Jennifer Blakeley / Niagara College

Jennifer Blakeley is an award-winning entrepreneur with three successful businesses. In spite of Blakeley’s vision loss in one eye, she runs Jennifer Blakeley Photography, which specializes in maternity and newborns. She also runs Sips & Suds, a wifi cafe within a laundromat. Alphabet Photography offers more than 1,000 photos of items resembling letters that make unique gifts. In 2010, Alphabet Photography generated more than $1 million. Blakeley received worldwide media attention for her innovative Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, and holds the YouTube record for most-watched flash mob of all time with 33-million views. She graduated from Human Resources Management in 2004.

Anne and Lori Bouchard / Collège Boréal

Twin sisters Anne and Lori Bouchard graduated from Collège Boréal’s Sports and Recreation Management program in 2005. Today, they are well-established entrepreneurs in their home town of Kapuskasing, as owner-operators of Casey’s Bar and Grill, a franchise that is part of the highly regarded Prime Restaurants chain with 160 locations across Canada. Their relationship with the chain began modestly, as Casey’s employees in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec. They credit their college experience with showing them that they could achieve personal goals and they consider the self-assurance they acquired in college to be the most important element of their education.

Wayne Clarke / Durham College

Wayne Clarke, graduate of the General Business – Office Administration program in 1971, has provided exceptional administrative service to a variety of sectors. Clarke worked in the provincial Registrar General’s office before joining Scotiabank and then the Royal Bank of Canada as branch administrator. In 1992, Clarke joined Halloway Developments Limited, where he serves as a tax assessment specialist. Clarke is past president and current member of the board of directors for Durham Region Home Builders Association (DRHBA). The DRHBA was named the Association of the Year by the Ontario Home Builders Association in 2001 under his presidency.

Errol Da-Ré / St. Clair College

Errol Da-Re made a swift transition into his career, obtaining a position at Leo Burnett Advertising Agency while still enrolled in his last semester of Business Advertising at St. Clair College in 1985. Da-Re has seen his career flourish from marketing analyst at the prestigious CBC, to sales representative for CTV, Citytv and the New VR, then executive vice president of broadcast sales at Alliance Atlantis and Canwest, now Shaw Media, as senior vice president. Da-Re’s college background positioned him in a career that continues to evolve and he is determined to continue to advance through the advertising industry.

John Flannery / Centennial College

John Flannery is an innovative health care administrator whose nursing background and business acumen have shaped his visionary approach to executive leadership within the health care sector. In his positions at Casey House, Bridgepoint, and Surrey Place, he has expanded services and helped to improve the lives of patients and their families, as well as entire communities. In addition to his work as an administrator, Flannery is an active volunteer and a tireless advocate for people living with HIV/AIDS and people with developmental disabilities. He also contributes to Centennial College as an engaged member of the college’s board of governors.

Peter Gault / St. Lawrence College

Peter Gault is the founder and president of Busitech, a Cornwall-based Canadian software developer whose flagship product – Quality Window – is in use in hundreds of manufacturing facilities in 70 countries around the world. It takes a bottom-up approach to improving manufacturing processes, by empowering shop-floor employees to identify and quickly correct issues that would otherwise lead to product returns, defects or waste. And it does so with an innovative suite of products that follow Busitech’s philosophy that to improve processes, one must first understand them. Its scalable and symbol-and-colour-based language ensures it is accessible to small shops and large multinationals.

Brian Horton / Fleming College

As the chief administrative officer of the city of Peterborough and top public servant, Brian Horton is responsible to the mayor and members of Council for the administration, coordination and direction of all the affairs of the corporation in accordance with the policies established by Council. Brian worked his way up from an entry level position in the tax office in 1976 to the CAO position in 2011. Unusual in public administration, Brian has had a 35 year career working for the City of Peterborough, his hometown.

Michael Le Page / Mohawk College

As president and founder of Maple Ridge Community Management Ltd., Michael Le Page created a company that has earned a reputation of being one of the best in the industry. From humble beginnings as a small upstart company operated from his personal residence to Maple Ridge’s status today as one of the five largest condominium management firms in the Greater Toronto market, Maple Ridge has grown and flourished under Le Page’s leadership, providing employment opportunities for other college graduates and setting the standard for the condominium management industry.

James Parker / Confederation College

After graduating from Confederation College, James Parker consulted at a number of companies including Dell. He then joined Microsoft and in just 12 years climbed from consultant to partner level, a title held by the top 0.5 per cent of Microsoft employees. His technical knowledge, strong sales skills, and natural leadership abilities have made him one of Microsoft’s up and coming young executives. Currently, Parker heads up a sales force of 500 people that provides on premise and cloud-based services to 1,600 clients across 32 Eastern European countries, with a sales target of $1.2 billion per year.

Peter Politis / Sault College

Mayor Peter Politis, an inspired and innovative leader revered for his active role in creating historical breakthrough agreements in First Nations negotiations, is reviving his small northern town of Cochrane like never before. Having negotiated over $450 million in equitable agreements through his consulting practice, Politis assists aboriginal communities in managing adversity and empowers them to build entrepreneurial partnerships with government and industry. Elected as the mayor in 2010, Politis’ leading-edge approach lends itself well to developing an exciting course of growth and development that is leading Cochrane to experience one of the most notable growth booms in northern Ontario.

Lou-Anne Robinson / Canadore College

Lou-Anne Robinson never dreamed that shortly after applying for a chef position with the worldrenowned Cirque du Soleil, she would be honing her specialized nutrition and culinary skills in a tractor trailer kitchen, ensuring the well-being of all performers, cast and crew of the Kooza production. Most recently, Robinson was invited to join the OVO production as purchasing and administration coordinator, negotiating supplier contracts and logistics in up to six cities at one time, for nearly 350 performances per year. Robinson now travels the world with a wonderful family of hard-working, supportive individuals, living the life of her dreams.

Gordon Schofield / Humber College

Gordon Schofield is a 35-year veteran in the business world, his current positions being president/CEO of Commerce Harbor Inc, and partner/investor in Murphy Business, the Canadian operation of an international business brokerage firm. His vast experience has included executive level responsibilities with two major distributors, five information technology vendors, two national IT services providers and ownership of a payroll services provider. He has also operated a successful mid-cap mergers and acquisitions advisory practice completing a number of funding, sale and acquisition transactions. Schofield has had consistent increases in shareholder value and solid business partnerships as a leader and strategist.

Karen Sharp-Perry /
Loyalist College

Karen Sharp-Perry is an end-to-end supply chain expert (supplier-manufacturer-shippercustomer) with a keen sense for strategy, continuous improvement and a passion to develop strong teams which deliver outstanding results. Her current role as global service manager for corporate business intelligence allows Sharp-Perry to use her business knowledge gained at Loyalist College to develop and deploy data gathering and analysis technologies and processes to deliver against a top priority strategy for the company. Sharp-Perry is also active in community service for schools, church, women’s and sports events.

