NELSON, B.C. – Atlific Hotels & Temple Hotels Inc. has created the Robert Leoppky Bursary which will award four Selkirk College Resort & Hotel Management Program students $2,500 each in February, 2014.
Leoppky passed away at the age of 59 last March after a brave battle with cancer. His career encompassed 40 years in the hotel industry and he was Atlific’s Vice-President Operations, overseeing operations in Western Canada.
“Atlific is proud to extend Bob’s legacy by offering students the opportunity to follow in his footsteps with these four bursaries,” said Robert Chartrand, Executive Vice-President, Atlific Hotels. “His contributions to the hospitality industry were exemplary and this was the perfect opportunity to give back to the community. The Robert Leoppky Bursary will ensure that his legacy lives on for future generations.”
Atlific Hotels is one of the leading hotel management companies in Canada, operating more than 55 hotels with offices in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. The company has 13 hotels in British Columbia including the Victoria Marriott Inner Harbour and the Vancouver Island Conference Centre in Nanaimo.
Temple Hotels Inc. is a publicly listed company trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange and owns a growing portfolio of 26 hotel properties (3,671 rooms) primarily in Western Canada. ArniThorsteinson, Chief Executive Officer of Temple Hotels Inc. said “Bob made a significant contribution to the growth and management of Temple Hotels and we are proud and honoured to be a part of the Robert Leoppky Bursary.”
With more than 50 years of experience managing well known Canadian hotels, resorts and extended stay properties, Atlific was ranked by Hotelier Magazine as one of the country’s top-five performing hotel management companies in 2012.
Selkirk College is excited to partner with an industry leader and proud to help honour Leoppky’s contribution to the hospitality industry.“These bursaries provide valuable assistance to students pursuing their education,” said Harry Pringle, Selkirk College’s Resort & Hotel Management Program department head. “Many students need to work while in school just to pay the basics. These bursaries allow students to invest more of their time to research and studies. We thank Atlific for their very real commitment to hospitality education and feel honoured to be the school of choice for their donation. Mr. Leoppky was very committed to this industry and we hope our graduates will help continue his legacy.”
Leoppky was born in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. He was a graduate of the University of Southern Colorado and the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. His long and storied career in hospitality began in 1972 where he worked in various management positions in Calgary, Saint John, St. John’s and Vancouver. His valued mentorship in the industry was well known.
The Selkirk College Resort & Hotel Management is a two-year program based out of the Tenth Street Campus in Nelson. Students gain a thorough understanding of the tourism and hospitality industry. Graduates become proficient in management accounting, organizational leadership, business communications, hotel and resort management, food and beverage management, and event planning.
The partnership with Selkirk College will extend beyond this year and will also include an advisory role with the program.
The four bursaries will be handed out on Saturday, February 1 at the annual Selkirk College Bursary Tea that takes place at Nelson’s Mary Hall.
For more information on Atlific Hotels please visitwww.atlific.com and for more information on Selkirk College go to www.selkirk.ca.
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