2009 TD Insurance Meloche Monnex Fellowship Recipients

2009 Recipients

This fellowship is made possible by TD Insurance Meloche Monnex.

Biographical notes on the recipients of the 2009 TD Insurance Meloche Monnex Fellowships in Advancement

Alisha Hannam
Nova Scotia Agricultural College

Alisha Hannam, a 2008 graduate of Mount Saint Vincent University’s Bachelor of Public Relations (Co-operative Education) program, is delighted to be back in her hometown of Truro, applying her skills and experiences as a TD Insurance Meloche Monnex Fellow at Nova Scotia Agricultural College (NSAC).

While studying, Alisha completed two co-op work terms at NSAC as a marketing communications assistant performing a variety of responsibilities for the College. Alisha’s most memorable experience was her involvement with the Virginia Tech tragedy, where she was the primary contact for NSAC and fielded national and international media requests and interviews from CNN, CTV and People Magazine. She also helped with the planning of a community memorial service for the Canadian victim of the tragedy, which was attended by 400 people and more than a dozen media organizations.

As a Fellow at NSAC, Alisha will experience firsthand, from start-to-finish, the creation and execution of the major pieces of a classic fundraising campaign; practice the communications skills necessary for a successful mail-out campaign, plan and implement a telephone call campaign, conduct prospect research for major gifts and be front line in organizing and managing alumni fundraising events. In addition she will be part of a “truly once in a career” opportunity as NSAC totally changes its governance structure. Alisha will be in the middle of the communications challenges that will affect not only her short-term projects, but potentially the advancement operations for decades to come.

Alisha enjoys skiing and playing the fiddle, which she has been doing for 16 years. In her spare time she entertains crowds at concerts, events and conventions across the Maritimes with her band, Fiddles and Feet.

Meaghan Moore
Brock University

Meaghan Moore graduated this spring with an honours bachelor of arts degree in business communications and is eager to begin her career in advancement as a TD Insurance Meloche Monnex Fellow.

As a student, Meaghan participated in, and led multiple fundraising initiatives including the Canadian Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, the Rankin Cancer Run, and Rick Mercer’s Spread the Net Campaign, where Brock raised more than $56,000 in six months – more than other participating Canadian universities and colleges combined. One of the highlights for Meaghan was the “Community Spirit and Civic Pride Campaign,” an advertising initiative which brought together Brock and Niagara leaders to showcase their positive contributions in their shared community.

It is an exciting time in the Office of University Advancement at Brock. With a newly launched $75-million capital campaign, an institution-wide rebranding exercise and the establishment of a focused strategy on alumni engagement, there is plenty of opportunity for Meaghan to experience many facets of a career in advancement. Over the next year, Meaghan will help lead the student campus launch of the new Brock brand, participate in the development of major and class gifts, plan events for the “Bold New Brock” capital campaign, and develop and implement a marketing strategy for a large Alumni Reunion Weekend.

Meaghan is unlikely to have time to “twiddle her thumbs” over the next 12 months while working as a Fellow and will eagerly soak up the many advancement opportunities that will be presented to her at Brock University.

Allison Williams
Queen’s University

Allison Williams will graduate from Queen’s University this spring with a bachelor of arts in political studies and women’s studies, and an academic Certificate in Sexual and Gender Diversity.

Hailing from the small town of Emo, in Northwestern Ontario, Allison had never even visited Queen’s campus before she arrived on move-in day in 2005. However, she quickly fell in love with the community and threw herself into student life. Some of her larger campus leadership roles have included serving the student government as social issues commissioner, running the campus food bank, and working as a residence don. While on campus she was also involved with Queen’s model parliament and served as leader of the Liberal Party in her final year. She worked at the on-campus Clark Hall Pub as a bartender and server. Allison has been very involved with anti-poverty initiatives and continues to act as a meal exchange mentor for the Queen’s campus.

Allison got her first taste of the advancement profession when she was hired to coordinate the summer of 2007 send-off program, known on campus as Countdown to Queen’s. After the summer, she continued volunteering for the Office of Advancement, and was selected to act as the inaugural Queen’s Student Alumni Association President during her final year. Allison is thrilled to have been selected as a TD Insurance Meloche Monnex Fellow for 2009-2010. She is especially excited to work on developing and implementing alumni programming for the Bader International Study Centre at Herstmonceux Castle in the United Kingdom.