Geoffrey Stephens / Georgian College

Geoffrey Stephens became president and controlling owner of Capital Paving Inc. at age 35 and has grown its revenue from $18 million to $80 million in just over 10 years. He and his partners recently made a major ownership investment in Fowler Construction. In 2010, Capital was named one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies and is an unprecedented three-time winner of the Ministry of Transportation’s Paver of the Year Award. Stephens was one of 40 Canadian entrepreneurs chosen for the 2010 Quantum Shift at Richard Ivey School of Business. He is active in the community, serving on numerous industry association boards.

Winston Stewart / Seneca College

Winston Stewart is the founder of Wincon Security and Investigative Services, an award-winning security firm based in Markham. Wincon provides services in security consulting, private investigation, mobile patrol and digital surveillance systems. In 1992, with the support of a Seneca professor, Stewart began Wincon, with one client and a $10,000 loan from his mother. Today, he employs more than 100 people and serves 35 companies in Canada and internationally. Stewart is the recipient of the Harry Jerome Award and the Markham Business Excellence Award and represented Canada at the G20 Summit. He is a graduate of Seneca’s Law Enforcement program.

Luc Villeneuve / Algonquin College

Luc Villeneuve’s life story is nothing short of inspirational. A young boy from an impoverished family in rural Ontario, Villeneuve left the tiny community of Lefaivre to pursue his education. After graduating from Algonquin’s Business Administration program, Villeneuve began a meteoric rise in the business world, taking on a series of senior executive positions at BCE, GE Capital and CNC Global Limited. Villeneuve helped Sun MicroSystems grow from a $350 million to a $500-million business before becoming president at NCR Canada. Promoted to NCR Europe, Villeneuve then assumed responsibility for a $1.5-billion company with more than 30 partner countries.

Laurel Michele Walzak / George Brown College

Laurel Walzak's marketing skills and love of sports landed her a job in the National Hockey League, but the NHL is the big winner. Since being hired five years ago, Walzak has helped drive an increase in revenue year over year. She was instrumental in signing the largest retail deal in the NHL's history, generating millions. Passionate about giving back and encouraging new talent, Walzak volunteers her time and expertise to students and programs at George Brown, Humber and Mohawk colleges. “I got to where I am today because of George Brown. I want to continue to give back.”

Daniel Xilon / Cambrian College

As the administrator of the Banque d’aliments Sudbury Food Bank (BDSFB), Daniel Xilon ensures that Sudbury’s hungry get enough to eat. A leader and motivator in his community, Xilon uses creative marketing, event planning, and sound business sense to deliver food and funds to the main food bank and 45 member-agencies across the city. He is devoted to his mission with the food bank, but still finds time to contribute to various boards and committees that work toward improving health and social services across Greater Sudbury and northern Ontario.

Randy Zupanski / Fanshawe College

Zupanski is a change agent in the hotel business. His extraordinary career has seen him successfully manage, restore, or launch some of the most exclusive hotels in the world, from the Regal Airport Hotel in Shanghai to the Fairmont Newport Beach. His most recent success is the Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver, a 377-room gem that he managed from the ground up to welcome VIP guests for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. In its first year, the hotel has become a market leader in Vancouver and ranks in the top percentile in Fairmont’s guest satisfaction and colleague engagement measurements.

Danielle Aziz / Fanshawe College

Danielle Aziz has turned her Child and Youth Worker credentials from Fanshawe College – and her love of children – into a thriving business. Under her leadership, Onward Social Skills has helped more than 2,000 children develop the skills they need to deal with their emotions, resolve disputes effectively, and build better relationships. Aziz created the Onward program based on her learning at Fanshawe. As her business has grown, she has provided employment opportunities and mentorship to many other Child and Youth Workers. She recently received a provincial grant to explore the benefits of promoting positive peer relations through emotional awareness.

Dan Badour / St. Clair College

Badour has paved an impressive career path, with St. Clair’s Law and Security Diploma as his foundation. He excelled in a number of positions including customs inspector, intelligence officer, chief of intelligence, district director, RCMP liaison officer and national director of intelligence Operations. Badour currently holds the prominent position of executive director, Canada Border Services Agency, for the southern Ontario region. The southern Ontario region is home to the top six of Canada’s busiest land border crossings. Badour is second in command of more than 1,700 Canadian Border Services Agency employees including front-line border services officers, managers and non-uniformed personnel.

Brenda Combs / Sault College

Brenda Combs, granddaughter of residential school survivor Fanny Nolan, has been referred to as one of “Canada’s thought-leaders” for her impactful work as a change agent in justice issues related to aboriginal women. Immediate past chair of the National Aboriginal Circle Against Family Violence, the largest organization in Canada aimed at the safety and well-being of native children and families, and executive director of Nimkii-Naabkawagan, Combs works tirelessly towards a violence-free society as well as contributing countless volunteer hours giving voice to the hundreds of murdered and missing aboriginal women in Canada who can no longer speak for themselves.

Eugene Dupuis / Durham College

Eugene Dupuis has spent more than 25 years in the advertising sector with Canada’s largest suburban newspaper chain since graduating from the Sports Administration program at Durham College in 1979. In 1982, Dupuis helped launch CKQB Virgin Radio in Ottawa as promotions director, then helped develop the Metro Home Show in Toronto. He joined Metroland Publishing in 1985 as manager and director of sales and currently works as an advertising consultant. An avid volunteer for a wide range of community organizations and committees, including the Boy Scouts of Canada, he also founded a provincially recognized executive coaching program.

John Fenik / Algonquin College

When John Fenik graduated from Algonquin’s Child Care Worker program in 1981, he began a remarkable journey of caring. After two decades of work in child protection, Fenik became the mayor of Perth in 2006, and warden of Lanark County in 2010. Fenik serves as an extraordinary champion for his community, ensuring that no one goes hungry and that young people have access to education and counseling. He has worked to create a flourishing green community, through dramatic waste reduction programs and solar farm initiatives, and was a dedicated, driving force behind Algonquin’s new Heritage Institute in Perth.

Mario Guilombo / George Brown College

Human rights defender Mario Guilombo is committed to protecting the human rights of victims of persecution and human rights violations. A lawyer in his native Columbia, Guilombo fled to Canada in 2001 after his five-year-old daughter's legs were broken by the criminals he was working to prosecute. He founded the Canadian Human Rights International Organization, a not-for-profit, volunteer organization that has helped almost 8,000 families since 2007. Guilombo's community service has been widely recognized. He was one of Canada's Top 25 Immigrants and 10 Most Influential Hispanic Canadians, as well as the recipient of Canada's Citizenship Award and New Pioneers Award.

John Horne / Cambrian College

After 33 years in law enforcement, John Horne’s career with the Ontario Provincial Police has seen him serve and protect communities across northern Ontario. Although policing requires a high degree of community involvement, his commitment to his community has gone above the call of duty. He’s raised money to support Cochrane and an orphanage in Kenya. He’s also assisted with golf tournaments that benefit a pediatric hospital. Horne has also received several Letters of Commendation, and increasing levels of responsibility in a career that eventually brought him to the rank of detective inspector.

