Ottawa – April 4th, 2021 – Richard Neville, Chair of the Finance & Audit Committee of Alterna Savings, has been appointed to Knight of the Order of St. John. This honour recognizes his contribution of time, skills and expertise, as well as a sustained involvement and commitment to the Order’s aims.

A member of the Order since 2007, Richard became an Officer of the Order (OStJ) on November 15, 2010, followed by Commander (CStJ) on Sept 11, 2015. Finally, his appointment to Knight (KStJ) was sanctioned by the Administrator for the Government of Canada, His Excellency the Right Honourable Richard Wagner on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen as of June 8, 2021.

The Order of St. John – its full name is The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem – is one of the world’s oldest humanitarian organizations. This world-wide nondenominational charitable organization is dedicated to the service of others in over 40 countries. The mission of the Order of St. John is “to prevent and relieve sickness and injury, and to act to enhance the health and well-being of people anywhere in the world.”

Originally from Montreal, Richard was an avid skier while attending McGill University. When skiing at Mt. Tremblant, he was impressed by the skills and professionalism of the ski patrol, staffed by St. John Ambulance members. He made it his mission, once established in his career, to give back his time and expertise to the Order of St. John and St. John Ambulance.

“I am humbled to be sanctioned as a Knight,” said Richard. “There is no prescription for advancement within the order, so this announcement came out of the blue. I am grateful to have been able to contribute to a cause that is dear to my heart. Nothing changes with this appointment and I remain committed to serving the Order in any way that I can.”

“It is a pleasure to congratulate Richard Neville on receiving this distinguished recognition,” said Rob Paterson, President & CEO, Alterna Savings. “Richard’s passion for finance, along with his deep expertise, have directly contributed to the success of both the Alterna Boards and our business. His dedication to serving our communities through this type of service is deeply appreciated.”

Richard became a member of the Order’s Finance and Administration Committee in 2010 and was subsequently elected Vice-Chancellor, Finance and Administration from 2016 to 2020. In that role he achieved a consistently clean audit report and helped successfully navigate the challenges of COVID-19 in an organization that heavily relied on revenue from in-person first-aid training. In addition, he was Chair of the Pension Committee from 2012 to 2020 and contributed his expertise on the Priory Council from 2012 to 2020. Currently he is Chair of the Order’s Quebec Oversight Committee.

Richard is a fluently bilingual Fellow Chartered Professional Accountant and Fellow Chartered Accountant in Ontario, Québec and Alberta. He has served as past Chair of the Alterna Savings and Alterna Bank Boards of Directors. Richard is currently Chair of the Finance and Audit Committees for Richard J. Neville, KStJ, B. COM., FELLOW CPA, FELLOW CA Alterna Savings and Alterna Bank as well as a Director for Alterna Bank. Richard joined the Federal Public Service in 1972 and held senior executive positions culminating in being appointed Deputy/Comptroller General for Canada (Chief Financial Officer for the Federal Government). He was also appointed the Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer for the Royal Canadian Mint. Richard gives of his time and skill on several Boards of Directors and has received Order-in Councils appointments.

ABOUT ALTERNA SAVINGS AND CREDIT UNION LIMITED 
Alterna Savings and Credit Union Limited (Alterna) has been the good in banking for 112 years and based on assets under management, is the 9th largest credit union in Canada! Alterna is made up of Alterna Savings and Credit Union Limited and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Alterna Bank. Together, we have $10 billion in assets under management.

As the first full-service, member-owned co-operative financial institution outside Quebec, Alterna Savings shares its expertise with more than 186,000 members through a network of 36 branches across Ontario, that includes partner Peterborough Community Savings; as well as call centre and digital channels. Members and customers also benefit from an industry-leading online brokerage, investment management services, and have access to over 43,000 surcharge-free ATMs in North America with THE EXCHANGE Network in Canada and the Allpoint Network in the US.