Cogeco Connexion President and CEO Louise St-Pierre Addresses the School of Media, Arts + Design and the School of Continuing Education
Loyalist College President and CEO Maureen Piercy, left, and Loyalist College Board Chair June Hagerman, right, presented guest speaker Ms. Louise St-Pierre, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cogeco Connexion, with an Honorary Diploma, the College’s highest academic tribute
Belleville, Ontario, June 10, 2016 – At the final 2016 Convocation Ceremony on the afternoon of June 10, Loyalist College recognized individuals with the presentation of 609 Ontario College Advanced Diplomas, Diplomas and Certificates and 179 Loyalist College Certificates to graduates in the School of Media, Arts + Design and the School of Continuing Education.
Ms. Lindsay Hall of Belleville, Ontario received The Governor General’s Award, presented to the graduating student with the highest cumulative average in a two or three-year College program. She graduated with 97.58 percent from the three-year Broadcast Engineering Technology Ontario College Advanced Diploma program. The Governor General’s Academic Medal was first awarded in 1873 by the Earl of Dufferin, and has since become one of the most prestigious Canadian educational awards. In addition, Lindsay received both the Pioneer Award and the McCurdy Award.
Loyalist College Senior Vice-President, Academic and Student Success, John McMahon, left, and Loyalist College President and CEO Maureen Piercy, right, presented Ms. Lindsay Hall of Belleville, Ontario with The Governor General’s Award
“Receiving the Governor General’s Award is a great honour, and it is an energizing capstone for my College career,” said Lindsay who recently accepted a job position with Defence Research and Development Canada. “I am so proud to be recognized for academic achievement on the national level. I went back to school as a single parent of two children with a part-time job in the industry, so juggling family, work, and school definitely demanded commitment and sacrifice. I am thankful for this acknowledgement of my efforts and success.”
The Convocation address was delivered by Ms. Louise St-Pierre, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cogeco Connexion since 2013. She previously held a number of vice-president positions in the information technology, customer service and operations sectors within Cogeco Connexion (formerly named Cogeco Cable). These positions include the Senior Vice-President, Residential Services, from 2009 to 2013, Vice-President, Customer Service and Operations, between 2007 and 2009, as well as Vice-President and Chief Information Officer from 1999 to 2007. In 2015, she was named among Canada’s Most Powerful Women and received a Top 100 Award by Women’s Executive Network (WXN).
“Curiosity and continuous learning helps us foster our unique identities while learning about, and respecting the unique identities of others,” said Ms. St-Pierre. “It feeds our ability to be creative and to adapt to this beautifully diverse and ever-changing world we live in. Information is at our fingertips and flows exponentially from one tweet to another. More than ever, we have great potential to gain profound knowledge about so many things from so many people. Whether we access information or content through television or Internet, it is our ability to stay connected, to communicate, and to collaborate that will allow our society to continue to advance through innovation.” She encouraged graduating students, “To aim at a job that won’t make you feel like you are working. Love what you do. My wish for each of you is that the opportunities and challenges that you learn from will also enrich your life with passion and a sense of purpose.”
Chair of the Loyalist Board of Governors June Hagerman presented Ms. St-Pierre with an Honorary Diploma, in recognition of her distinguished career in the IT and communications industry, and for her leadership as President and CEO of Cogeco Connexion.
Loyalist President Maureen Piercy, participating in her final Convocation as President and CEO prior to her retirement, was recognized and thanked by Board Chair June Hagerman for her many contributions to the College over the last 11.5 years as President. A presentation was also made by Loyalist Student Government President Heather Williams, on behalf of all Loyalist College students.
Loyalist President and CEO Maureen Piercy, participating in her final Convocation as President and CEO prior to her retirement, was recognized and thanked by Loyalist Student Government President Heather Williams, on behalf of all Loyalist College students, for her many contributions to the College over the last 11.5 years as President.
“As President of the current Student Government, I know that we have a wonderful history of incredible support and commitment from President Piercy – and we want to recognize and thank her for her focus on our wellbeing and success as individuals during our years as students, and following graduation as we start our careers.”
About Loyalist College
We put you to work™. When it comes to grads getting jobs, 87.4 percent of the College’s most recent graduates found employment within six months of graduation compared to the provincial average of 83.6 percent, according to Provincial Key Performance Indicator (KPI) results released in April 2016. Located on more than 200 acres in the beautiful Bay of Quinte region, Loyalist College is a close-knit community where students and their success come first. Loyalist provides personalized attention in small classes, rewarding field placements and superior student services. To prepare students for in-demand careers, Loyalist offers more than 60 full-time programs; apprenticeships; and hundreds of online, distance and in-class courses, as well as opportunities for continuing education through more than 70 university transfer agreements. The College’s wide selection of advanced diplomas, diplomas and certificates aligns with market-driven disciplines including applied sciences, biosciences, building sciences, business and management studies, health sciences, human studies, justice studies, media, arts and design, and skills and technology. In Ontario, the College’s new Digital Media Centre and the LEED® Silver certified Sustainable Skills, Technology and Life Sciences Centre are training centres of choice for students, as well as College business and industry partners. The College is a key driver of the social and economic health and prosperity of the area and contributes 5.4 percent to the Gross Regional Product. This represents an overall effect on the regional economy of $530 million – based on a 2014 Report by Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI). For more information on the College’s Belleville and Bancroft campuses, visit loyalistcollege.com.
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Media Contact: Kerry Lorimer, Director of Marketing and Communications,
Loyalist College, klorimer@loyalistc.on.ca, (613) 969-1913, ext. 2536