Chief Armand Paul La Barge (Retired) / Seneca College

Armand La Barge is the retired chief of the York Regional Police, where he led 2,000 officers and staff. His 37-year career included positions in criminal investigation, intelligence and investigative services. La Barge has received the Police Exemplary Services Medal; the Queens Golden Jubilee Medal; the Exemplary Service First Bar; and was named an Officer of the Order of Merit. He is a graduate of Seneca’s Investigate Sciences and Police Foundations program, earned a master’s degree from Trent University and a bachelor’s degree from York University. La Barge is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy.

Ian Laing / Confederation College

Fire Chief Ian Laing has dedicated his life to community service. He worked his way through the ranks as a front line firefighter before moving up to leadership positions at Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services, and now Central York Fire Services. Laing’s career is characterized by a genuine desire to make firefighting safer for employees and the public alike. He has personally developed the Response Safety Program to make transport to and from fires safer, and was instrumental in bringing Roll Stability Control to fire trucks throughout North America. Laing provides leadership and inspiration for firefighters across Canada and the US.

Linda Marshall / Mohawk College

During her 33-year career at Mohawk, Linda Marshall has made both the college a better place to learn and Hamilton a better place to call home. In 2006, Marshall and her family made what was then the largest private donation in Mohawk’s history. Their $1.2-million donation supported a new transportation centre at Mohawk’s skilled trades campus for 400 apprentices, named in memory of their late father, Gerald Marshall. Marshall and her family have raised an additional $350,000 and contributed $240,000 for bursaries. Marshall has also provided exemplary leadership to the United Way of Greater Burlington and Hamilton, Volunteer Hamilton and Bay Area Leadership.

Daniel J. McDonald / Humber College

Deputy Chief Daniel McDonald is a 32-year member of the Peel Regional Police. He has worked in the intelligence bureau, the criminal investigation bureau, and has held the positions of uniformed staff sergeant, senior officer, inspector, officer in charge of uniform patrol, officer in charge of the professional standards bureau, staff superintendent and his current role of deputy chief. Daniel’s work has included involvement in homicides, the drug squad and the special investigations unit. He is in charge of 60 bureaus and 1,300 officers. McDonald has received Exemplary Service Awards awarded by the Governor General of Canada.

Jim McMullen / Fleming College

McMullen is a decorated conservation officer with more than 30 years of experience in the field. McMullen’s expertise lies in commercial and sportfishing, firearms and marine training as well as leading operations for provincial fire teams battling forest fires all over the country. McMullen received recognition as Conservation Officer of the Year in 2009, lifesaving awards, as well as a variety of commendations for his exemplary service. He was instrumental in securing the appointment of conservation officers under the small vessel regulations, increasing marine law enforcement presence by 40 per cent, ensuring increased public safety on Ontario waterways.

Charles (Chuck) Mercier / Loyalist College

After graduating from college, Chuck Mercier 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 commendations and 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, Mercier returned to civic duty - at the request of Scugog's electorate - as mayor. Mercier has been a tireless worker for a number of local causes including Scouts Canada for 18 years.

Karen Murphy / Lambton College

Since the suicide of her friend David, Karen Murphy has been an advocate for the mentally ill. This esteemed court liaison officer has: passed the hat to help those needlessly languishing in jail; was instrumental in developing Peel’s Mental Health Court; and was featured as one of Reader’s Digest’s Heroes of Mental Health. Recently appointed as a justice of the peace, this graduate of Lambton College’s Radio, TV, and Journalism program says her most notable career highlights were the times she made a difference in a person’s life. Fittingly, David’s mother will attend Murphy’s public swearing-in ceremony.

Rob Nickel / Conestoga College

Rob Nickel is a 14-year police veteran and one of the world’s leading experts on the subject of Internet child pornography. He is a successful entrepreneur, gifted public speaker and media personality dedicated to keeping children protected online. Nickel was lead investigator on Project Snowball, a three-year, Canada-wide sweep investigating more than 2,000 child pornography suspects. He has trained other officers in effective investigation techniques and advocated with governments for better protection of children. His book Staying Safe in a Wired World has sold more than 30,000 copies and his presentations on Internet safety reach more than 100,000 students each year.

John Osczypko / Niagara College

John Osczypko has focused his entire career on preventing homelessness. As executive director of Gateway Residential and Community Support Services, he oversees the building of housing projects providing safe and affordable shelter for individuals living with mental illness. Partnered with the Canadian Mental Health Association, Gateway is now the largest provider of mental health housing in Niagara. Osczypko expanded his dedication to aid disadvantaged citizens and youth by founding the Housing Help Centre, and the Resource Association for Teens. He is a board member of Niagara Regional Housing and the Ontario Federation of Community Mental Health.

Ian Campbell / Fanshawe College

Campbell has used his Industrial Design diploma from Fanshawe College to create a multimillion dollar business called iCONECT Development, LLC. iCONECT’s pioneering software allows clients to scan paper files and share them easily over the Internet. Since its launch in 1999, iCONECT has managed hundreds of millions of legal documents related to cases including the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the British Petroleum oil spill, and litigation around defective Toyota products. It now has branch offices in London, Los Angeles, Washington, and San Antonio, and includes many of North America’s largest legal firms and Fortune 500 companies among its customers.

Jon Cassar / Algonquin College

Jon Cassar is an internationally acclaimed film director and producer. For seven years, he served as director, producer and executive producer of the well-known television series 24. During his tenure, the series won multiple Emmys and a Golden Globe Award, while Cassar himself was awarded an Emmy for Outstanding Direction in a Drama Series in 2006. Cassar is now working in the feature film industry. His mini-series, The Kennedys, premiered this past April and he is presently working with Steven Spielberg as executive producer and regular series director on the set of Terra Nova in Australia.

Lee Chambers / Sault College

Lee Chambers, a world-renowned writer, producer, director, and teacher, is an exceptional creative leader who has made contributions to community and creativity. A graduate of Advertising Art and Graphic Design, Chambers is an avid filmmaker who now teaches what he knows through his work as a highly dynamic college professor in the environment where he once thrived as a student. Admired by peers, colleagues, and Academy Award-winning professionals alike, Chambers shares his knowledge and passion through a community project he has created to link film professionals with community members while raising money to donate to charitable causes.

Brenda Clark / Sheridan College

For the past 25 years, Brenda Clark has delighted and helped educate countless children as the illustrator of the hugely successful Franklin the Turtle children’s book series. More than 65- million Franklin books have been sold in more than 30 languages worldwide, making the series the single most successful franchise in the history of Canadian publishing. The Franklin brand has expanded to include a TV series and a variety of merchandise sold globally. This year, an archive of Clark’s illustrations was federally certified as cultural property of "Outstanding Significance and National Importance." In 2012, Franklin’s image will grace a Canadian stamp.

