Stan Grad
Stan Grad exemplifies the spirit and values of entrepreneurship, leadership and philanthropy. Stan graduated from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) with a Diploma in Petroleum Technology before obtaining a Petroleum Engineering Degree from the University of Wyoming. He later was awarded an Honorary Bachelor of Applied Technology degree from SAIT for his extraordinary contributions to the petroleum industry and his commitment to improving the social well being of Alberta residents.
Stan Grad was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Grad & Walker Energy Corporation that he founded with his partner Willard Walker. Grad & Walker was an oil and gas exploration and production company which reached the TSE 300 index before being sold to Crestar Energy in 1997. He has subsequently co-founded additional oil and gas initiatives, and currently serves as a Director of a number of energy companies.
In addition, Stan brings his leadership and business skills to numerous organizations including: as a founding member of the Calgary Stampede Foundation, as a member of the Board of Governors of Mount Royal College, as a director and chairman of the Alberta Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society (STARS) for 14 years, as a Co-Chairman of STARS Canada Society.
Stan became involved in the Seedstock cattle industry over 35 years ago. As the owner of Soderglen Ranches Ltd., which is recognized as the largest Seedstock cattle operation in Canada, he has grown the company's land base which includes ranches northwest of Airdrie, southwest of Fort Macleod, and southeast of Cardston. Soderglen Ranches raises grain and a variety of beef breeds, including two they have developed, concentrating on genetics of the beef business and outstanding customer service.
Eric Lafferty Harvie
Eric Lafferty Harvie, oilman, philanthropist (b at Orillia, Ont 2 Apr 1892; d at Calgary 11 Jan 1975). Harvie was called to the Alberta Bar in 1915. He served overseas in WWI, was wounded in France and achieved the rank of Captain. Later he was appointed Honorary Colonel of the Calgary Highlanders continuing a life long association with the Canadian Military.
As a Calgary lawyer, he was involved in the oil business and in 1944 purchased the mineral rights held by British Dominions Land Settlement Co. With these he formed Western Leaseholds Ltd. and Western Minerals Ltd. In 1947-48, when oil was discovered on several of his leases in the Leduc and Redwater fields of Alberta, he became wealthy. He created a vertically integrated oil and gas exploration and production company to develop the Redwater field. His company owned and operated drilling and service rigs, constructed pipelines and handled the entire infrastructure to find and produce oil and gas.
In 1955 he turned to philanthropic endeavours. His first major achievement was forming the Glenbow Foundation which led to the establishment of the Glenbow Museum in Calgary and later oversaw the creation of Heritage Park. Years later, he formed the Devonian Foundation which provided funding for a great many public projects that continued being developed over several decades.
A modest man, he kept most of his good works secret, but he was known for his assistance to the Calgary Zoological Society, the Banff School of Fine Arts, and theLuxton Museum of Banff. He was a founding officer of the Canada Council and made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1967.
Hal Kvisle
Hal Kvisle was President and CEO of TransCanada Corporation and its predecessor, TCPL, from May 2001 to June 30, 2010. TransCanada is a leading North American energy company focused on natural gas and crude oil pipelines, natural gas storage, and power generation. Mr. Kvisle joined TransCanada in 1999, following 24 years in the upstream oil and gas industry with Dome Petroleum and Fletcher Challenge Energy.
Mr. Kvisle serves as a corporate board member for the Bank of Montreal, ARC Resources, Talisman Energy, and Northern Blizzard Resources. He chairs the National Board of the Nature Conservancy of Canada, and previously chaired the Board of Governors of Mount Royal University and the Board of the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America.
Mr. Kvisle was recognized as Canada’s Outstanding CEO of the Year in 2008. In 2009 he received the Canadian Business Leader Award, in 2010 he received the Distinguished Business Leader Award, and in 2011 he was given the Fraser Institute's T. Patrick Boyle Founder's Award. He holds a B.Sc. in Engineering from the University of Alberta and an MBA from the University of Calgary. He is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta.