Dick DeStefano, the founding executive director of the Sudbury Area Mining Supply and Service Association (SAMSSA – now known as MineConnect), will be inducted as an Honorary Life Member of Science North in January.
The Sudbury science centre’s board of trustees established the Honorary Life Member Award program in 1984.
Among the criteria for induction, individuals will have made outstanding contributions to science or the popularization of science, had an impact on the geographic area served by the science centre, and made a sustained effort in inspiring an appreciation of science and technology.
Fifty people have received the honour since the program’s inception.
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An ardent supporter of Northern Ontario’s mining service and supply sector, DeStefano led the creation of SAMSSA in 2003 as a way to promote the work of mining supply and service companies in the North.
DeStefano was instrumental in getting companies to work toward a common goal in promoting the North’s collective expertise as a mining cluster whose skills, knowledge and approach to innovation are now in demand across the globe.
SAMSSA began with a half-dozen members concentrated in Sudbury and has since grown to include hundreds of members from communities across Northern Ontario.
DeStefano retired in 2019, and the organization has continued to evolve under the guidance of his successor, Marla Tremblay.
In 2020, SAMSSA announced it would undergo a change in branding and identity.
The newly named MineConnect expanded to a pan-northern mandate and is in the process of opening a satellite location in Elko, NV, where 10 Northern Ontario companies will establish a presence.
This year’s Honorary Life Member Award gala will take place at Dynamic Earth in Sudbury on March 25. Tickets are available online.
Proceeds will go toward the Dick DeStefano Accessibility Fund for Dynamic Earth, which will allow increased and deepened access to earth sciences and mining learning experiences for people of all ages across Northern Ontario.