Cal Coons / Niagara College

Cal Coons continues to help raise the popularity of Canadian television. This writer, director and producer has worked on The Listener, The Republic of Doyle, Murdoch Mysteries, ReGenesis, and Blue Murder. All international hits, Murdoch Mysteries received 25 Gemini nominations including Best Dramatic Series, while Blue Murder was nominated for 26 Gemini including Best Series and Best Writing in a Series. Coons co-wrote documentaries for Bravo and Discovery, one of which received a Gemini nomination for Best General/Human Interest Series. This selfproclaimed workaholic is a member of both the Writers and Directors Guilds of Canada.

Lynn Crawford / George Brown College

Celebrated chef Lynn Crawford is back in Toronto with her own restaurant, Ruby Watchco, and a hit TV show, Pitchin' In, for which she received a Gemini nomination in 2010. Crawford left her prestigious position as executive chef of the Four Seasons Manhattan in 2009 after two decades with the hotel chain, including stints in Montreal, Nevis, Vancouver and Toronto. Crawford was the first female Canadian chef to appear on Iron Chef America and was a chef on Restaurant Makeover for three seasons. Crawford recently opened the store Ruby Eats and her cookbook, Lynn Crawford's Pitchin' In, will be published in January.

Heather K. Dahlstrom / Confederation College

Heather K. Dahlstrom is a successful producer and partner at Torch|Head Productions. Two of her films, Ten for Grandpa and How to Rid Your Lover of a Negative Emotion Caused By You!, were featured at the Sundance Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival respectively. Dahlstrom is passionate about making Canadian films for a Canadian audience – her shorts have appeared on Bravo! and the CBC. She is currently working on several new projects, including a feature film directed by and starring Jason Priestley. Dahlstrom gives much of her time helping other young filmmakers and mentoring college students.

Suzanne Dimma / Humber College

Suzanne Dimma is the editor-in-chief of Canadian House & Home, and Maison et Demeure magazines, Canada’s authorities on decorating and design. House & Home is the leading Canadian shelter/lifestyle publication outnumbering all US, foreign and Canadian publications in its category, reaching 2.3-million people monthly. Under Dimma’s leadership, readership has grown more than 10 per cent yearly. Dimma has co-produced, co-created and hosted her own television series, and has made regular appearances on other television programs. She has also written for some of Canada’s leading newspapers. Dimma was integral in the creation of the widely popular Wish magazine.

Melissa Grelo / Seneca College

Melissa Grelo is one of Canada’s most-popular television personalities. Since 2009, this former school teacher has been co-host of CP24 Breakfast. Grelo also co-hosted CTV's Olympic Morning during the 2010 Olympics. An alumna of Seneca’s Journalism program, Grelo began her career as an intern. Since then, she has held positions as a commuter specialist, news writer, reporter and anchor. Grelo is devoted to getting to the heart of stories that matter most to her viewers and committed to giving back to the community. She raises funds for the Kids, Cops & Computers Program and the Community Association for Riding for the Disabled.

Jonathan Gushue / Georgian College

After graduating from Georgian College’s Culinary Management program, Jonathan Gushue has quickly become one of the country’s top chefs. He has been widely recognized for his accomplished culinary skills, taking inspiration from field, farm and forest when creating classical dishes with a contemporary edge. In 2009, Gushie was named grand chef by Relais & Chateaux, a designation that he shares with only 160 others across the globe. He is currently executive chef at Langdon Hall in Cambridge and is the recipient of the coveted CAA/AAA five diamond award.

Tom Hedican / Canadore College

Hedican began as a sports writer with the London Free Press, becoming at the age of 28 one of its youngest senior editors ever. However, Hedican’s love of hockey and of inspiring young athletes shifted his focus to professional coaching; a move that led him to establish a professional goaltending consultancy and coach more than a dozen NHL-drafted goalies. A passion for helping those less fortunate prompted Hedican to found Coach4Food, a highly successful food bank fundraiser publicly endorsed by rock legend Bruce Springsteen. Hedican has recently received funding to develop and promote Coach4Food’s new anti-bullying and youth volunteerism messages.

John Kryk / St. Clair College

Kryk paved an impressive career path immediately upon graduation from Journalism at St. Clair College in 1986. As a sports writer in Timmins, followed by sports editor in Sudbury, Kryk then transitioned to numerous editor positions at the Toronto Sun. Kryk’s first decade after college was spent moving up the ranks of the journalism world. Since 2006, Kryk holds the position of national entertainment editor for Sun Media under Quebecor Media Inc., Canada’s largest newspaper publisher. Kryk also authored Natural Enemies: the Notre Dame-Michigan Football Feud, and continues writing. He has also written dozens of freelance articles for American magazines and newspapers.

Pierre Lamoureux / Cambrian College

Pierre Lamoureux is a sought-after director and senior producer of concert videos, films, and music videos. He is co-owner of Fogolabs, a production company with studios in New York and Montreal. Working in a highly-competitive and dynamic industry, Pierre has received much acclaim for his work, earning a Grammy Award in 2009, and an Emmy Award in 2005, along with a Juno and a Gemini Award. His work is available on DVD and Blu-ray, and iTunes. He is currently filming a show called Flamenco Hoy, which was directed and created for the stage by Oscar-winning Carlos Saura.

R. Kris Nahrgang / Fleming College

Nahrgang is a renowned Canadian artist whose work can be seen in the collections of such high profile clients as Nelson Mandela, Prince Andrew and Bill Cosby. He is also the elected Chief of Kawartha Nishnawbe First Nation and has used his social work background and love of carving to create an intensive art therapy program as well as to advocate for First Nations people in the repatriation of artifacts. He is currently working with the Discovery Channel on a 13-part series called Ancestors Speak, documenting and protecting Native artifacts.

Martin Seemungal / Loyalist College

Recently appointed as the Middle East bureau chief for CTV, Martin Seemungal’s career as a foreign news correspondent for CTV, CBC, ABC, CBS and PBS has seen him travel the world covering international events. Throughout his career, Seemungal has been recognized for his outstanding work, and he is the recipient of many industry awards and nominations including two Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, an Overseas Press Club for America Award, the Radio and Television News Directors (Canada) Award for Best Documentary, and a Gemini Award nomination.

Jim Tatti / Mohawk College

In his 35-year broadcasting career, Jim Tatti has made an indelible mark on sports broadcasting in Canada. His signature style as host of Global TV’s Sportsline for 23 years made him a pioneer in his industry and set the standard for others to follow. Over the years as a broadcaster, Tatti helped to launch more than 75 careers in broadcasting and served as a mentor to every one of them. With an impressive list of accomplishments that includes coverage of high-profile sporting events such as the Stanley Cup, the Molson Indy and the World Series, Tatti is a role model for anyone looking to enter Canada’s broadcasting industry.

Michael Whittaker / Durham College

Public Relations graduate Michael Whittaker has built some of Atlantic Canada’s best-known food brands and products. In 1981, Whittaker joined Grinner’s Food Systems (franchisor of Greco Pizza), becoming CEO, president and partner in 1996 and currently serves as president and partner of Trucorp Investments Limited, one of Atlantic Canada’s largest meat, bakery and sauce manufacturers. Whittaker is also co-owner of Haystacks Media Production and OPCO Restaurants. In 2004, he was named one of Atlantic Canada’s top 50 CEO’s in 2004 by Atlantic Business magazine. Whittaker also helped implement a campaign promoting organ donation through more than two-million pizza boxes and three-million flyers.

