Niagara College News and Media

Michael Scott, Chair of the Niagara College Board of Governors, is pleased to announce the following appointments to the Board:

Theresa Harris is the Executive Director of the Ontario Catholic Supervisory Officers’ Association. She brings a wealth of experience as an administrator and educator, having served as Director of Education and Secretary of the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board and Superintendent of Education with the Niagara Catholic District School Board. She is also a former principal and teacher. Ms Harris holds a B.A. in English, B.Ed., and M.Ed. in Special Education from the University of Toronto.

Dragan Matovic has more than 25 years of experience in hospitality operations and real estate development. He is the Principal and Executive Director of the Panoramic Group of Companies, a Niagara Falls firm involved in a number of business ventures in Ontario, New York, Michigan and South Carolina. Dr. Matovic holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Waterloo, a M.Sc. in Management from Cornell University, an M.P.A. in Economic Development from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in Marketing from Virginia Tech.

Gordon Hunchak is the Niagara College Administrative Staff representative on the Board, and is the College’s Director of Marketing and Communications. Mr. Hunchak joined Niagara College in 2007 from Meridian Credit Union, where he was Vice President, Marketing. Mr. Hunchak has over 20 years of experience leading significant branding, communications and community involvement initiatives. He holds a B. Comm in Marketing and Finance from the University of Saskatchewan.

Dan Tweyman is the student representative on the Board of Governors. Mr. Tweyman is in the second-year of the Winery and Viticulture Technician program. He has also studied Philosophy, Religion and Political Science at the University of Toronto, and studied at the Wine and Spirits Education Trust in London, UK. He has been employed in the winery and spirits industry in Canada and Europe.

With 7,500 full-time students, Niagara College offers more than 90 diploma and advanced level programs at campuses in Welland, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Falls and St. Catharines. Areas of specialization include hospitality and tourism, technology, applied health, and community safety. The College is also home to the globally recognized Niagara Culinary Institute and to Canada’s first commercial teaching winery.

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For more information, contact:
Gordon Hunchak
Director, Marketing & Communications
905 735-2211 ext. 7567
905 650-7820 (cell)
ghunchak@niagaracollege.ca

The HOPE Centre’s HOPE Garden in Welland has been selected as the recipient of this year’s Many Hands restoration project.

“I knew we had to get on board to reap the benefits of the harvest and the community togetherness,” says Gina Couldery, who works with volunteers at the HOPE centre. “The benefits the HOPE Centre will receive from this year’s Community Garden project are endless.”

Based in Welland, the HOPE Centre provides a full continuum of services and support to individuals and families struggling with poverty-related issues, and are committed to building and strengthening the Welland community by attending to the basic needs of the marginalized citizens, and by advocating change in existing social structure which contribute to poverty, homelessness, and compromised health. Its HOPE Garden, located at the Niagara College Welland Campus, is an initiative developed in partnership with Leadership Niagara. The site was recently struck by vandals.

Plans for the HOPE Garden include an eco-friendly restoration with the doubling of garden plots, purchase of various tools, construction of a fence and shed, and creation of an overall welcoming and aesthetically pleasing atmosphere for individuals to enjoy. Students will plan all aspects of the project, utilizing environmentally-friendly products. The project will take place in April 2009 leading up to Earth Day.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to gain valuable hands-on experience while contributing to our community,” said Shelley Merlo, Coordinator of the Event Management program.

Many Hands, now in its twelfth year, is a one-day community driven project organized by Niagara College students as part of the Event Management post-graduate program. Canadian Tire Financial Services is the founding sponsor of the Many Hands project.

Event Management is a one-year post-graduate program that prepares students for careers in the planning, promotion and execution of special events in the public, corporate and non-profit sectors. Students gain valuable hands-on experience through a number of events, including the Many Hands project.

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For more information, contact:
Jaime Riley
Marketing Coordinator
Many Hands Project
905-641-2252, ext. 4233

Adam Hogan
Marketing Coordinator
Many Hands Project
905-641-2252, ext. 4233
ahogan4@students.niagaracollege.ca

Shelley Merlo
Coordinator,
Event Management Program
905-641-2252, ext. 4233
smerlo@niagaracollege.ca

Niagara College launched its Building Futures Campaign today in support of the College’s major campus redevelopment plan.

The $16.5 million campaign will seek to raise the community portion of the funds required for the $50 million Master Plan, which includes $48 million for buildings, equipment and learning resources, and $2 million for scholarships and bursaries.

“Niagara College is a catalyst in the transitioning of Niagara’s economy. Our campus plans and investments are designed to help our region meet the challenges that come with a changing economy and an urgent need for highly skilled workers,” said Niagara College President Dan Patterson. “The Building Futures Campaign presents an opportunity for businesses, groups and individuals in our community to join us in an investment in the future prosperity of Niagara.”

