More than 2,300 graduates of Niagara College will receive diplomas, degrees or certificates during eight Spring Convocation Ceremonies to be held over four days in June at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus.
Graduates will be inspired by a list of accomplished speakers and honourees that includes an actor and television host, an acclaimed television director, a best-selling author, and local business and community leaders.
The ceremonies will take place in the gymnasium/cafeteria complex on Tuesday, June 15, at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., Wednesday, June 16, at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., Thursday, June 17, at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., and Friday, June 18, at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Speakers and honourees include:
- Sean Jackson, President and CEO of Meridian Credit Union, Tuesday, June 15 at 10 a.m. Mr. Jackson will receive an Honorary Bachelor Degree in Applied Business;
- Bob Jackson, CEO of Vintage Hotels, Tuesday, June 15 at 3 p.m. Mr. Jackson will receive an Honorary Bachelor of Applied Business Degree in Hospitality Operations Management;
- Anita Stewart, Author and Culinary Activist, Wednesday, June 16 at 10 a.m. Ms. Stewart will receive an Honorary Diploma in Culinary Management;
- Ken Girotti, Canadian-born Director, Wednesday, June 16 at 3 p.m. Mr. Girotti will receive an Honorary Diploma in Broadcasting-Radio, Television and Film;
- Gay Douglas-Broerse, Executive Director of Literacy Link Niagara, Co-Owner of ONESource Moving Solutions for Seniors, Thursday, June 17 at 10 a.m. Ms. Douglas will receive an Honorary Graduate Certificate in Event Management;
- Sgt. Jacquie Forgeron, Sergeant and former spokesperson for the Niagara Regional Police Service, Thursday, June 17 at 3 p.m. Sergeant Forgeron will receive an Honorary Graduate Certificate in Public Relations;
- Tanya Memme, Actor, Canadian Model, Host of A&E’s “Sell This House” and a former Miss World Canada, Friday, June 18 at 10 a.m. Ms. Memme will receive an Honorary Diploma in Broadcasting-Radio, Television and Film;
- Doug Rapelje, Past Director of the Region of Niagara’s Social Services and Senior Citizens department, Friday, June 18 at 3 p.m. Mr. Rapelje will receive the 2010 Niagara Award.
The Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus is located at 135 Taylor Rd., Niagara-on-the-Lake.
NOTE: SPEAKER BIOS ATTACHED BELOW.
EDITORS: PHOTOS ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.
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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
SPEAKER BIOS:
Sean Jackson – June 15 at 10 a.m.
Sean Jackson, President and CEO of Meridian Credit Union
Sean Jackson is Meridian Credit Union’s President and Chief Executive Officer. Meridian is Ontario’s largest credit union with over 223,000 Members, $6.2 billion in assets and a network of 43 branches and eight commercial business centers.
Sean is focused on building Meridian into a financial institution that will reinvent neighbourhood banking to become Ontario’s dominant leader in outstanding relationship service. Since becoming CEO, he has led growth in total relationship volumes from $1 billion to $10 billion while significantly increasing both member advocacy and employee engagement.
A lawyer by profession, Sean has dedicated the past 20 years of his career to strengthening the credit union system both provincially and nationally through numerous leadership roles. Sean is on the Boards of Credit Union Central of Canada and Central 1 (created with the merger of Credit Union Central of Ontario and British Columbia). In the past he has served on the Deposit Insurance Corporation of Ontario’s Stabilization Advisory Committee. Sean also served on the Board Executive Committee of Cooperators Data Services Ltd. The St. Catharines Chamber of Commerce recognized Sean as Business Leader of the Year.
Actively involved in his community, Sean was honoured to receive the Gary Gillam Award for Social Responsibility. He serves on the Council of Champions for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada and is the Business Co-Chair of the Niagara Immigrant Employment Council. He is a founding Director of the Niagara Community Foundation and an Advisory Council member for Brock University’s Faculty of Business. He previously served as Past Board Chair of Hotel Dieu Shaver Hospital, Vice-Chair of the United Way Campaign and Niagara College’s Campaign Committee.
