1. June 14, 2009
To Whom It May Concern:
Re: Mrs. Veronica Izsak
I am pleased to offer my support to Mrs. Izsak’s application for the position of Manager,
International Education Centre.
I have known Veronica Izsak for over fifteen years and have worked with her extensively
on a variety of international projects at MacEwan. She has been responsible for project
work functions such as budgeting and financial reporting, managing contract payments,
translation of documents, recruitment of students, interpretation for visitors, organizing
training sessions, and managing interpersonal relations with international contacts. This
experience has given her a variety of skills tailored to working with people at all levels of
authority in the educational institution and international area.
In addition Veronica is multilingual (in English, Ukrainian and Russian) and has used her
training to interpret for visitors from Eastern Europe and foreign students applying to
enter the college. She has also used her language skills to achieve a large number of
specific projects, notable among which is the translation of MacEwan’s nursing refresher
modules into Ukrainian. This latter project has resulted in over 4,500 pages of materials
that were donated to 43 nursing schools in Ukraine and the Ministry of Health of
Ukraine, along with dubbed instructional video tapes. She has been awarded with the
Honorary Certificate from Bukovynian Medical College for her work and contribution
into advancing nursing education and profession in Ukraine.
I have seen that Mrs. Izsak is an asset in whatever project and organization that we have
worked with in Canada or abroad. She is an individual who works hard and with great
attention to detail, has a sunny disposition and a pleasant personality, is reliable and well
organized, maintains strong personal relations with colleagues and is well respected by
her colleagues. She is a problem solver and self-motivated individual who has shown her
ability to supervise others. My colleagues and I have relied upon her to keep our project
narrative and financial records, which have been positively reviewed by auditors in many
projects. Veronica thinks strategically and anticipates potential future problems to ensure
a smooth flow of contracted work. She has applied these skills to various projects that we
have had in Ukraine and Russia (such as the financial reporting system for Dr. Anna
Horban, the staff person employed as MacEwan’s Representative in Kyiv).
I am confident that Veronica can manage the International Education Centre’s
international agreements, recruitment and retention program, foreign student enrollment

2. process and services for international students. She will work easily with the team of staff
and volunteers that MacEwan International has in place and acquire whatever additional
skills the job requires. I know that she will listen to everyone’s views and work
collegially.
Should Mrs. Izsak be accepted for this position, I wish to use this opportunity to suggest
that she be assigned specifically to continue working with two international projects of
particular interest to the Ukrainian Resource and Development Centre (URDC). As an
administrative officer in the Faculty of Health and Community Studies, she has been
attending the meetings of the committee working for the newly endowed Chair of
International Health, jointly administered by URDC and the Faculty of Health and
Community Studies. It would be helpful if she could continue this service as the Manager
of the International Education Centre. Second, on occasion, URDC will continue to
require professional translation of materials from English into Russian/Ukrainian. URDC
is prepared to direct these requests to IEC and contract the International Education Centre
and Mrs. Izsak for this service.
Veronica Izsak is a well trained, highly motivated manager who deserves to rise in her
career and demonstrate the full capacity of her professional competence. I strongly
endorse her application for this position and believe that she will give her best to this
position. Please call me at 780.497 4375 if you wish to discuss this further.
Best regards,
Roman Petryshyn, Ph.D
Kule Chair of Ukrainian Community
and International Development
Phone: 780. 497 4375
Fax: 780. 497 4377
E-mail: petryshynR@macewan.ca