Mark Agro / George Brown College

Mark Agro has been instrumental in making Otto Bock HealthCare a world leader and innovator in products that help people with disabilities live their lives with more freedom and function. With 50 new amputees every day in Canada, Otto Bock's prosthetic and orthotic components help restore independence – a fact that makes every work day meaningful for Agro. Since taking over Canadian operations in 1993, Agro has grown the business substantially, increasing staff from nine to 87 employees. He is past-president of the Canadian Board for Certification of Prosthetists and Orthotists and the co-author and editor of two current industry textbooks.

Trudy Bellam / Loyalist College

Currently working at the Montreal Children’s Hospital as a staff nurse, Bellam has been working in pediatrics for most of her career. Her Loyalist experience initially inspired her to work with children and her passion for this began at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children. It then carried her to various locations in the United States where she settled for 10 years in Denver, Colorado. In addition to her regular nursing duties, Bellam was one of the first to respond to the earthquake in Haiti by volunteering as both nurse and translator for Project Smile, aiding children with facial deformities access medical care and safe reconstructive surgery.

Tracy Buckler / Sault College

Tracy Buckler, president and CEO of one of the largest healthcare organizations in northwestern Ontario, is truly an exemplary leader. After graduating as a nurse, Buckler quickly climbed the ranks to lead St. Joseph’s Care Group, a multi-site organization with 1,700 employees and an annual operating budget of more than $125 million. A dynamic and inspirational leader who works to support her community through volunteer work and an unyielding dedication to quality health care in the north, Buckler’s motto is simple but powerful: “The client is our reason for being.”

Margaret Campkin / Durham College

Since graduating from Nursing in 1985, Margaret Campkin has dedicated herself to the nursing profession through her work, by furthering her own education in the field and by providing education for future nurses. Campkin joined Lakeridge Health Corporation as a registered nurse in the medical isolation unit before becoming a clinical education leader in the critical care/telemetry department and currently as patient care manager of the critical care department. In 2007, she also became a part-time instructor in the Critical Care Nursing program. Campkin has been recognized with numerous awards and fellowships including the Lakeridge Health Corporation Leadership Award.

Chartier was the corporate lead for OMNI Health Care’s submission and subsequent selection as one of “Canada’s Top 100 Employers” in 2010.

Jenna Caza / Lambton College

Inspired by her mother Wendy’s battle with MS, Jenna Caza chose a career where she could help ease people’s pain. Two years after graduating Lambton College’s Massage Therapy program, Caza developed massage therapy curriculum for Trillium College. Two months later, she opened Cazaberi Massage Therapy and has become one of the most respected registered massage therapists in Kingston. A dedicated volunteer for a number of charitable causes, Caza worked on a year-long HST strategy for the Ontario Massage Therapist Association and gives back to her profession as an approved tutor for the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario.

Patrice Chartier / Fleming College

Chartier began his career working with children and youth with acquired brain injuries and moved into sales with SCA Personal Care. After achieving the position of regional vice president, Chartier wanted to return to his physiotherapy roots. He is currently the vice president of operations for Achieva Health, overseeing rehabilitation services at more than 250 long-term care facilities, 100 retirement homes and 15 OHIP physiotherapy centres. He has been involved in many volunteer pursuits including the Acquired Brain Injury Association, Ross Memorial Hospital and the Weekend to End Women’s Cancers.

Debra Cooper Burger / St. Clair College

Over 30 years of experience has given Debra Cooper Burger the opportunity to yield significant developments for health care. She expanded the role of registered nurse after graduation, providing acute nursing care evolving into executive positions. She became CEO of the first long-term care teaching centre called St. Joseph’s at Fleming. Currently, she is president and CEO, Unionville Home Society. She has served the nursing community in executive capacities of RNAO, ONA and College of Nurses. Her dedication to Ontario colleges is invaluable. Her role on the College Compensation and Appointments Council, the Council of Regents, Colleges Ontario (then called ACAATO) and Fleming College demonstrates her commitment.

Nancy Hemrica / Mohawk College

Under Nancy Hemrica’s leadership as organ and tissue donation coordinator, Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) has become the leading donation site in across Canada. As the founding coordinator, Hemrica led the development of a comprehensive program supporting organ and tissue donation and management at HHS. As a senior coordinator with Trillium Gift of Life Network, Hemrica mentors new staff and supports their transition to similar roles within hospitals in the Greater Toronto Area. Hemrica recently participated in the development of new accreditation standards and her team created a program of recognizing donor families that has been adopted provincewide. Hemrica is a graduate of the Nursing programs at Mohawk College and Ryerson University.

Samantha Kennedy / Cambrian College

Samantha Kennedy is a highly successful female entrepreneur whose fitness and business acumen has helped her build her local boot camp program into a national chain. As creator and CEO of Booty Camp Fitness, Inc., Samantha’s commitment to growing her business has been recognized nationally with several rankings from prominent magazines, schools, and organizations. Kennedy also shows a strong commitment to her community through acting as a sponsor for women’s charity events, and through organizing the largest CIBC Run for the Cure team in Toronto.

Danny Kerr / Niagara College

Danny Kerr has always been devoted to the well-being of others. He graduated from Niagara College’s Ambulance and Emergency Care program in 1991, and the Advanced Care Paramedic program in 2007. As a paramedic and volunteer for Global Medic, Kerr saved lives by training medical personnel in Cambodia who work on demining teams. Kerr funds these missions 100 per cent by organizing campaigns. After having a heart attack at 36, Kerr has been dedicated to fundraising for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. In 2011, Kerr and his Niagara EMS Ride for Heart team raised $24,000 to bring automatic external defibrillators to Niagara.

Jeannette Lucky Heeley / Fanshawe College

Jeannette Lucky Heeley graduated from Fanshawe’s Respiratory Therapy program in 1992. After leaving a successful clinical practice, she shifted her focus to medical equipment with an emphasis on respiratory products and services. Her career took her through several positions before she became business director, Asia Pacific at eVent Medical, a world leader in the field. She was promoted to vice president of international sales in 2007, and in 2010 to her current position as vice president of sales and marketing. Throughout her career, she has helped eVent thrive globally by identifying new markets and developing effective products to serve them.

Lee-Anne Quinn / Seneca College

Major (retired) Lee-Anne Quinn is a 22-year veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces. She served in war-torn areas globally, including Afghanistan, Somalia, Rwanda, the former Yugoslavia. She has also served in First Nations and Inuit communities in northern Ontario and the Yukon. As a nurse practitioner with the Armed Forces, she was awarded the Order of Military Medal and also received the Florence Nightingale Award for her volunteerism in Ontario’s northern communities. Maj. Quinn is a graduate of Seneca’s nursing program, holds a BSc from the University of Ottawa, nurse practitioner certification from Queen's University and a master’s degree from Athabasca University.