The campaign received an immediate boost, as the Niagara College Student Administrative Council (SAC), announced a $10 million pledge on behalf of current and future students. This major gift will support the construction of a new student centre, athletic centre, and library and learning commons at the Welland Campus.

“Being able to contribute to an entire wing of the new master plan building is our way of demonstrating that college students value the importance of their facilities and realize how fundamental they are to the quality of student life and the educational experience,” said SAC President Heather Brekelmans. “Our Student Council will be able to increase its capacity, its business and its ability to offer students more and better services.”

The Building Futures Campaign will be led by co-chairs Mark Basciano and Anna Olson, two community leaders who have achieved great success in two very different fields.

Basciano is the Owner and President of the Mountainview Group of companies, which includes Mountainview Homes, Mountainview Custom Homes, Mountainview Construction and Mountainview Properties. The award-winning Thorold company was formed in 1979 and is a market leader and the largest homebuilder in Niagara.

Olson is the host of Food Network Canada’s Sugar, and Kitchen Equipped, which also aired on HGTV. Her latest show, Fresh with Anna Olson, is filmed in her Welland home. She has also written three cook books and co-authored two more with her husband, Niagara College Chef/Professor Michael Olson. Anna and Michael own Olson Food + Bakery in Port Dalhousie and Olson Foods at Ravine in St. David’s.

“We’re extremely fortunate to have two outstanding community leaders join us in this important endeavour,” said Patterson. “Anna and Mark are very aware of the important role Niagara College plays in our community, and they understand the importance of investing in our College’s future. We’re very grateful for their support.”

Niagara College’s $50 million Master Plan for campus redevelopment is designed to increase capacity in programs that serve key industries in Niagara, including skilled trades, technology, winery and viticulture and hospitality and tourism, while providing much-needed improvements to aging facilities.

The project is also a response to the College’s unprecedented growth, including a 10.1 percent increase in total enrolment for the Fall 2008 term – the largest increase among all Ontario colleges.

The capital project will create more than 1,000 postsecondary student spaces, and provide additional capacity for access training, academic upgrading and apprentice programs that provide opportunity for re-training and address skills shortages. Completion of the project is scheduled for the fall of 2010.

New additions to the Welland Campus will include an academic wing, library and learning commons, an athletic centre, student centre, new facilities for visual arts and a significant expansion of the Skilled Trades and Technology Centre.

The Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus will see the construction of a new Wine Education and Visitors Centre that will integrate academic programming, facilities for the unique Niagara College Teaching Winery and an educational centre for students, industry and visitors. A culinary skills expansion will also be completed at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus.

Funding for the Master Plan will come from three sources: approximately one-third from Niagara College, one third from the Provincial Government, as announced by Premier Dalton McGuinty in July, and one third through the Building Futures Campaign.

Further information is available on the campaign Web site: www.buildingfuturescampaign.ca.

With 7,500 full-time students, Niagara College offers more than 90 diploma and advanced level programs at campuses in Welland, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Falls and St. Catharines. Areas of specialization include hospitality and tourism, technology, applied health, and community safety. The College is also home to the globally recognized Niagara Culinary Institute and to Canada’s first commercial teaching winery.

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For information, contact:
Gordon Hunchak
Director, Marketing & Communications
905 735-2211 ext. 7567
905 650-7820 (cell)
ghunchak@niagaracollege.ca

Jordan Harris, a 2004 graduate of Niagara College’s Winery and Viticulture Technician program, was announced today as one of six recipients of a provincial Premier’s Award.

Harris, who in the four years since his graduation has made tremendous strides in the wine industry in Canada and the United States, is currently Director of Winemaking and Viticulture Operations at Tarara Winery in Virginia.

“We’re incredibly proud that Jordan will receive this prestigious honour,” said Niagara College President Dan Patterson. “He is a great representative of Niagara College, and a shining example of the outstanding contributions made by College graduates.”

The Premier’s Awards for Ontario’s Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology honour the important social and economic contributions made by college graduates to the province and the world. The awards were established in 1992 to mark the 25th anniversary of Ontario’s colleges.

Presented annually in six categories, the recipients are chosen from nominations submitted by Ontario’s 25 colleges. Nominees must demonstrate outstanding career success related to their college experience and have made a significant contribution to their community.

While a student, Harris worked as a cellar hand at the Niagara College Teaching Winery and became Assistant Winemaker upon graduation, and was later promoted to Winemaker. He worked with wineries in the Niagara Region, and held the Winemaker position at Niagara Vintners Inc.

Harris served on the Technical Committee that developed the Sustainable Winemaking Ontario: an Environmental Charter for the Wine Industry, a proactive environmental program to help wineries identify and adopt best practice, environmental stewardship.

Harris was the only winner from the wine industry named to the Top 30 Under 30 by the Ontario Hostelry Institute, which honours excellence in the food and beverage industries. While a student, he won first place in the Canadian Student Sommelier Competition and third place in the International Student Sommelier Competition. Harris has also been named one of the Up and Coming Winemakers by Wine Access Magazine, Canada’s leading wine publication.

