Okanagan lawyer and community advocate Paul Mitchell.
Okanagan lawyer and community advocate Paul Mitchell will be presented with the Okanagan Alumni Community Builder Award on September 23, honouring his outstanding efforts in building bridges between UBC Okanagan and the greater community while making a difference locally, regionally and globally.
Born and raised in Kelowna, Mitchell has had a tremendous impact in the Okanagan and beyond. A managing partner of the law firm Pushor Mitchell LLP, the largest B.C. law firm outside of Vancouver, Mitchell has been a driving force behind numerous community initiatives -- from leading the efforts to bring UBC to Kelowna to chairing a bid campaign to host the Memorial Cup.
Mitchell has also devoted his time as the president of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce, director of the B.C. Chamber of Commerce, trustee of Kelowna General Hospital, vice-chair of both the Central Okanagan Foundation and the Kelowna General Hospital Foundation, campaign chair for the United Way and director of BrainTrust Canada.
"Paul Mitchell's dedication to building prosperous, healthy communities is inspiring," says Catherine Comben, chair of the UBC Alumni Chapter Committee in the Okanagan. "It's appropriate that we recognize his contributions at the Alumni Endowment Fund Gala, which celebrates our community and the value of giving back." She added that the firm Pushor Mitchell LLP is extraordinary in its commitment and work in support of community prosperity and well-being.
The Okanagan Alumni Community Builder Award will be presented at the second annual Okanagan Alumni Endowment Fund Gala, dedicated to raising bursary money for later-year students. Each year, the Endowment Fund Gala provides the backdrop for a tribute to one individual who sets an example of building community and who, through professional and volunteer activity, demonstrates UBC's values and vision of civil society, sustainability, and global responsibility.
"The Alumni Endowment Fund Gala is about community spirit and action," says Brenda Tournier, Alumni and Community Relations Manager. "We invite our alumni and friends to gain inspiration through this event and from our speakers. We congratulate them because we know that they, too, are forces for positive change in our communities. We invite them to continue to rally behind UBC Okanagan and the young people who will soon be leading our cities and taking our region to the world."
The Alumni Endowment Fund Gala, which includes three speakers and a plated dinner, takes place on September 23 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the brand-new University Centre Ballroom at UBC Okanagan. Tickets can be purchased online and are $100 per person or $1,000 for a table of 10 (may include two students) with sponsor recognition.
For more information visit http://www.ubc.ca/okanagan/alumnirelations/endowmentfund/gala.html.
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