2019 Alumni Awards Recipients

Congratulations to SAIT's 2019 Alumni Award recipients: Gursh Bal, Deanna Burgart, Kai Fahrion and Trevor Lamb!

SAIT's Alumni Awards celebrate graduates of distinction — trailblazers in industry who invest in their community and continue to support SAIT. Alumni are honoured in two categories: the Distinguished Alumni Award (DA) and the Outstanding Young Alumni Award (OYA).

Distinguished Alumni Award nomination criteria

Established in 1988, the Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes a SAIT graduate who demonstrates: proven leadership skills exceptional achievements in business or industry outstanding contributions to the community a history of support for SAIT Distinguished Alumni

Outstanding Young Alumni Award nomination criteria

Established in 2009, the Outstanding Young Alumni Award recognizes a SAIT graduate who: has graduated from SAIT in the last 10 years and is 35 years or younger has proven leadership skills exhibits exceptional achievements in their field of endeavour demonstrates outstanding contributions to the community Outstanding Young Alumni

Nominations for the 2020 Alumni Awards are now open. Fill out this form to nominate SAIT graduates for the Distinguished and Outstanding Young Alumni awards.

2019 Alumni Awards recipients

2019 Distinguished Alumni Award

Deanna Burgart

Chemical Engineering Technology '00
President and COO, Indigenous Engineering Inclusion Inc.

After several years in the pipeline industry, Deanna launched a unique engineering consulting firm, Indigenous Engineering Inclusion Inc., with a commitment to bridging the gaps between the energy industry, government and Indigenous communities. Deanna is a speaker with the International Indigenous Speakers Bureau and also partners with SAIT to develop curriculum designed to increase awareness of the oil, gas and pipeline industry. The efforts of her firm were recognized by the Canadian Senate in 2016.

Trevor Lamb

Petroleum Engineering Technology '97
Vice President Operations (Retired), Three Streams Engineering Ltd.

Trevor Lamb, 2019 SAIT Distinguished Alumnus

With more than 40 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, Trevor has a wealth of industry expertise and his insights as a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council help strengthen programs in SAIT’s MacPhail School of Energy. In 2015 Trevor and his wife Gail started the Lamb Family Foundation and established the Lamb Learner Success Centre at SAIT. The Centre offers classes and counselling in learning skills as well as accessibility and testing services for students with a variety of learning challenges. A gift from the Foundation in 2017 helped establish the SAIT Camps Bursary program.

2019 Outstanding Young Alumni Award

Gursh Bal

Pre-employment Electrician ’12, Electrician ’16
Director, Business Development
Virtuoso Energy

Kai Fahrion

Electrician ’15
Director of Operations
Virtuoso Energy

Gursh Bal and Kai Fahrion, 2019 SAIT Outstanding Young Alumni

With a passion for green energy, sustainability and the environment, long-time friends Gursh and Kai have grown their solar and energy-saving company, Virtuoso Energy, into a leader in Calgary’s renewable energy market. With the goal of making sustainability the core of everyday life, their company provides sustainable energy solutions for both residential and commercial clients. Through their innovative solutions, Gursh and Kai make outstanding contributions to the communities of today and tomorrow.