Niagara College has nominated six outstanding alumni for the prestigious Premier’s Awards for Ontario College Graduates, which honour the career achievements and the important social and economic contribution Ontario college graduates make to their communities.
Presented annually, the recipients are chosen from nominations submitted by Ontario’s 24 colleges in six categories: Business, Creative Arts and Design, Community Services, Health Sciences, Technology and Recent Graduate. The nominees must demonstrate outstanding career success related to their college experience, having made a significant contribution to their community, Ontario and throughout the world.
This year, Niagara College is proud to nominate: Cliff Bowman (Business), President of bireM – Builders International Real Estate Marketing Corp.; George Gordon (Creative Arts and Design), Principle owner of Be Heard Communications; Barb Sockovie (Community Services), Executive Director of A Child’s World-Family Child Care Services of Niagara; Darryl Culley (Health Sciences), President of Consulting and Training for Emergency Management & Training Inc.; Ronald A. Shaw (Technology), Owner and President of R.A. Shaw Designs Ltd.; and Ilka Elisabeth Güttler (Recent Graduate), GIS Policy Analyst for the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade.
“We are pleased to recognize these outstanding individuals with the Premier’s Awards of Excellence for their career accomplishments and contributions,” said Dan Patterson, President, Niagara College. “These distinguished graduates are shining examples of the positive impact that College graduates have in communities all over the world.”
Premier’s Award recipients will be presented with a bronze medal, a framed certificate signed by the Premier of Ontario and a $5,000 bursary, which will go to their graduating college, during a ceremony at the Sheraton Centre in Toronto, Nov. 22, 2010, as part of the 2010 Higher Education Summit – Colleges Ontario’s Annual Conference.
Three Niagara College graduates have received Premier’s Awards: Jordan Harris, a graduate of the Winery and Viticulture Technician program, won the Premier’s Award in the Recent Graduate category in 2008, Dr. Heather Lee Kilty, a graduate of the Social Service Worker program, won the award in the Health Sciences category in 2003, and Carol Alaimo, a graduate of the Journalism-Print program, won in the Creative Arts and Design category in 1995.
For more information, visit www.collegesontario.org.
Cliff Bowman (Vancouver, BC) (Sales and Merchandising, 1969), nominated in the Business category, worked at a paper mill while studying for his Sales and Merchandising diploma at Niagara College that led to his career in real estate. Bowman founded bireM, Builders International Real Estate Marketing Corp., a sales and marketing company for new urban and resort condo developments, marketing more than 3,000 prestigious residential condo units in North America, Cliff Bowman & Associates Limited, which has provided pre-marketing services for 35 million sq. ft. of office space in major multi-block developments, and Global Condo Center Corp., which is an online directory that allows developers to enter information about their new attached home developments located in more than 2,200 cities around the world.
George Gordon (Surrey, BC) (Radio & Television Arts, 1972), nominated in the Creative Arts and Design category, has more than three decades of experience in media and radio broadcasting. Travelling and covering stories across Canada, he became a champion of news radio. His love for the community and helping others succeed led Gordon to his newest venture, Be Heard Communications, providing strategic consulting, advising, and group and personal coaching in effective media recognition. Gordon, who has worked as a newscaster, director and executive editor, has received many awards for his accomplishments. He is a popular emcee for charity events.
Barb Sockovie (Welland, ON) (Early Childhood Education, 1976), nominated in the Community Services category, started working for a nursery school before she graduated from Niagara College. A year later, she opened her own centre with only $1,000. Sockovie has opened six centres and turned around 11 others that are now part of A Child’s World. As Executive Director, she leads a team of 170 staff that provide care for more than 1,000 children in 17 centres throughout the Niagara region. She established the Foundation for Quality Care that has raised more than $500,000, since 2001, for A Child’s World services, programs and facilities. Sockovie is also a founder and co-chair of the Early Years Niagara Planning Council, and volunteers with many community organizations.
Darryl Culley (Barrie, ON) (Ambulance and Emergency Care Paramedic, 1981), nominated in the Health Sciences category, has more than 28 years experience in the fields of emergency management, emergency services and health care administration. As the principal owner of Emergency Management & Training Inc., Culley provides emergency preparedness consulting, training, disaster exercise development and implementation to government agencies, public and private corporations and health care facilities. He consults on EMS, Fire Service, and Emergency Communications, speaks at conferences and has appeared on live call-in shows about emergency plans, H1N1 and the earthquake in Haiti. Culley volunteers for the Ontario Provincial Police, Big Brothers and CanWarn.
Ronald A. Shaw (Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands, BWI) (Construction Engineering Technology, 1980), nominated in the Technology category, has more than 30 years experience in development and design of construction projects. Through R.A. Shaw Designs Ltd., Shaw created a niche for its services in the local market with outstanding architectural and building accomplishments. The company provides architectural design and quantity surveying on the Turks & Caicos Islands, British West Indies. His most impressive project is a stunning 30,000 sq. ft. residence at Emerald Cay, a seven-year project now valued at $42 million. All residential systems can be accessed and controlled via the internet from anywhere in the world. Shaw invests in people by training his employees, funding scholarships for promising young people to attend Niagara College and supporting three Haitian families during the economic downturn.
Ilka Elisabeth Güttler (Toronto, ON) (Geographic Information Systems-Geospatial Management Graduate Certificate, 2008), nominated in the Recent Graduate category, is a GIS Policy Analyst for the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade. She has already made a significant contribution representing the Ministry’s vision, although recently graduated, as the technical and content contact in the creation and implementation of Select Ontario, a new web-based Site Selection Tool for investment attraction to Ontario. The Select Ontario team won the URISA (Urban Regional Information Systems Association) Ontario Chapter Innovation in GIS Award for the Select Ontario website. Güttler has extensive experience as a research analyst, having worked for Siemens Canada, the Auto 21 project on Public Policy and the Automobile in Canada, the Cybercartography and the New Economy Project at Carleton University and the Ontario Ministry of Finance.
Niagara College is one of Ontario’s 24 publicly-funded Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology. With 8,000 full-time students, Niagara College offers more than 90 diploma, baccalaureate degrees and advanced level programs at campuses in Welland, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Falls and St. Catharines. Areas of specialization include food and wine sciences, advanced technology, applied health and community safety, and the College is home to the globally-recognized Niagara Culinary Institute and Niagara College Teaching Winery. In 2008, Niagara College launched an unprecedented $90 million campus redevelopment project, which is scheduled for completion in 2011. For more information, visit www.NiagaraCollege.ca.
NOTE TO EDITORS: PHOTOS OF NOMINEES ARE AVAILABLE.
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For more information, contact:
Lyn Russo
Director of Development
Niagara College Foundation
905-735-2211, ext. 7864
lrusso@niagaracollege.ca