 Tom Budd, left, and Terry Armstrong, publisher of Okanagan Valley Newspaper Group, are gearing up for this year's Be An Angel fundraiser for those in need at Christmas. |
The Kelowna philanthropist and retired Calgary energy investment banker has a soft spot for needy children and less fortunate families, especially at this time of year.
Through his Thomas Alan Budd Foundation, he will donate 25 cents for every $1 raised by the Be An Angel campaign in the Central Okanagan. That means the more generous the
community is, the more generous Budd is.
"I support Be An Angel because it starts early enough in the season to actually have an impact and help families in need. With the focus on individual stories, I have
always felt like I should do more," he said.
Budd likes to involve his boys with his foundation's work as he feels it is important for them to see where their donations go, and to witness the work of volunteers and others who help with the success of charitable organizations.
"I always do my best to make the campaign a success and know that I have helped families in need within the Kelowna community."
Budd encourages others to do their best and inspire success. He is a passionate sports enthusiast, tennis player and car racer. Most of all, he enjoys spending quality time with his boys, and values his family and friends. Those who know him say he is a man who chooses to make a difference in the community.
The Thomas Alan Budd Foundation supports a variety of charitable organizations, including: Ballet Kelowna, Kelowna General Hospital Foundation, Project Literacy, United Way, Cops for Kids, B.C. Children's Hospital Foundation, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Okanagan Boys and Girls Club, the Kelowna Community Food Bank, Kelowna Gospel Mission, Canadian Cancer Society, Canadian Mental Health Association, B.C. SPCA, the Central Okanagan Association
for Cardiac Health, various sports organizations and individual
athletes.
The well-known community leader started the foundation following his lengthy career as an investment banker in the fast-paced world of mergers and acquisitions.
He joined the investment industry in 1981 and held various investment banking roles with firms such as Midland Doherty and Richardson Greenshields until he became a founding partner of Goepel Shields & Partners in 1989.
He initially headed the corporate finance department in Alberta, then the position of senior vice-president and managing director corporate finance at Goepel Shields until his departure in 1996.
Budd then joined the partnership of Griffiths McBurney & Partners (renamed GMP Securities Ltd. upon the completion of the IPO in December 2003) where he held the position of president until his retirement in 2009.
Budd played a significant role in taking several medium-size companies public and was largely responsible for developing innovative financing techniques for independent oil and gas companies.
Budd received his master of business administration from the University of Toronto, a bachelor of commerce degree from the University of New Brunswick and holds the professional designation of certified management
accountant.
In 2009, he received the Paul Harris Fellowship Award and in 2011, he was named the Man of the Year during the Kelowna Civic Awards ceremony.
