Belleville, Ontario, November 29, 2012 – Loyalist College is pleased to recognize six outstanding graduates nominated for the Premier’s Awards program. Ontario College graduates were celebrated and awards announced during the Premier’s Awards Gala held November 26, at the Colleges Ontario Annual Higher Education Summit in Toronto. The six Premier’s Awards recognize the tremendous personal and professional contributions that Ontario’s college graduates make to their communities in the categories of Business, Community Services, Creative Arts and Design, Health Sciences, Technology, and Recent Graduate.
“Ontario’s colleges produce graduates that go on to create jobs for others, make lasting contributions in their communities and help to attract new investments to the province,” said Premier Dalton McGuinty. “The Premier’s Awards recognize the tremendous contributions they make to the success of the province.”
The 2012 Loyalist College Premier’s Awards nominees:
Bob Forder, Data Processing 1988 – Bob has held many leadership positions in manufacturing in the last 25 years, including his current role as Lean/5S Coordinator at Kennametal Stellite in Belleville. In this capacity, he designs, develops and implements lean business strategies which eliminate waste and improve productivity. Bob is chair of the Quinte Manufacturers Association, which has more than 120 members representing over 9,000 direct jobs and 27,000 indirect jobs. He sits on the board of directors for the Belleville Chamber of Commerce as the manufacturing representative. He is also part of the Manufacturing Advisory Committee at Loyalist College, and is involved in service organizations in his community.
Charles (Chuck) Mercier, Law and Security Administration 1974 – After graduating from Loyalist College, Chuck accepted a job with Durham Regional Police in Oshawa where he held progressively senior positions over a 32-year career. He has been honoured with several of the highest awards for excellence in policing, community work and bravery. In December 2009, he retired from the Durham Regional Police Service as deputy chief of policing operations. A year later, Chuck returned to civic duty as Mayor of Scugog, at the request of the township’s electorate. He has been a tireless worker and advocate for numerous local causes, including 18 years with Scouts Canada.
Ken Murphy, Television Broadcasting 1979 – Ken has been instrumental in shaping Canadian television programming for 30 years. By introducing Pay-TV, Ken helped Canadian television usher in a completely new range of channels, opening doors for all networks. Recognizing the importance of digital signaling, Ken led his teams to create the first all-digital major broadcasting facility in Canada. On August 31, 2011, all Canadian television signals were switched from analog to digital. As co-creator and president of High Fidelity, Ken has redefined the way Canadians watch television. His innovations have helped to give Canada a competitive advantage in new media.
Jan Richardson, Nursing 1978 – As the Vice-President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Quinte Health Care (QHC), Jan has played an active role in making QHC a top integrated health-care system in Ontario. Her leadership of the Regional Integrated Supply Chain Project led to the establishment of the 3SO Regional Supply Chain business for the southeastern LHIN hospitals. Since 2007, Jan has played an active role as a member of the Ontario Hospital Association Health Human Resources Strategic Leadership Council. She is an active member of her community and a member of Loyalist’s Business Administration Program Advisory Committee.
Farzana Wahidy, Photojournalism 2009 – At age 20, Farzana was the first female Afghan photojournalist to work for an international wire service. After two years of advocacy by College staff and local Rotarians, Farzana was able to enrol in Loyalist’s renowned Photojournalism program in 2007. After graduation, Farzana returned to Afghanistan where she works as a photojournalist, capturing the struggles of women in a turbulent culture. She has received a number of awards including a Merit Award from the All Roads Film Project and Photography Program, sponsored by the National Geographic Society, and a gold award in the Portrait category in the College Photographer of the Year competition at the University of Missouri.
Kaela Lalonde, Bio-Food Technology 2007 – Applying the research and laboratory skills developed during her time at Loyalist, Kaela became a member of the Bisphenol A (BPA) research team with Health Canada and contributed to work that showed that BPA can leach into foods and beverages. A study published in 2009, co-authored by Kaela, in the peer-reviewed journal Food Additives and Contaminants, led to Canada becoming the first country in the world to ban BPA from baby bottles. Now a full-time employee with Health Canada, Kaela continues her research work as a laboratory technologist and has co-authored additional papers on food and emerging environmental contaminants.
“Congratulations to our outstanding nominees,” said Loyalist College President Maureen Piercy. “We are very proud to celebrate their career achievements and to recognize the positive difference they make in their communities. It’s wonderful to know that the education they received at Loyalist provided a foundation for the leadership they are providing now, and will continue to provide in the future, to benefit others.”
L-R: Premier’s Award nominees Bob Forder, Kaela Lalonde, Loyalist President Maureen Piercy, nominees Jan Richardson, Ken Murphy, and Charles Mercier
Absent: Farzana Wahidy
Fast Facts (Ontario Colleges)
- In 2010-11, 83 percent of college graduates were employed within six months of graduation.
- In 2011-12, 181,471 students were enrolled full-time at Ontario’s 24 publicly funded colleges.
Colleges Ontario is the advocacy organization for the province’s 24 colleges of applied arts and technology, advancing policies and awareness campaigns to ensure Ontario produces the highly skilled workforce that is essential to its prosperity.
Loyalist College prepares students for a rewarding career by combining rigorous academic standards with hands-on training from industry experts. Programs range from apprenticeships and certificates to diplomas and post-graduate studies. Loyalist offers more than 60 full-time programs and 77 university transfer agreements around the world. The best testament to the College’s value is from students, 97 percent of whom say they would recommend Loyalist to a friend. Loyalist is committed to helping students find great jobs, as well as supporting and enhancing the economic and social development of all individuals in its communities.
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Media Contact: Kerry Lorimer, Manager, Corporate Communications & Media Relations, Loyalist College, klorimer@loyalistc.on.ca, (613) 969-1913, ext. 2536