J.M. Annette Milbradt - 2010
CSEG Meritorious Service Award Recipient Citation for J.M. Annette Milbradt
by Perry Kotkas
The Meritorious Service Award is given to a CSEG member who has made a prominent contribution to the CSEG and/or the industry as a whole.
Annette Milbradt, in the past six years has done both. In addition she has spearheaded a new initiative of CSEG outreach to Calgary region students and the general public. Annette became a member of the CSEG some 32 years ago. A recent huge contribution has been made during her time with our Outreach Committee, as a dedicated member for 5 years, including the past 2½ years as chair.
You might remember Volunteer Annette from back in the early 80's as the person who drove the 2nd projector and acted diligently upon the instruction: "next slide please" at CSEG Luncheons back when "next slide" really meant "next slide". If you lived in Victoria, BC during the 90's, you'd have met her there during her "hiatus years" when she was a partner in the family horticultural business or later as a software development manager and business analyst at a software company. Love of Geophysics called Annette back to Calgary, and she re-built a career in 2002, with Petro-Canada, Anadarko/CNRL, Duvernay/Shell and now Tourmaline. (The hyphened companies include take-overs; haven't we all been there!?)
In addition to overwhelming dedication as a volunteer and chairperson of the CSEG Foundation's Outreach committee, Annette was one of the champions of the Earth Science for Society ("ESfS") Exhibition, an overwhelmingly successful outreach event, held at the GeoCanada 2010 conference. She worked with the past organizing committee members who wanted to expand on the Kids in Science Program ("KISP"). Not only was "ESfS" Annette's passion, she stepped up when needed to become the Chair of the ESfS Organizing Committee, managed Logistics and Exhibits and helped immensely with fund raising. Do not get the idea that Annette wanted to be that heavily involved, because she did not; however, she stepped up several times to work, literally tirelessly, on the various necessary tasks needed to create the successful event that "ESfS" was. About 2000 Calgary area students, 500 members of the public and 500 delegates were treated to 27 exhibits in 5 pavilions, from flaming coal dust mine disaster 'tricks' to crushing rocks to find trilobytes, to the various careers in the geosciences (to name a few). Annette helped (several times!) on last minute, late night 'hoop-jump' requirements for provincial lotteries funding, as well as to secure Provincial Minister Lindsay Blackett to open the show. She was present, working enthusiastically throughout the event to ensure its success. Annette was not alone. She managed her core volunteers very well, with a combination of directness and friendly help that she has become known for in the CSEG and CSEG Foundation. We had an overall volunteer effort of 100 people and 27 exhibits from across Canada.
In fact, the Earth Science for Society Exhibition was so successful last year that we are doing it again this year! We challenge you to spend a bit of time and search out Annette and the Earth Science for Society Exhibition on the lower level of the downtown convention center's south building – in the SE corner past the coat check... BTW did you know that due to requests from our members, the convention is being held downtown this May at the Telus Convention Centre? Well… it is; see you there. Bring your families and friends to the Earth Science for Society Exhibition on Sunday – it's free and it'll be great. You'll be proud to show off what you and your colleagues do for society.
Working tirelessly – this may sound exaggerated, but many volunteers have noticed emails coming from Annette at very late hours into the night. Late night emails sent to ensure that our efforts continued in a timely manner the next day or days. During all of this, Annette managed successfully to work hard at her position as a geophysicist at Tourmaline Oil Corp.
Annette's efforts with Earth Science for Society alone are enough to warrant this award, but her volunteer efforts don't stop there. You've seen her warming in the sunshine, slogging through the snow and handling the CSEG exhibit at Seismic in Motion for Students, as well as working on the Honorary Address Committee, past Kids in Science Programs at the conventions, and countless local and western Canadian career fairs.
Annette's volunteer efforts have included many non-CSEG organizations as well. Her amazing volunteer efforts don't come cheap; the countless hours of work in evenings and weekends are hugely supported (including on-site help from time to time) by her husband, Peter, her son Steven and twin daughters, Sonia and Elise. Peter is a geologist by profession, and all three kids are currently in university.
You've heard before that the CSEG and CSEG Foundation are so successful due to the dedicated efforts of our amazing volunteers. Over the past 36 years I have had the honour and pleasure to work with many of those dedicated volunteers. I must say in closing that, without question, the most dedicated and helpful CSEG volunteer I have ever worked with has been Annette Milbradt.