A member of the Canadian Bar Association, Sean earned his law degree at the University of Toronto. He graduated as “Outstanding MBA Student” from Niagara University, New York, and received a Gold Medal with his BA (Honours) from McGill University. Sean is most proud of the many accomplishments of his daughter Kailene.
Bob Jackson – June 15 at 3 p.m.
Bob Jackson, CEO of Vintage Hotels
With almost 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Bob Jackson has held a variety of roles, the majority in senior management. His career began, however, as a front desk clerk at a downtown Toronto hotel. Fresh out of university, Bob knew that his first opportunity would lead to many more. After five years he left his position as Assistant General Manager to pursue a career in Niagara.
Bob spent the next seven years with Canadian Niagara Hotels Inc. as a General Manager at various properties, including the Brock Plaza Hotel where he assumed additional responsibility for various central departments. This experience proved invaluable as Bob prepared for the next stage of his career in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
In 2004, Bob joined Vintage Hotels as General Manager of the Prince of Wales Hotel and Spa. Since that time Bob has held a variety of positions within the company. As General Manager of the Prince of Wales, Bob concurrently managed Sales and Marketing for the hotel group. In 2005, Bob also assumed responsibility as the General Manager of Queen’s Landing Hotel and Conference Resort. In 2007, he was appointed to the position of Vice President of Operations and Managing Director where he was responsible for the overall strategic direction of the company with a key focus on hotel Operations and Sales and Marketing. Bob is currently Chief Executive Officer of Vintage Hotels, a position he has held since 2009.
Bob Jackson is a graduate of the University of Windsor as well as the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration’s Professional Development Program.
Bob has made his home in the Niagara Region for the past 13 years with his wife and two daughters. He remains active in the community, and enjoys his involvement with Big Brothers and Big Sisters as well as the Niagara Wine Auction Board. Bob is a former part-time instructor in the Hotel Management Program at Niagara College and currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Niagara College Foundation.
Anita Stewart – June 16 at 10 a.m.
Anita Stewart, Author and Culinary Activist
Anita Stewart is a renowned culinary activist, educator and communicator. She is the author of 12 food books focusing on the regional ingredients and cuisines of Canada-including the award-winners. Flavours of Canada and her latest which hit the Globe and Mail best seller list, Anita Stewart’s Canada, the Food, the Recipes, the Stories.
Since 1982, Anita has traveled Canada, identifying and writing prolifically about Canada’s essential nature as a regionally-diverse culinary nation. She is the founder of Food Day, a national celebration of restaurateurs, suppliers, growers, farmers and citizens joining together to empower and engage Canadians and show the world the delicious depth and breadth of Canada. Food Day dot CA is supported by a team of dedicated media, marketing and restaurant pros at the tops of their fields, including some of the most notable culinary figures in Canada. Many of Canada’s food leaders credit Anita with influencing their style and philosophy.
Anita is a juror for the World Food Media Awards, an Advisor to His Excellency Jean-Daniel Lafond and has received the Gold Award (Educator) from the Ontario Hostelry Institute. She consults for the Canadian Tourism Commission, Agriculture and AgriFood Canada, the Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
Anita holds a Master of Arts (Gastronomy) and is an honorary lifetime member of the Canadian Culinary Federation of Chefs and Cooks. She lives in Elora, Ontario.
Ken Girotti – June 16 at 3 p.m.
Ken Girotti, Canadian-born Director
After attending Niagara College in the late 1970s, Ken landed his first television job in Barrie. From there Ken returned to his first love, theatre, and joined a motley crew to tour obscure productions through central Ontario. He moved to Toronto a couple of years later to further his theatre career, but found himself making ends meet through a series of low level, and low paying, television jobs.
Ken finally made the leap to screen-based media in the early 1980s and hasn’t looked back. In a career that has now entered its third decade he has directed six pilots, more than 150 dramatic episodes, two features and three television movies.
Ken’s television credits have crossed the genres, from the drama of “24” and “Law & Order Criminal Intent” to the high-camp of “Xena Warrior Princess,” and the black comedy of “Rescue Me.” He has been nominated for multiple Gemini awards and DGC Awards and was honoured with a Directors Guild Award for the television movie, “Mayerthorpe,” based on the true story of the tragic murder of four RCMP officers in Mayerthorpe, Alberta.
