPHEN JOHNSON (’80) in recognition of his work with the Agency as well as his community involvement during his 32-year career. In particular, the medal was presented in recognition of Stephen’s many years of coaching basketball and his involvement in church activities. He has since retired from the Public Service and is enjoying some leisure time with his wife Rebecca. KIM MEECHAN (‘80) is happy to return to Nova Scotia after being away for 28 years. Having worked in Saskatchewan and Ontario, Kim has settled in Halifax and is looking forward to reconnecting with her Acadia classmates. DAVID DUPLISEA (BBA ’80) was named Executive Director of the Saint John Board of Trade in July 2013. A native of Saint John, David has more than 20 years of marketing, business development and technology industry experience and has held senior executive positions in Saint John, New York and Toronto. An experienced small business entrepreneur, David was also a founding member of the Board of Directors of Propel ICT, where he helped design the business model that propelsj implemented to establish a business technology incubator in New Brunswick. He most recently served as a Policy Advisor in Renewable Energy and Energy Innovation, and Senior Advisor in Smart Grid Technology and Innovation with the New Brunswick Department of Energy. David’s top priority will be to further the Saint John Board of Trade’s mission to make Saint John the best place in Canada to start, run and grow a business. In an age of technology, when fledgling entrepreneurs frequently launch businesses while they’re still in school, Haivision Network Video founder MIROSLAV (MIRKO) WICHA (’82) is a late bloomer. After graduating in computer science and mathematics from Acadia in 1982, the company’s president, CEO and chairman initially spent 28 years working mostly in sales and management for high-tech companies such as Alias Research Inc., Silicon Graphics International Corp., and HewlettPackard Development Co., before becoming an entrepreneur. Haivision is the first company he has built from the ground up.
38
ACADIA BULLETIN Fall 2013
HEATHER MCTAVISH (‘83) recently graduated from Transpersonal Psychotherapy Training. Her practice in Mind/ Body Medicine has a focus on trauma, injury and loss.
PAUL OLSHEFSKY (‘85) has worked for Parks Canada in the Resource Conservation Section since graduation in 1985. He was a Search and Rescue specialist in Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland and also instructor of Visitor Safety for Parks Canada’s National Training Unit in Jasper, Alberta, for many years. Paul is currently on assignment for Parks Canada at National Headquarters in Gatineau, QC, where he is the National Advisor for Parks Canada’s Visitor Safety Program. He sits on two national Search and Rescue committees and continues as an instructor for the National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR), and has represented Parks Canada at Search and Rescue conferences, both nationally and internationally. Paul is the recipient of the Search and Rescue Achievement Award presented by the National Search and Rescue Secretariat of Canada. Paul and his wife, ELSEBETH OLSHEFSKY (‘85), are enjoying everything the Ottawa/Gatineau region has to offer and Paul is looking forward to retiring from Parks Canada in 2014 to pursue new interests. He can be reached at olshefskyp@gmail.com SHELLEY FLECKENSTEIN (’85 BSC) was named recently to PROFIT magazine’s W100 list of Top 100 Women Entrepreneurs for 2013. This is the fifth year in a row that she has earned a place on the list. Shelley was also named in May of this year one of Atlantic Canada’s Top 50 CEOs by Atlantic Business Magazine.