Celebrating SFU community changemakers

In recognition of their unwavering commitment to the health of both people and the planet, SFU is proud to name Ratana and Arran Stephens as the 2024 President’s Distinguished Community Leadership Award recipients.

We also applaud the recipients of the Chancellor’s Distinguished Service Award: Len Pierre, for his outstanding work in Indigenous cultural safety training, reconciliation and anti-racism; and Abhishek Parmar, for his dedicated service to students and enhancing the SFU experience.

President Joy Johnson and Chancellor Tamara Vrooman will present these awards at a special celebration in the fall, carrying on a more than 35-year-tradition honouring exceptional individuals for their contributions to the SFU community and public good. 

Ratana and Arran Stephens

2024 President's Distinguished Community Leadership Award Recipients

Ratana and Arran Stephens have cultivated a career bountiful in both success and generosity.

From helping launch the global organic food movement to mentoring the next generation of their family-run business, the duo are role models for entrepreneurs who seek to create profit alongside lasting environmental and social change.

In 1985, Arran and Ratana founded Nature's Path, North America's first certified organic cereal manufacturer. As the market has blossomed, they have maintained their position as the largest organic breakfast foods company on the continent. Throughout their journey, the family's goal has remained the same: to leave the Earth better than they found it.

Nature’s Path operates on a triple bottom line, prioritizing social responsibility, environmental sustainability and financial viability. They have prohibited chemical pesticides, become carbon neutral, achieved zero waste in manufacturing and invested in regenerative organic farming. The company’s latest sustainability goal is for all its product packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.

Headquartered in Richmond, B.C., Nature’s Path has hundreds of team members and has won numerous awards, including Canada’s Top 100 Employers, Canada’s Greenest Employers and BC’s Top Employers.

The Stephens have dedicated themselves to uplifting communities by giving back though sustainability education, financial contributions, in-kind donations and volunteerism.

Since 2008, Ratana and Arran have both personally and through Nature’s Path committed more than $40 million to various philanthropic and community service efforts including initiatives at SFU. In 2020, the Stephens made a unique commitment to SFU that supports bursaries, food for students in need and experiential learning with the Food Systems Lab—a research and innovation hub working to reduce food waste and improve food security.

The couple have been widely recognized for giving their time, effort and passion. Notably, they were inducted into Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends, the Order of British Columbia and Business Laureates of British Columbia.

Individually, Ratana has served on multiple boards, including as a director for the United Way B.C. Lower Mainland and the Royal B.C. Museum, as well as the Advisory Council for the Canadian Cancer Society and the B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation’s annual A Night of Miracles South Asian gala.

Arran’s accomplishments include writing and co-authoring Journey to the Luminous, Moth & the Flame and The Compassionate Diet—How What You Eat Can Change Your Life and Save the Planet. He is also an accomplished artist, with exhibitions at leading galleries in New York City, San Francisco, and the most recently in 2023 at UBC’s Hatch Gallery, which raised $108,000 for Doctors Without Borders from sales of his art.

SFU is proud to celebrate Ratana and Arran for their unwavering commitment to sustainability, social responsibility and community empowerment—inspiring future leaders to be globally conscious and driven by strong values.

Len Pierre

2024 Chancellor's Distinguished Service Award Recipient

Len Pierre exemplifies SFU’s commitment to education, growth, and creating an equitable, diverse and inclusive society.

An educator, consultant, TEDx Speaker, social activist, traditional knowledge keeper and cultural practitioner, Len leads and advises for systemic transformation at organizations across North America.

He is the founder of a consulting firm specializing in the development of Indigenous educational programs with clients that include the First Nations Health Authority, Fraser Health Authority, and the Canadian Centre for Mental Health and Addiction.

Len says his Master of Education degree at SFU helped lay the foundation for the principles and practices he brings to his work facilitating Indigenous cultural safety training, reconciliation, decolonization and anti-racism in large organizations. He has given back to his alma mater in many ways, including as a speaker for the 2022 President’s Annual Surrey Gala and a 2024 presenter for SFU Public Square, a centre for social and economic innovation in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

A member of Katzie First Nation, Len is often called upon as a workshop facilitator at various education, community and wellness events on an array of topics, in particular, within the sphere of Indigenous health.

Since 2023 he has been an Indigenous Studies Instructor at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, in addition to leading a team of more than 20 experts at Len Pierre Consulting.

Abhishek Parmar

2024 Chancellor's Distinguished Service Award Recipient

Driven by a commitment to enhancing the university experience for all, Abhishek Parmar has reached the highest heights in student leadership at SFU and is strengthening connections across the community.

In 2019—less than a year into his undergraduate degree—Abhishek was first elected to the university Senate and has advocated for his fellow students ever since.

Currently completing his Bachelor of Business Administration at SFU’s Beedie School of Business, Abhishek is the only student to serve as vice chair of the Senate and in 2023 became the first undergrad to chair a meeting.

Since 2022, he has concurrently served as the undergraduate student representative on SFU’s Board of Governors, which consists of the President, Chancellor, faculty members, students, staff and individuals appointed by the provincial government.

With a track record for stable and reliable leadership, Abhishek was called upon while in the role of VP Finance and Services for the Simon Fraser Student Society to serve as Acting President of the organization—in addition to his Senate and Board of Governor roles.

Beyond his substantial contributions to university governance, Abhishek has personally helped orient students to SFU as a HIVE Welcome Leader, preparing new cohorts for success by planning social events, hosting campus tours and introducing key faculty and staff.