As the person who oversees Syncrude’s campus recruitment efforts, Jeff Thompson has gained a lot of insight into the challenges, hope and dreams of students. It is awareness he has put to good use in his volunteer role as Chair of the Fort McMurray Public School Board, where he brings together parents, teachers and administrators to make Fort McMurray a learning community where every student meets their potential.

Toward this goal, Jeff brings an additional understanding of how to prepare students to succeed in postsecondary education and the world of work. Says Jeff, "while there are many trials that go with our collaborative work to maintain high educational standards in a growing community that has limited resources, the rewards vastly outweigh them. At the end of the day, I hope that people will say we did what it takes to help our children succeed."