Alex Barcados has only kind things to say about his friend Erol Paylan, which is why receiving an award in his honour is a bit overwhelming.
Presented by the Canadian Jewellers Association (CJA), the Erol Paylan Memorial Award honours the memory of the association’s first vice-chair, who was known for leaving a lasting impression on anyone who crossed his path with his probing questions about life. Paylan died in February at the age of 52.
“Erol joined the CJA board for all the right reasons, and he worked tirelessly for the benefit of our industry” Barcados said.
“When I think of Erol, the words come easily to describe him: dedication, passion, integrity, curiosity, compassion, relentless energy, intelligent, and loving. He was so proud of both his children, Alex and Mariam. I wish they could have heard how he spoke about them. Erol was a friend and I had tremendous respect for him. I am honoured and humbled to be awarded the inaugural Erol Paylan Memorial Award. Being chosen by the CJA to receive this is a great honour. It is even more special because it is named after my friend, Erol. His capabilities were obvious to everyone on the board and he was quickly moved up to the executive. The CJA will continue to benefit from Erol’s contributions well into the future.”
President of C.D. Barcados in Toronto, Barcados previously served as CJA board chair, as well as on the boards of the Canadian Gemmological Association (CGA), the Canadian Jewellers 24 Karat Club, and Jewellers Vigilance Canada (JVC). He is currently the only Canadian to sit on the board of Wisconsin-based Jewelers Mutual Insurance Co. He has worked extensively on several issues, particularly the anti-money laundering/FINTRAC file.
“As the first recipient of the Erol Paylan Memorial Award, Alex Barcados exemplifies the passion and dedication this award represents,” said CJA president and chief executive officer (CEO), J. David Ritter.
“Erol’s work with the CJA exemplifies what we as an association do. The people who will receive this award give over and above what they normally would give to the association and to the industry, just like Erol did. They take time out of their lives to focus on industry-related issues and are vital to creating a better landscape for Canadian jewellers. Erol would be most proud of his friend and colleague, and I know he would be very touched to have his life and contribution recognized this way. We all miss him very much.”
