BSc ’81, Kinesiology
CURRENTLY: Director of Community Affairs, Cenovus Energy, Calgary
Sunday, July 9 broke hot and clear in Calgary this summer, but Vicki Reid had no plans for relaxing. Instead, the UWaterloo kinesiology grad was flipping pancakes at the Calgary Stampede.
As Director of Community Affairs for Cenovus Energy, Vicki was leading a team of volunteers in prepping free breakfast for the first 25,000 (yes, thousand) Stampede guests that day. The breakfast, along with free admission, was a gift to the people of Calgary from Cenovus. “I have the best job in the world, and you can print that!” says Vicki.
Vicki took a roundabout route to this career in community relations. After completing her studies in kinesiology, she worked in student recruiting and advising, first at Waterloo and then at McMaster. Later, when her husband was transferred to Calgary, she was able to translate those skills into the world of corporate recruiting and human resources, and began building a career in the oil and gas industry. She’s been there ever since, and is proud to work for a company that takes its commitment to community relations seriously.
“We believe strongly that when we’re operating in a community, we want that place to be better off as a result of our being there,” she says. Today Vicki’s portfolio includes managing donations, building marketing and business sponsorships and creating opportunities for Cenovus employees to volunteer in their communities. This year the company’s focus was literacy, and Vicki oversaw $5,000 grants to libraries all over Alberta, particularly in the North. Cenovus employees also signed up to serve as volunteer readers in their local schools.
Although Vicki’s career ultimately took her away from kinesiology and applied health, she is proud to hold a UWaterloo degree and says the discipline and rigour of a science background has served her well in everything she’s done. “The life skills I gained over those five years were just fabulous!”
Vicki’s regular gifts support many projects, including the general Applied Health Sciences Scholarships Fund, which provides recognition and financial assistance to talented and deserving students every year. Thank you, Vicki!