Jordan will receive his award in Toronto in February. Recipients receive a bronze medal, a framed certificate signed by the Premier of Ontario and a $5,000 bursary for their graduating college.

In addition to Harris, Niagara College’s nominees for the 2008 Premier’s Award included: Gay Douglas (Social Service Worker 1989), Executive Director of Literacy Link Niagara; James Lambert (Mechanical Engineering Technician 1983), Design Manager, Bosch Rexroth; Joseph Jeremy (Technical Theatre 1987), Principle, Co-owner, and President of Niscon Inc., and Vittoria Wikston (Hospitality Management 1986), Partner, Red Chair Branding.

With 7,500 full-time students, Niagara College offers more than 90 diploma and advanced level programs at campuses in Welland, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Falls and St. Catharines. Areas of specialization include hospitality and tourism, technology and community safety. The College is also home to the globally recognized Niagara Culinary Institute and to Canada’s first commercial teaching winery.

NOTE TO EDITORS: A PHOTO OF JORDAN HARRIS IS AVAILABLE
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For information contact:
Gordon Hunchak
Director, Marketing & Communications
905 735-2211 ext. 7567
ghunchak@niagaracollege.ca

More than 400 students and faculty from 15 Ontario Colleges will gather in Niagara Nov. 13-15 for the 29th Annual Ontario Colleges Marketing Competition (OCMC), sponsored and hosted this year by Niagara College.

The event draws the best and the brightest among Ontario College business and marketing students. Over two days, teams of students will participate in case studies, job interviews, sales presentations and a game-show type event called Quiz Bowl where students identify marketing definitions and marketing news.

All participants will gather at the Niagara College Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus Thursday, November 13, from noon to 3 p.m., for a welcome event before the competition moves to the Sheraton on the Falls, 5875 Falls Avenue, Niagara Falls.

The event involves aproximately 300 students, 100 faculty and college administrators, 45 judges, and many generous sponsors.

Highlights will include:

• The Quiz Bowl, which takes place at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13 in Great Room C at the Sheraton on the Falls;

• Case Preparations and Presentations, which take place Friday, Nov. 14 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Sheraton on the Falls;

• Gala Dinner and Awards Banquet, which takes place Friday, Nov. 14, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in Great Room A at the Sheraton on the Falls.

Hamilton Mountain MPP Sophia Aggelonitis, who also serves as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Small Business and Consumer Services, will speak at the event at the beginning of the Quiz Bowl on Thursday.

Historically, Niagara College teams have fared quite well in the Ontario Colleges Marketing Competition. Last year, the Niagara College team placed second overall in the competition, which was held in London, ON.

NOTE: A full schedule of events is available at www.ocmc08.ca

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For more information, contact:
Beth Pett
Professor, Business Administration – Marketing
Niagara College
905 641-2252 ext. 4131

Niagara College is applauding expanded access to the Ontario government’s Second Career initiative. The expanded access was highlighted during Niagara College’s Second Career Open House, held at the Welland Campus today. The Hon. John Milloy, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, attended the event.

“We’ve expanded access to Second Career so that more Ontarians have the opportunities and skills for success, and are working in well-paying jobs in a period of economic uncertainty,” said Milloy.

“We applaud the government for recognizing the importance of retraining unemployed workers in ways that go far beyond the short term solution of finding ‘a job’, but go on to address the long term futures of the individuals and the important needs of our economy,” said Dan Patterson, Niagara College President. “Moreover, Second Career recognizes the crucial role colleges play in creating a skilled workforce and fueling a competitive Ontario economy.”

The following changes to Second Career are effective today:
• Includes workers laid off as far back as January 1, 2005
• Includes laid-off workers who have taken an interim job to make ends meet
• Offers short-term training options (less than six months) for laid-off workers who are not eligible for Employment Insurance
• Provides additional financial assistance in some instances to cover expenses for the cost of academic upgrading, living away from home while participating in training, and dependent care.

Announced in its 2008 Budget, the Ontario government’s $355 million Second Career Strategy makes funds available to help get laid off and unemployed workers employed in viable careers and address the needs of the province’s changing job market and industries. Second Career will help 20,000 laid off workers make the transition to well-paying jobs.

“Niagara College delivers high-quality, credentialed programs that prepare people for lifelong employment in meaningful careers,” said Patterson, “We encourage individuals considering re-training for a new career to take a serious look at the many programs and opportunities available at Niagara College.”

With 7,500 full-time students, Niagara College offers more than 90 diploma and advanced level programs at campuses in Welland, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Falls and St. Catharines. Areas of specialization include hospitality and tourism, technology and community safety. The College is also home to the globally recognized Niagara Culinary Institute and to Canada’s first commercial teaching winery.

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For further information:
Gord Hunchak
Director, Marketing & Communications
(905) 735-2211 ext. 7567
ghunchak@niagaracollege.ca