Advisors hailed for volunteer work

(April 22, 2004) Maritimers have a reputation for being friendly, helpful folks and two of the country’s largest financial institutions are honouring members from Atlantic Canada for their volunteer work.

Investors Group (IG) and Sun Life are marking National Volunteer Week by singling out advisors in Halifax and Moncton respectively for their contribution to their community.

IG has awarded its first annual Herbert H. Carnegie Community Service Award to Ross Elliott, one of their consultants in Halifax. The award includes $10,000 to be donated to charities of Elliott’s choosing.

“It’s one of those things in life, if you sow a little time, you always get a little bit more back,” says Elliott. “My family was always very involved in the volunteer community, so it’s been a part of my life since back in my days as a kid.

“When I became an adult, I adopted a personal mission statement for myself: ‘I always want to be making a difference in people’s lives and lifting them to a higher level,'” he says.

Elliott’s volunteer work has includes sitting on the board of the Salvation Army Advisory Board (of which he is currently chair) as well as being a student sponsor and volunteer with Teen Challenge Canada and a member of the Nova Scotia Leadership Association. He is also past board member and treasurer of the Daybreak Prison Ministry, and has volunteered for countless community events and organizations, including the Desmond Tutu tour, Swissair Flight 111 Disaster Aid and Kids After School Program.

“I don’t do it for the sake of enhancing my business relationships, but I do find that there’s a tremendous spin-off,” he says. “In our business as financial planners, our whole relationship structure is about meeting people’s needs. My clients are very intrigued in what I do in my personal life and it strengthens the credibility in the relationship that I have with my clients.”

Sun Life is honouring John Maisey, an advisor with the Moncton Clarica Financial Centre, naming him their National Volunteer of the Year. This award also includes a donation of $10,000, which will be made to the Moncton Boys and Girls Club on his behalf.

Maisey is active in numerous volunteer efforts, including hundreds of hours devoted to the above-mentioned club, as well as with Livingstone Lake Outdoor Adventures and the Kiwanis Club of Moncton, developing partnerships with the business community and government. He has raised funds for and worked on various projects for youth and children and collected school supplies for over 570 needy children.

“I first began working with the Moncton Boys and Girls Club as a way to give back to my community,” Maisey says. “Since then I’ve had the chance to see the positive influence the organization has on young people here in Moncton. I’ve also been involved with a number of other local charities, because I really do believe it builds a better community.”

Sun Life also named three runners-up, whose chosen charities will receive a donation of $3,000 each. These runners-up include Jim Anton of the Winnipeg Clarica Financial Centre; Amy Green from Sun Life Financial in Waterloo, Ontario; and Stéphane Séguin from the Clarica Financial Centre in Gatineau, Québec.

Filed by Steven Lamb, Advisor.ca, steven.lamb@advisor.rogers.com