At the University of Ottawa's recent 2009 Telfer School of Management Alumni Association Gala of Excellence, Mimi Lowi- Young, CEO of the Central West Local Health Integration Network, received the Dean's Philos Award, which recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding philanthropic achievement and social commitment.

Ms. Lowi-Young received her Masters of Health Administration and her Certificate in Business Administration from the U of O. On receiving the award, she emphasized that it was her family upbringing that fostered her commitment to community and caring for others. Whether it is in her charitable work or in the leadership she gives to the healthcare sector Lowi- Young is motivated by the desire to give back.

Speaking of her parents arriving in Canada as immigrants, she mentioned how her father found a $2 bill on the airport tarmac. He kept the bill in his wallet for the rest of his life as a symbol of the opportunity Canada offers and taught his children to give back to their country and their community.

"Today, I still have that same $2 bill," she said. "It reminds me of the values my parents gave all their children — to give back to the communities that have given them so much."