Don Devenney

Dense foliage beneath a blue sky

Don Devenney

Senior IT Security & Risk Specialist

IT Services

Career

Don's first career was in the jewellery business. He started learning goldsmithing from his grandfather at the age of 12 and later moved into gemology and retail management, working for some of the leading jewellers in Winnipeg.

After moving to Victoria, Don opened Victoria’s first independent jewellery appraisal lab in 1987. He later took on a business partner and acquired Barclay’s Jewellers in Oak Bay. Don was the managing director of Barclay’s for 10 years until leaving the business in 1998 to move into information technology.

Don spent eight years as the IT manager for Canadian Sport Institute Pacific, supporting three locations and several other sport organizations. He left CSI Pacific in 2013 to accept an opportunity at Royal Roads. Since 2017, Don has held the senior IT security & risk specialist position with the RRU IT team.

Education

  • Business Administration diploma, Red River College, Winnipeg MB

  • Graduate Gemologist diploma, Gemological Institute of America

  • Professional Appraisal Ethics & Practices, International Society of Appraisers

  • Certificate in the Application & Management of Information Technology, University of Victoria

  • Canadian Privacy Certification, International Association of Privacy Professionals

  • Numerous IT technical certifications

Service

Don served as an officer in the Canadian Armed Forces Reserve (CIC / SupRes) from 1979 until 2014. In that time he held many full-time reserve appointments, including several summer appointments as a senior officer in the training branch of a national training establishment. Don also did several operational deployments aboard HMC ships.

In 1995, he became an auxiliary constable with West Shore RCMP, a volunteer position held until April 2021. His duties were quite varied, but he usually spent three of four Friday nights in the right seat of a police car doing general duty policing. In addition to policing activities, Don assisted with numerous community events, such as parades, internet safety talks and cyber-bullying presentations to local schools.

He served on the Board of Directors of the Victoria Flying Club from 2008 until 2014 and again from 2018 until present.

Don was club president from 2012-2014 and is currently holding that role. VFC operates 13 aircraft, has about 25 staff and is a Transport Canada accredited Flight Training Unit and Approved Maintenance Organization.

Notable accomplishments 

  • Completed a 32-day Atlantic crossing as a crew member aboard Norwegian tall ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl - 2021

  • Completed a 250km “Marathon des Sables” foot race, Sahara Desert – 2012 & 2015

  • Team rider, Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock – 2008 & 2020

  • Auxiliary Constable, West Shore Detachment RCMP – 1995 to 2021

  • Instrument rated private pilot

  • Volunteer Pilot, Angel Flight of BC – 2008 to present

  • Completed 6 Ironman Triathlons & 6 Marathons

Honours & awards

  • Goldstream News “Community Hero” Award – Community Builder category

  • 2016 Peace Officer Exemplary Service Medal

  • 2016 Police Service Appreciation Award – RCMP Veterans Assn.

  • 2012 Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal

  • 1989 Canadian Forces Decoration (CD)