Alberta's Order of Excellence welcomes 8 new members

EightAlbertansreceived the province's highest honour on Wednesday.

The AlbertaOrder of Excellence, which comprises only 149 people after today's new members, recognizes those who have had an "outstanding impact" at a provincial, national or international level.

"The Alberta Order ofExcellencemembers for 2015 are innovators and pacesetters who have spent their lives and careers working to lead positive change for people in Alberta, across Canada and around the world," said Lieutenant Governor Lois Mitchell in a newsrelease. "They have more than earned this honour and I thank them for their outstanding service."

The list featured three Calgarians and one Airdrian (or is that Airdronian?).

• David Bissett from Calgary is a "Canadian business leader and philanthropist in post-secondary education, wildlife and land preservation and community programs." The Bissett School of Business at Mount Royal University is named after him.
• Janice Eisenhauer from Calgary is a "dedicated advocate for strengthened education and human rights for women throughCanadian Women for Women in Afghanistan."
• Frits Pannekoekfrom Calgary not only has a great name, he's a "celebrated historian and leader in the development of heritage preservation and open and accessible learning."
• Stan Gradfrom Airdrie is a "prominent member of the energy and cattle industries and dedicated philanthropist to many Alberta institutions including SAIT and STARS."

Also on the list were Jack Donald from Red Deer, and Dennis Erker, Fil Fraser and Jacob Masliyah from Edmonton.