Rahul Singh / Humber College

In 1999, paramedic Rahul Singh founded GlobalMedic, an organization providing efficient and cost effective disaster relief. He has led more than 50 missions in more than 30 countries. In 2003, the organization secured $850,000 worth of aid. By 2009, the organization had donated more than $10 million worth of relief items around the world. GlobalMedic’s methods have been adopted by some of the largest international relief organizations. In 2009, Singh was named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40, and in 2010 he was included on Time magazine's list of 100 most influential people in the world.

Glynis Williams / Centennial College

Rev. Glynis Williams has parlayed her professional nurse training and theology education into a unique career as an advocate for the world’s 15 million refugees displaced by war and violence. After an earlier experience as a pioneer in palliative care, Williams broadened her horizons by addressing human suffering in other lands, culminating in a charity she established with her colleagues called Action Refugiés Montréal. The agency advocates on behalf of refugee claimants who land in Canada, particularly the vulnerable women and children detained in the Laval immigration detention centre. She also works tirelessly to assuage North America’s stance against refugee immigrants.

Lianne Witt / St. Lawrence College

As director of laboratory and client services for Insception Biosciences, Lianne Witt is on the leading edge of cellular therapy, and a pioneer for medical laboratory technologists (MLTs) in Canada. Witt became an accredited assessor for the AABB, an international accrediting body, after being initially rejected because she lacked a university degree. Her tenacity – and a successful ‘education’ effort - convinced AABB’s board that MLTs in Canada are highly skilled, well-educated, and as qualified as their degree-holding U.S. equivalent. She now sits on a number of AABB subcommittees, giving Canada – and its MLTs - a voice in this evolving field.

Kirsten Woodend / Algonquin College

Kirsten Woodend launched her career when she graduated from Algonquin’s Registered Nursing program in 1978. Armed with a voracious appetite for knowledge and a deep commitment to the nursing profession, she graduated with a PhD in Medical Science more than two decades later. Woodend has played many roles in the advancement of the nursing profession in Canada — from clinical scientist and director of research, to professor and dean of nursing. A specialist in cardiovascular health, Woodend has led innumerable teams in internationally recognized nursing research, and lends her expertise to accreditation processes and to doctoral and baccalaureate education in nursing.

Kathleen Yake / Georgian College

After 25 years working as a hygienist in a dental office, Kathleen Yake opened her own clinic as an independent dental hygienist. In 2007, the provincial government passed Bill 191, which allowed hygienists to become certified to practise independently. Yake was among the first cohort of hygienists to obtain her certification and shortly thereafter opened her clinic. Dedicated to independent practise, Yake became one of the founding members of the Dental Hygiene Practitioners of Ontario. With her own successful clinic and a demonstrated commitment to oral health, Yake is a leader in her field and an inspiration to young hygienists.

Meagan Brown / Canadore College

A highly motivated and energetic young entrepreneur, Brown was a dedicated employee of Twigg’s Coffee Roasters before being asked by the company’s owner to manage and operate the company’s newest location. Building on basic business skills acquired during her college coop placement with Twigg’s, Brown now spends an average of 14 hours a day at her new store, where sales will exceed $1 million this year alone. She manages a staff of 25, oversees all business operations, assures the quality of her coffees as primary roast master, maintains the corporate website, and leads all new product development for the entire company.

Ryan Bullock / Fleming College

Ryan is an integrated account supervisor at kbs+p (kirshenbaum bond senecal + partners), leading the execution on such high-profile accounts as Colleges Ontario, the Keg Steakhouse and Bar and Kamik Footwear. Bullock is climbing the advertising ladder quickly. As part of the pitch team for Target Canada, Bullock will be integral to the digital and traditional strategies used to market the popular American chain in Canada.

Jade Jager Clark / Humber College

At the age of 18, Jade Jager Clark opened her own business, Jade’s Hip Hop Academy. Her multi-faceted career includes being an artistic director, choreographer, teacher and businesswoman. Her students are extensively involved in competitions and showcases, regularly performing to large audiences. Starting with 18 students in 2006, she now has 220 students and her academy is one of the fastest growing dance studios in the Greater Toronto Area. She has been requested to teach hip hop seminars to educators in the Peel District School Board and at York University. She is currently creating a hip hop school curriculum.

Matthieu Desbois / Collège Boréal

Matthieu Desbois career is just beginning and is already impressive. As a student researcher in Collège Boréal’s applied research project involving industry and municipal partners, his accomplishments have raised community interest and media attention. With passion and diligence, he competently designed and tested a prototype for the extraction of essential oils - a non-traditional, value-added forestry product – from forest harvesting residues and wood chips. Desbois has his northern Ontario home town of Chapleau at heart and hopes that his research will lead to job creation in an economically challenged community that depends heavily on forestry.

David Edgar / Georgian College

David Edgar is a recent graduate of the Bachelor of Human Services – Police Studies program at Georgian College’s University Partnership Centre. He is now a first class constable for the Barrie Police Service and was recently lauded for his heroic efforts in response to a call while on duty in 2009. Edgar has received commendation from his police service, the Province of Ontario and the Canadian Police Association for his bravery while responding to a violent incident. Edgar is an advocate of community policing and has recently been awarded a transfer to Barrie’s HEAT team, which proactively polices downtown Barrie.

Melissa Gare / Lambton College

Melissa Gare has excelled at every career challenge in her path. In 2007, although she was new to her role, Lanxess Inc. turned to her to lead a company-wide human resources information system program for Canada that was to serve 15,000 employees in 30 countries. She succeeded, despite a near impossible deadline. Gare has participated in the successful negotiation of collective agreements and has been recognized by the human resources community. She has won several awards and successfully juggles her career with teaching at Lambton College, volunteering with the HRPA Sarnia and District and pursuing her masters in Industrial Relations.

Pamela Gutter / Mohawk College

A recent graduate of Mohawk College’s Recreation and Leisure Services program, Pamela Gutter has served for the past three years as the evening program coordinator and supervisor for Living Rock Ministries, a Hamilton-based non-profit. Gutter develops and delivers programs for at-risk youth in Hamilton that include positive recreational activities, character building and foundational skills that underpin health development and future success. Gutter also strengthens connections with community partners, including other non-profit organizations, teachers and police officers. Applying what she learned at Mohawk, Gutter has found her passion in reaching out to and connecting with at-risk youth and helping them accomplish milestones in their lives. Mohawk recognized Gutter with the 2010 Mohawk College Alumni of Distinction Award for a Recent Graduate.

Teenaz Javat / Sheridan College

Teenaz Javat is an award-winning journalist whose work with the CBC’s Metro Morning has shone a light on the pressing issues facing the diverse communities in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Her research and leadership has garnered recognition from news organizations and community groups, including the Radio Television News Directors Association of Canada and the GTA police forces. In 2008, she was featured in an exhibit celebrating Toronto’s 1,000 creative women at the Luminato Festival. Her stories have appeared in many print and online publications in Canada, India and Pakistan.

