2009 Alumni Young & Distinguished Awards

Winner of the 2009 distinguished alumni award

Dave MacDonald (’98)

Dave has a long record of service to TWU and his community. After graduating with an English honours degree, Dave returned to Trinity Western and served as a resident director for seven years. He completed an MBA at John Brown University, and was a fellow at Soderquist Center in Arkansas. Now, as Chief Development Ofhaficer for the Hallmark Retirement Corporation in Abbotsford, Dave helps the corporation work on community development and delivers computer learning to classrooms in Guatemala. “Hallmark was a natural fit,” Dave explains, “because what I learned to love and develop at TWU was community. To be able to be in the business world and developing communities is a great fit.” Dave also leads the online tech support group, RedPhone Computers, and is developing a residential community in Vernon, B.C., called Hallmark Station. Dave and his wife, Danaya (Erickson ’00), live in Abbotsford with their 18 month-old son, Zane.

Winner of 2009 young alumni award

Richard Taylor (’02)

Richard describes himself as “a Canadian with an African soul who is passionate about empowering others to transform their communities.” Since 2003, he has served as the co-founder and executive director of The Wellspring Foundation for Education. Together with Jeffery Komant (’02), Richard started Wellspring to invest in Rwanda’s next generation of leaders. Wellspring has established a Christian school, supported the growth of the 800-member Association of Committed Teachers (ACT) Rwanda, and developed an innovative way to transform schools called Whole School Development. Through Wellspring, Richard explains, “we hope to make a widespread national impact in Rwanda by 2012, by transforming at least 1000 teachers and 60,000 children.” As part of his desire to help Rwanda, Richard also collaborated with fellow TWU alumni, including film director Trevor Meier (’02), to make a film exploring how Rwanda is healing after the 1994 genocide. Richard is completing his MA in Leadership at TWU and lives in Langley with his wife, Ericka, and their 18-month-old son, Jordan.

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