Born in Nova Scotia and raised in St. Catharines, Ken’s travels have taken him to places such as New Zealand, South Africa, Central America, Southeast Asia, Indonesia and the Indian subcontinent. He has also worked across Canada and the United States.
Also a writer, Ken has three television series’ in development and has completed writing the film adaptation of a book by a Man-Booker Award winning novelist.
An avowed “hispanophile,” Ken has travelled widely in Latin America and Spain, and often calls the Iberian Peninsula his second home. He has been a know-nothing fly-fisherman for too long, a reasonably good sailer for longer, and a better skier for much of his life.
Ken lives in Toronto with his wife and son.
Gay Douglas-Broerse – June 17 at 10 a.m.
Gay Douglas-Broerse, Executive Direcor of Literacy Link Niagara
Gay Douglas-Broerse married at the age of 18, right out of high school, and was a mother by 19. She worked for 16 years in the retail pharmaceutical field until 1986, when her 37-year-old husband died after a brief battle with cancer. They had just moved to their dream home when Gay found herself with two young children, a substantial mortgage and just two years of salary provided by her husband’s employer.
After looking into a number of investment opportunities to make her finances stretch, Douglas decided the best investment she could make was in herself. She had always enjoyed spearheading good community causes, so at the age of 34, Douglas enrolled in the Social Service Worker program at Niagara College.
She was hired after graduation as the Executive Director of the Kidney Foundation – Niagara Chapter. Her first task was to amalgamate three battling local chapters into one cohesive unit. Over the next six years, her staff complement grew to eight, volunteers were organized into effective, working teams and revenue tripled.
Following stints in fundraising at the Recycling Council of Ontario and Big Sisters Association of Ontario, in 1996 Douglas became Executive Director of Literacy Link Niagara, a regional coalition of adult literacy programs, a position she still holds.
In addition to her work in adult literacy, Gay has taught part-time for 10 years in Niagara College’s Event Management Graduate Certificate program.
An entrepreneur at heart, Gay enjoys the challenge of creating viable enterprises by matching an idea with a service people need. She was a founding member of the Niagara Block Parent Program in 1976 and established Successfully Suited, a clothing bank for women re-entering the workforce in 2001.
In 2008 she and her business partner established ONESource Moving Solutions for Seniors, serving the downsizing needs of older adults.
Her volunteer commitments include chairing the boards of the Small Business Club Niagara Inc. and the Early Childhood Community Development Centre.
Gay was named a 2010 Woman of Distinction in the category of Education, Training and Development, and her children and grand-children continue to be her proudest achievement.
Sgt. Jacquie Forgeron – June 17 at 3 p.m.
Sgt. Jacquie Forgeron, Sergeant for the Niagara Regional Police Service
Sergeant Jacquie Forgeron is a police officer with the Niagara Regional Police Service, assigned to front-line supervisory duties in Niagara Falls.
Now in her 16th year of policing, Sergeant Forgeron began her policing career in April 1995 as a front-line uniform officer stationed in the City of St. Catharines. She has served in a number of areas, including two previous tours as a uniform officer, a recruiting officer with Human Resources, a five-year position as a detective with the Child Abuse Unit, a two-year posting as the Public Affairs Officer, where she served as spokeswomen for the Police Service, and the promotion to the rank of Sergeant in September 2009.
In 1995, Sergeant Forgeron relocated to the Niagara Region from Durham where she attended Durham College, graduating with distinction from the Law and Security program. Initially settling in St. Catharines, she now calls Niagara Falls home with her son, Alex, who graduated from Niagara College’s Police Foundations program in 2009. Her daughter, Crys, lives, works and volunteers in Toronto.
Sergeant Forgeron offers her time in the community including OUT Niagara and YWCA and has served on several committees within the Niagara Regional Police Service. Always mindful of community support, she has involved herself in volunteer opportunities throughout her adult life, and has instilled the same mindset to her children.
She has volunteered for Special Olympics, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, John Howard Society, Kids Help Phone, Distress Centre, Heart and Stroke Society, Women’s Place and is a member of the Royal Canadian Legion.