Kaela Lalonde / Loyalist College

Applying the research and laboratory skills developed during her time at Loyalist, Lalonde became a member of the Bisphenol A (BPA) research team with Health Canada and contributed to work that ultimately showed that BPA can leach into foods and beverages. A study published in 2009, co-authored by Lalonde, 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, Lalonde continues her research work as a laboratory technologist and has co-authored other papers on food and emerging environmental contaminants.

Rachelle Marois / La Cité collégiale

Moving without prejudice: Rachelle Marois has transformed her handicap into a unique opportunity to improve services to persons with reduced mobility in a non-traditional field. This 2010 graduate of La Cité collégiale is making her mark as the express service agent of the Westin Hotel in Ottawa. She is creating online resources for persons with reduced mobility who wish to travel. With her employer, she is developing courses on the best way to serve those clients. She is fully bilingual, aware of the challenges facing persons with disabilities, knowledgeable in the tourism industry, thus making her one of La Cité collégiale’s success stories.

Tim Porter St. Lawrence

Music Theatre Performance grad Tim Porter is not only a triple threat (actor, singer, dancer) but also a writer, director, and visionary. As the artistic director and founder of IANA Theatre Company (short for Canad-iana), Porter is on a mission to bring original homegrown musical theatre to Canadians. He has workshopped several plays and musicals in his hometown of Tweed, and this fall will bring his creation, Tweed, The Musical, to the Toronto stage. He has similar plans for IANA’s newest work, Aleck Bell, the story of Alexander Bell told through Canadian pop music. Porter has worked steadily since graduation.

David Pratt / Niagara College

David Pratt is the head grower at Sundrop Farms, the first commercial greenhouse worldwide to use the sun's energy to desalinate seawater, which produces freshwater for irrigation. He graduated from Niagara College Greenhouse Technician program in 2007. Being the first grower worldwide to use this innovative technology for commercial purposes, and to grow tomatoes in the Australian outback with seawater and no chemical pesticides, is a highlight of his already successful career. In 2008, Pratt set a world record for production of yellow bell peppers per square metre. Pratt mentors Niagara College students in the Greenhouse Technician program.

Christopher Russell / Durham College

Durham College Police Foundations graduate Christopher Russell has bravely served his country overseas and at home. Russell has been a member of the Canadian Forces (Army) Reserve since 2005. During his time in the Police Foundations program, he also volunteered for the Victim Services of Durham Region. After graduating in 2006, he joined the Canadian Forces Military Police, was deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan, and was seconded to the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service. Russell was awarded the General Campaign Star Medal, the Sacrifice Medal and the CFNIS Commanding Officers Commendation. He has since returned to CFB Petawawa as a corporal patrolman.

Evan Alexander Smith / George Brown College

Actor Evan Alexander Smith has already achieved what many actors strive for their entire careers. Shortly after graduating from theatre school, the Mississauga native landed the lead role in the Canadian production of The Toxic Avenger Musical. His performance won him a Dora Award nomination – one of Canada’s top theatre awards. He was also nominated for – and won – a Gemini Award for his performance in a documentary about the musical. The Toronto Star described Smith as “a young man with leather lungs, boundless energy and considerable charm.” Recently, Smith starred as Woody in Toy Story the Musical for the Disney Cruise Line.

Astha Tamang-Maskey / Seneca College

Singer-songwriter Astha Tamang-Maskey, 22, is a rising new talent in the Canadian independent music scene. Since graduating from Seneca College’s Independent Music Production program, she has released two albums without the financing or support of a major studio label. Her 2009 debut album, Sabai Thikai Huncha (Everything is Going to be Okay), which was released in Nepal, generated two No. 1 hit singles, a nomination for best rock vocal performance and rave reviews from Nepali music critics. Back in Toronto now, Tamang-Maskey just released her debut English album – 11:11, which she is on tour promoting.

Jessica Mooney / Sault College

A recent graduate of the Graphic Design program, Jessica Wendling made the impressive leap from inspired student to successful entrepreneur because of her vision and drive, making her a leader to watch. Owner and creator of Fuzednotions, a highly successful creative design powerhouse that has doubled in profits with 100 per cent growth over the past year, Wendling aims to grow her business to nearly double of what it is now by hiring additional college graduates to join her growing team. With a vast portfolio including large multinational clients, Wendling’s organization is a vibrant economic driver, strengthening the economy of the north.

Matthew Alexander / Sault College

Matthew Alexander, graduate of the Environmental Engineering Technology program, is truly an extraordinary learner and leader who has applied all that he has been taught through postsecondary education to his passionate pursuit of protecting the world’s most valuable resource: water. Named one of the top 21 leaders of the 21st century by the premier of New Brunswick, Alexander has overcome substantial barriers, including the murder of his mother, to go on to reach the highest level of academic achievement, as well as have an undeniable impact on all aspects of water research in Canada and the world.

Bruce Bonner / Fanshawe College

Bruce Bonner has achieved extraordinary success since he graduated from Fanshawe College’s Civil Engineering Technology program in 1987. After completing his Bachelor of Engineering degree, he joined the Peterborough-based engineering firm D.M. Wills Associates in 1990. Over the next 19 years, the firm grew dramatically, and Bonner grew with it, rising through the ranks to become president in 2009. With Bonner’s help and leadership, D.M. Wills Associates has grown from five to 90 employees, and has successfully undertaken massive projects including Peterborough Regional Hospital; major expansions to Trent University and Fleming College; and the Peterborough Airport Master Plan.

Mélanie Brisson / Collège Boréal

Mélanie Brisson graduated from Collège Boréal in Environmental Chemistry (2003) and Chemical Engineering Technology (2004), after obtaining a Science degree at Laurentian University (2000). Her internship led her to the RCMP’s Winnipeg laboratory, where she was subsequently hired as a laboratory technologist. Today, Brisson works with the RCMP in Vancouver as a legally recognized forensic alcohol analysis specialist, one of the youngest in the country. Her analyses and data interpretation provide scientific evidence in criminal cases. In 2010, the British Columbia Institute of Technology recruited Brisson to develop and teach a course on the Medicolegal Aspects of Alcohol.

Piyush Gandhi / Seneca College

Piyush Gandhi is the director of flight operations for Porter Airlines, where he oversees scheduling, training, administration and operations, as well as 550 staff members including pilots, flight attendants, and crew. He has also served as Porter’s chief pilot. Previously, he was a first officer, captain and chief pilot with Bombardier, where he created the Bombardier Flight Operations Steering Committee. Gandhi was one of the first to test the Q400 aircraft, and he was chosen to fly Queen Elizabeth across Ontario during her 2010 visit to Canada. Gandhi is a graduate of Seneca College’s Flight program and serves on the program’s program advisory committee.

Jerry Howell / Niagara College

Jerry Howell’s entrepreneurial spirit began at the age of nine, selling pumpkins out of a wheelbarrow from the family farm. After graduation, he pioneered Howell’s Family Pumpkin Farm into an agri-tourism business from the ground up, promoting it as a Halloween destination for pumpkins and animatronic shows that draws thousands of locals and tourists. Combining farming with tourism and entertainment, Howell’s company, Chick-n-mation, uses state-of-theart electronics and software to create and sell singing, talking and moving animatronics shows to farms worldwide. He has received the International Amusement Parks Association Trade Show Award, and the Premier’s Award for Agrifood Innovation Excellence.

