2009 Winners – King Allaster and Harry Schaefer

FEI Canada is pleased to honour King Allaster of the Southwestern Ontario Chapter and Harry Schaefer of the Calgary Chapter as the co-recipients of the 2009 Frank S. Capon Distinguished Service Award.

King Allaster

Mr. Allaster, a founding member of FEI Canada’s Southwestern Ontario Chapter, has been part of FEI Canada since 1973. He was a Gordon & Co. CA (now Ernst & Young) in 1955. Mr. Allaster went on to be Corporate Controller at AVCO Financial Services, Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer at D.H. Howden & Co. Ltd., and Vice President at Signature Properties International L.P., before becoming an independent business consultant. He retired in 2002.

Mr. Allaster has been a director on five boards, including the Sunshine Foundation of Canada.

Within FEI Canada, Mr. Allaster has volunteered extensively, serving on the Member Executive Committee and the Member Ethics and Eligibility Committee in both Canada and the U.S.

Mr. Allaster was President of the Southwestern Ontario Chapter in 1985-1986 and took part in the group that implemented FEI Canada’s first Pension Survey in 1992. He served as Chair of FEI Canada from 1991-1992, during which time he was the lead spokesman on the Canadian unity issue.

Harry Schaefer

Harry Schaefer, a member of FEI Canada’s Calgary Chapter, has been active in FEI Canada since 1969. Harry was a Riddell Stead CA (now KPMG) in 1959, being awarded the FCA in 1990. In 1963, he joined Calgary Power as Assistant Controller. In time, Calgary Power transformed into TransAlta Utilities Corporation and Harry became their Chief Financial Officer, a title he held until his retirement in 1993.

Harry distinguished himself as a Director on seven publicly traded boards and as chair of several organizations, for which he was named a Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Directors in 2004.

Over the course of his 40 years of membership in FEI Canada, Harry has contributed to and been instrumental in many areas of the organization. He was President of the Calgary Chapter in 1975/76 and Chair of FEI Canada from 1977-1980, during which time he played a key role in restructuring the organization and making FEI Canada the autonomous organization it is today.

In 1993, FEI U.S. recognized Mr. Schaefer with the Distinguished Service Award for his work in building the FEI franchise in Canada.