Cynthia Vezina
Manager, Stakeholder Publications
Canadian Orthopaedic Association

The COA is sorry to report the departure of our longest serving staff member, Thérèse Robert. Many COA members are quite familiar with her always helpful nature, her patience, and her tender manner.  

Before joining the COA team in 1990, Thérèse was steeped in an extremely diverse assortment of fields varying from working as a draughtsperson on the James Bay project, a lab technician and an agricultural journalist. In 1984, she completed her BSc in Agriculture majoring in Plant Pathology at McGill University. The skills acquired from her studies led her into fieldwork at an agricultural research station west of Montreal, laboratory work analyzing compounds in plant matter, and writing and translating articles for agricultural magazines. Never neglecting these horticultural skills, Thérèse has kept the COA office green and flourishing with numerous plants that will miss her as much as the organization will.

Thérèse's path of diverse occupations led her to the COA Office in 1990 where she was hired during the time of the Mid Winter Meeting as an Administrative Assistant by the late Gioconda Pirie, the then Executive Secretary of the Association. During her 11+ year career at the COA, Thérèse was responsible for coordinating the Scientific Programme for each year's Annual Meeting. Many Programme Committee Chairpersons have appreciated her keen eye for detail, proficiency in both English and French, her organization and her efficiency. She managed each year's "call for abstracts" and collaborated in various aspects of Annual Meeting planning. Another principal role she played was assisting with the travel arrangements for the Travelling Fellows, ensuring that overseas visitors reached Canada, completed their tours, and got back home without a hitch.

Her expertise in the operations and affairs of the Association has made her the primary contact for enquiries coming from members, their secretaries, research assistants and her staff colleagues who worked with her every day.

Thérèse and her husband, Thomas enjoy spending the fall of every second year in Greece where they visit family and various villages on the mainland and neighboring islands. They hope to one day be able to spend six months of the year in their Mediterranean home away from home. She promises to send us a postcard!

We at the COA are grateful for her many years of committed service and will be sad to see her go. We wish her all the very best in her next endeavours.