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Dr. Frank Parnell (LLD’16), a founding member and the inaugural CEO of TRICORP (Tribal Resources Investment Corporation), left the world and those he loved in May 2020. A valued member of the Haida Nation, Dr. Parnell was admired for his many contributions to community and will be forever remembered as a great leader, a visionary and a friend to all.

Dr. Parnell was an extraordinary partner to the Gustavson School of Business and the University of Victoria. He shared his aspiration to build pathways to education and training for Indigenous entrepreneurs in Northwest British Columbia, which yielded the creation of Canada's only Indigenous co-designed and community delivered entrepreneurship program. Dr. Parnell’s life work and advocacy has created countless opportunities for Indigenous peoples and Indigenous communities across the country. In 2016, the University of Victoria proudly bestowed Dr. Parnell with an Honorary Doctor of Laws to recognize his outstanding contributions and innovative spirit.

To honour Dr. Parnell’s legacy, the Parnell family, TRICORP, the University of Victoria and the Gustavson School of Business have established the Dr. Frank Parnell Memorial Award to serve as an extension of the dedicated work Dr. Parnell passionately championed – breaking down the barriers of access to education for Indigenous people, and the importance for Indigenous peoples in Canada to take their rightful place in the Canadian economy.

It is the hope that the recipients of this award find joy and opportunity wherever their passions may lay and that they carry this with them back to their communities in order to uplift all.