Women of Excellence nominee Dot Negropontes, who passed away last week, had a huge effect -- not only on Olds High School (OHS) but on OHS principal Tom Christensen, who greatly admires how she lived her life.
Christensen worked with Negropontes for about 30 years. He notes one of the key interactions they had was when efforts were underway to move OHS to its current location, thereby creating the Community Learning Campus and Ralph Klein Centre in conjunction with Olds College.
Christensen says during that period, Negropontes ìprobably chaired 600 meetings and organized that many meetings.î
He says at one point, it looked like the whole project would collapse, but Negropontes saved the day.
ìShe really kind of came in and gathered everyone together and got things going again,î Christensen says. ì(She had) such amazing organization skills and (was) such a great listener and just the right person at the right time.î
He notes Negropontes graduated from Olds Junior-Senior High School (later called Olds High School), worked there as a teacher and vice- principal, and helped open Deer Meadow School.
ìHer whole life was ëhow can I enrich this community that I grew up in,'î Christensen says.
He says more than that, Negropontes had great integrity.
ìI don't think there'd be any question that Dot has had the biggest impact on my (life); like not even close,î Christensen says.
ìThere are others that have had very significant influences, but Dot, I knew her in so many roles and we were in the trenches together for a lot and it's just devastating for us here.î
ìShe kind of set the bar of integrity,î he says. ìShe had an ability to make everybody feel like (they were) her best friend.
ìWhen she talked about people it was always done with respect. There was never a shot, even though sometimes people can be unfair, maybe to you. Dot never would go there. She just always spoke positively about people and about any association she had.î
ìIf I could be like Dot, that would be success. Not that Dot was in this position or that position ñ that's not it. It's if I could live my life with the integrity of a Dot in my profession then that would be success.î