In her spare time, Sergeant Forgeron is an avid golfer, and also enjoys participating in team-sports such as volleyball, baseball, and ball hockey. She will be completing her education goals, having enrolled in a Bachelor of Justice Studies program this fall.
Tanya Memme – June 18 at 10 a.m.
Tanya Memme, Canadian Model and Host of A&E's "Sell This House"
Ask the quick-witted Canadian born Host of A&E’s Emmy-nominated “Sell This House” how to win the title of Miss World Canada and become a star on TV, and she’ll tell you it takes buckets of passion, tenacity and humour.
The daughter of the family-owned award-winning Canadian housing company Mountainview Homes, Tanya is the perfect host for “Sell This House” on A&E. Moving into her eighth season of hosting this popular show, Tanya uses real-life experiences, uncanny humour, and great advice on how to prepare a house for the market.
Tanya grew up on a 200-acre sod farm in Wainfleet, ON. As a young actor and dancer with a love for the camera, she began competing in local beauty pageants and in 1994, she was crowned Miss World Canada. After competing in the highly coveted “Miss World Pageant” in Sun City, South Africa, she moved to New York City where she attended the prestigious American Musical & Dramatic Academy. She was immediately cast in roles in “The Practice”, “JAG” and “CSI Miami” to name a few. She is the star of the horror movie “Terror Inside” alongside Corey Feldman, for which she was awarded Best Lead Actor in an Independent Film. Her movie will be released on June 15th (her birthday) of this year. Currently airing across Canada, she is seen as the Spokesperson for “World Vision Canada” alongside Alex Trebek, where she visited Cambodia to report on the horrors of child trafficking and child labour. You can also see Tanya pursuing her passion as one of the “Rescue Angels” where she and her best friend rescue animals from kill shelters across America.
Tanya has an extensive list of credits such as “Entertainment Tonight Canada,” the highest rated news program in Canada, three seasons of “Robotica” on TLC, CBS-2′s “9 On the Town” and ABC-7′s “Eye on LA.” in Southern California. Tanya has appeared in the living room of 12 million viewers as the face of “DirecTV”. She loves speaking to teens about “how to have confidence and believe in who you are”. Also a talented singer, Memme has recorded her first CD entitled, “Gemini”, which was recently released and is available on her website tanyamemme.com.
Doug Rapelje – June 18 at 3 p.m.
Doug Rapelje, Past Director of the Region of Niagara's Social Services and Senior Citizens Dept.
Doug Rapelje has worked in seniors care for more than 45 years and is recognized nationally as a leading advocate and expert on issues relating to seniors and long term care.
Doug began his career at Sunset Haven Home for Senior Citizens in 1960, where he was Administrator until 1970, when he was appointed Director/Regional Administrator, Home for Senior Citizens for the Regional Municipality of Niagara. In 1977 he became Director of the Region of Niagara’s Senior Citizens Department, which was expanded in 1994 to the Social Services and Senior Citizens department. Since retiring in 1995, he has worked as a consultant in long term care and gerontology and volunteered with a number of organizations.
Doug is a member of the Gerontology Advisory Council for Veterans Affairs Canada, Chair of the Welland Senior Citizens Advisory Committee, and promotes the Regional Age Friendly Community Project. He has served on many local, provincial and national committees, councils and boards. He is Past President of the Ontario Association of Non-profit Homes and Services, the Ontario Gerontology Association and the Alzheimer Society of Niagara, Past Chairperson of the Ontario Senior Citizens Advisory Council, and he has served on the National Advisory Council on Seniors.
Doug is the first recipient of an Honorary Diploma in Nursing from Niagara College, and the first recipient of the Ontario Association of Non Profit Homes and Services for Seniors Leadership Award. He is the recipient of the Peter F. Drucker Niagara Regional Voluntary Sector Innovation Award, and has received volunteer awards from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Alzheimer Society of Niagara. In 2008, Doug was awarded the Canadian Red Cross Power of Humanity Award, and upon his retirement, the Region of Niagara recognized his life’s work with seniors by naming a Long Term Home in Welland the D.H. Rapelje Lodge.
Over the course of his career, Doug has completed certificates and diplomas at McMaster University, George Washington University and the University of Toronto. He and his wife, Carol, live in Welland, and have four children and six grandchildren.
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