2011 Linda Hruska, B.Sc. (Agr. ) '85, M. Agr. '88

Linda Hruska is a passionate and committed University of Guelph alumna, who has dedicated countless hours in service to her alma mater. Driven by a desire to give back, her volunteerism has spanned decades and departments within U of G.

After completing her B.Sc. (Agr.) in 1985, Mrs. Hruska worked in a range of animal research positions with Agriculture Canada. She returned to Guelph to become part of the first class of the Masters in Agri-Business Management Program, graduating in 1988. Mrs. Hruska began working as a teaching associate at the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC), and later joined the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair as Director of Education.

Mrs. Hruska has been an active volunteer with the OAC Alumni Foundation for the past 13 years. She joined the board as an ex-officio member in 1999 and became a Director in 2002, serving until 2008, when she became Vice-Chair. She is currently serving as Chair of the OAC Alumni Foundation.

Mrs. Hruska has also been involved with the OAC Alumni Association for more than 20 years, serving as Secretary/Treasurer, and later as President in 2001. As Past President of the OAC Alumni Association, she served a one-year term on the UGAA. Mrs. Hruska was an OAC delegate to each of the UGAA retreats in 2004 and 2005, contributing to the strategic discussions on UGAA structure and long-term planning. She served as a member of the ad hoc committee to review the UGAA honours & awards program and later, as the appointed chair of the UGAA Honours & Awards Committee, she undertook a re-write of that committee’s terms of reference. She served as President of the UGAA from 2008-2010.

Mrs. Hruska’s tireless commitment and leadership skills have contributed greatly to the success of her alma mater. It is with great pleasure that the University of Guelph Alumni Association names Linda Hruska as the recipient of the 2011 Alumni Volunteer Award.