On April 25, 2014, 8 Air Communication and Control Squadron (8 ACCS) held an Investiture Ceremony to celebrate outgoing Honorary Colonel Maureen Piercy, President of Loyalist College, and to welcome incoming Honorary Colonel Bernie Ouellet, a local businessman.
Since her appointment by Minister of Defence Peter MacKay in 2009, Maureen Piercy has been involved in a number of important initiatives ranging from convocation and repatriation ceremonies to supporting relief efforts and traveling to Canadian Forces Station Alert, the Arctic outpost.
“We are very fortunate and very privileged to have had Honorary Colonel Piercy associated with 8 ACCS,” said Major Jeff Szumlanksi, Commanding Officer. “It’s been such a privilege to have such a prominent citizen from the local community take such an active interest in what 8 ACCs does and what it represents to the Royal Canadian Air Force and 8 Wing overall.”
During the ceremony, Maureen Piercy announced that she will be establishing an annual award at Loyalist to support a family member of 8 ACCS or 8 Wing who attends the College for post-secondary studies.
“Among my mixed emotions today are wistfulness at a life-changing experience coming to a close, appreciation to all who supported that experience, and excitement for Honorary Colonel Ouellet at the experience that lies ahead for him,” she said. “This has been a remarkable and powerful experience, and it is the people who have made it that way.”