BANFF – Longtime Banff resident and contributor, Adam Waterous, has been named the new board chair of the Banff Centre’s board of governors and he's the first mountain town local to receive the title.
Premier Jason Kenney officially appointed Waterous on Thursday (Aug. 15) after previous board chair, David Weyant, was appointed as board chair of Alberta Health Services.
“My wife Jan and I have been long-term supporters of the Banff Centre. We’ve been patrons for over
20 years so we’ve had a long connection to the centre,” Waterous told the Outlook in a phone interview.
“We feel very grateful that we have the opportunity to help the Banff Centre going forward."
A sentiment very much echoed by the Banff Centre's vice president of marketing, communications and public affairs, Rosemary Thompson.
“He and his wife Jan moved to Banff 22 years ago and their very first summer they came to the Midsummer Ball,” said Thomspon.
“They are champions of the Banff Centre already… I would say we’re thrilled. He’s an incredible candidate.”
Waterous has lived in Banff since 1997 and is currently the CEO of Waterous Energy Fund, which is an oil and gas private equity firm.
“Adam has been active in many industry, community, health, arts, and education organizations. In 2013, Adam was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his contributions to the community,” reads his biography, provided by the Banff Centre.
“In 2017, Adam received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Oil and Gas Council. Adam received the 2019 Lefaivre Award, presented to an individual each year by the United Way of Calgary for exceptional volunteer service and community involvement. Adam is currently on the Harvard College Fund Executive Committee.”
For Waterous, there’s three main reasons why the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity is so integral to the Bow Valley and why he's excited for his new position.
“The first thing is it has a very long history of being one of Canada’s finest post-graduate fine arts schools and it's been an 80 plus year legacy,” he said.
“The second thing that’s also so unique about is it's an internationally renowned institution – both faculty and students come from across the country, around the world, the United States, Europe and further afield, so it's much more than just a local institution ... The third thing that's unique ... The school has branched out in other areas including leadership development and studies in both environmental and Indigenous areas.”
He and Jan have three sons and are active members of the community, something he hopes will aid him in his new chairman position.
“My wife, Jan, and I have a home in Banff and just a long connection to the centre,” he said. “One of the things we hope to be able to achieve is to make Banff Centre even more connected to the community.”
Waterous will hold the position for three years with his last day to be
August 14, 2022.
The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity is one of the Canadian Rockies biggest postgraduate art schools.
