Rae Ann Aldridge named Safety Leader of the Year by Canadian Occupational Safety magazine

You may not know Rae Ann Aldridge personally, but if you regularly spend time on a UCalgary campus, you are definitely familiar with her work. Aldridge is the associate vice-president of risk, the portfolio that ensures the campus community is safe, secure and well. If you’ve ever received a flu shot on campus, used UC Emergency Mobile, contacted Campus Security, travelled on business or safely disposed of hazardous materials, then you have first-hand experience with Aldridge’s team.

During her years with UCalgary, Aldridge has been actively strengthening health and safety culture and practices on campus, and on Dec. 13, she was named Safety Leader of the Year by Canadian Occupational Safety.   

• Photo above: Safety Leader of the Year Rae Ann Aldridge debriefs with her team during the first week of fall classes in 2018. Left to right: Jenna Lines, Rae Ann Aldridge, Rick Gysen, Jonathan Kwok. Photo by Rebekah Jarvis, University of Calgary  

Linda Dalgetty, vice-president of finance and services, says the honour is fitting with Aldridge’s commitment to her team and the safety and wellness of the campus community.

“Rae Ann is an extraordinary leader and very deserving of this award,” says Dalgetty. “She has been instrumental in instituting many new safety initiatives at the University of Calgary. Her leadership extends beyond the University of Calgary campus as Rae Ann is frequently called upon for guidance and to share her expertise with other post-secondary institutions as well as the private sector. I am thrilled Rae Ann is being recognized in this way and congratulate Rae Ann on her many achievements.”

More on Aldridge from Dalgetty and others in the video below. 

Leading for a safer place to work, learn and study

Denise Howitt, manager of environment health and safety systems and compliance, says she nominated Aldridge for the Safety Leader of the Year award.

“Rae Ann leads with positivity and integrity,” says Howitt. “She’s built a highly effective team that is committed to working with her, and passionate about health and safety.”

Under Aldridge’s vision and direction over multiple years, the university developed and implemented an occupational health safety management system to meet the rigorous requirements for Certificate of Recognition (COR) through Alberta’s Partnerships in Injury Reduction program. In 2014, UCalgary became the first university and one of the largest organizations in the province to achieve COR. 

Aldridge plays an integral role in crisis situations as her team handles multiple angles of any significant incident — from critical response to insurance to staff wellness support after the fact. The Risk portfolio covers a lot of ground and running it frequently requires out-of-the-box thinking — a feat that Aldridge is always ready to take on, according to Howitt.

“The university is a dynamic, ever-changing diverse and complex environment,” says Howitt. “Rae Ann can see the big picture and envision innovative strategies to accomplish a goal. Creativity is one of her greatest leadership qualities.”

Culture is built on people — what they value, what they know, what they practice. Aldridge is behind numerous initiatives that engage the campus community and strengthen the safety and wellness culture here.

Each fall, Safety and Wellness Week offers educational sessions open to faculty, staff and students. The week also provides touring opportunities for members of executive to demonstrate the institution’s commitment to safety. The Risk Shining Star Awards recognize nominated individuals for their valued contributions to health and safety programs, projects and initiatives. Health and Safety News goes out to all UCalgary employees and is aimed at keeping the community informed about what the Risk portfolio is doing to keep campus safe, and how to take charge of your own safety on campus.

These are just some of the ways Aldridge connects the campus community to strong health and safety practices, and only some of the reasons that Amanda Silliker, editor of Canadian Occupational Safety, says Aldridge was the clear winner of this year’s Leader of the Year competition.

“Her passion, focus, credibility and excellent people skills made her truly stand out,” says Silliker. “It’s very refreshing to meet someone as high up on the org chart as Rae Ann who always has her door open and meets with staff regularly to improve health, safety and security at the university.”