Evan Jones / Sheridan College

Evan Jones is co-owner of Stitch Media, a leader in interactive media production with offices in Halifax and Toronto. Jones is a two-time Emmy Award winner whose innovative work on interactive content has established him as a pioneer in many new-media genres, including alternate reality games and interactive documentary. Jones, whose clients include the top names in the communications industry, recently added a World Summit Award from the United Nations for his company’s Canadian Chinese Head Tax project to an exhaustive list of accolades for widely diverse work. He is a highly sought-after speaker and educator here and abroad.

Mark Law / Fleming College

Mark Law, principal PM for MSN social and search at Microsoft has had a remarkable career in digital mapping that has included work developing sustainability practices for the Zambezi River Basin in Africa, and co-writing the patent for electronic mapping. He has led product teams for MSN Maps and Directions, Yahoo! Maps, MapQuest as well as leading geo-targeting and behavioural targeting technologies for Yahoo! Mark is now working for Microsoft to help shape the future of social and search on MSN.

Malcolm A. MacIver / Confederation College

Malcolm A. MacIver has done much to advance neuroscience, robotics, and our understanding of consciousness. His studies centre on weakly electric fish and how they use electro location to “see” in the murky waters of the Amazon River, illustrating how self-consciousness and biomechanics co-evolved. His research has also led to the invention of a self-navigating submersible for the US Navy (in development). Malcolm consulted for several Hollywood productions including Caprica and Tron: Legacy, and writes a regular blog for Discovery Magazine on robotics. Last year, U. S. President Barack Obama presented him with the prestigious PECASE Award.

Karen Mayfield / Loyalist College

Karen Mayfield is the president of eSolutionsGroup a new-aged technology company from Ontario’s technology capital Waterloo and an important and successful division of a traditional $500-million Canadian environmental company. The first female partner of Conestoga-Rovers with more than 25 years of experience, Mayfield spearheads many initiatives, including extensive research and development into new ideas for using the web to support communityfocused objectives including environmental stewardship. Mayfield paved the way for women by bringing energy and innovation to establish a collaborative working environment. She regularly shares her career experiences to assist and motivate as a professional speaker at events.

Ron Motum / Durham College

A 1974 graduate of the Chemical Technology program, Ron Motum spent more than 34 years in the chemical technology and operations sector, including 25 years at the Region of Durham in Whitby. In 2007, Motum became a professor at Durham College, teaching in the Water Quality Technician and Chemical Laboratory Technician programs. Motum is a longtime member of the Water Environment Federation and Water Environment Association of Ontario and associate member of the Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technologists and Technicians. He is also a Cub Scout leader and past president, secretary and member of the Whitby Kiwanis Club.

Kelly Ann Pauly / Mohawk College

Kelly Ann Pauly is a rising star in the world of Information Technology. As a senior business specialist and project manager with ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steel company, Pauly earned the respect and recognition among her colleagues and peers for her work in leading the development and implementation of Global ITIL processes and software tool standards at the company’s operations in North America. She is also very active in the local chapter of her professional association, the Project Management Institute, and in 2010 received international recognition from PMI when she was awarded the PMI Community Advancement Through Project Management Award for her work in establishing a partnership with a Hamilton-based community association.

Peter Quiring / St. Clair College

Quiring’s career following college began by fine-tuning the skills he learned in Mechanical Product Design and developing a company called South Essex Fabricating, which has manufactured more than 1,200 acres of greenhouses in Ontario. Mastering the technology of greenhouses, Quiring used innovative strategies to advance the greenhouse industry. In 2000, he established Nature Fresh Farms using his own greenhouse technology and boasts of being the largest producer of greenhouse bell peppers in North America. Quiring gives back to communities by donating more than 600,000 fresh vegetables to food banks and similar facilities across Ontario.

Luis Rodrigues / George Brown College

Luis Rodrigues has taken his college education to the top of his field. A graduate of the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technician program in 1980, Rodrigues is now vice-president at Honeywell, responsible for the national energy solutions division that sells and implements innovative energy systems that are guaranteed to save clients money, while being environmentally responsible. Rodrigues was also the catalyst for the industry advocacy organization Energy Services Association of Canada, created last year to actively promote government policies and regulatory support for the use of performance-based energy solutions to upgrade Canada's aging infrastructure. Rodrigues serves as its vice-chair.

MCpl Michael Trauner, MMV, SM, CD / Cambrian College

MCpl Michael (Mike) Trauner, MMV, SM, CD, 3rd Battalion RCR, is based at Canadian Forces Base Petawawa. Trauner assists injured and ill Canadian Forces members by listening, guiding, motivating, mentoring and visiting them. He also assists members administratively and provides them with the resources and contacts they need. A recipient of many military and civilian commendations, Trauner continues to be an inspiration to many and hopes to run for political office in the future.

Greg Tully / Lambton College

Greg Tully is one of Canada’s leading information technologists. He successfully created the first strategic billing system of its kind in Canada for Primus and led a project to offer Canada’s first Voice over Internet Protocol system. Since graduating from Lambton College’s Instrumentation and Control Engineering Technology, Tully has worked as a college instructor and helped launch a telecommunications company that became so successful a competitor purchased it. It’s no coincidence that in his three years heading the IT department for Sirius Satellite Radio Canada, the company has twice been named one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies.

Ted Vandevis / Georgian College

As president of the Electrical & Utilities Safety Association, Ted Vandevis made a monumental step in workplace health and safety in 1999 by adopting a vision of zero injuries by 2011. He led the association, its 1,100 member organizations, and 50,000 workers through a cultural change and extensive training, achieving a year-over-year decrease in lost time injuries of 10.4 per cent – the best in the province. This represents 4,000 injuries prevented and a savings of $377 million. Vandevis has also authored books, is a sought-after keynote speaker and guest lecturer, and completed his MBA and PhD while working full time.

Steve Wargalla / Humber College

Steve Wargalla is the vice president of Intelliware Development Inc. Throughout his 30-year career, Wargalla has helped organizations solve business problems by applying innovative technologies. His successes include the development of the President’s Choice Recipe Box Mobile app and building the Ontario Verified Network, a tool used to trace and track food products. Earlier in his career, Wargalla founded Impletech International Inc., an organization of 70 employees operating throughout North America. This success resulted in the sale of Impletech to CGI Information Systems and Management Consultants Inc., the fourth largest independent information technology services firm in North America.

Rob Woodbridge / Algonquin College

Rob Woodbridge is a seasoned mobile strategist and consultant, businessman, product developer and founder. A graduate of Algonquin’s Small Business Management program, Woodbridge’s entrepreneurial spirit and business smarts have guided him in the founding, funding, staffing and growing of companies for more than 20 years. Rob’s strengths lie in “ideation” and concept development, and the alignment of people for a common goal. Not only has he founded several companies of his own, he has helped 35 early stage technology companies raise $140 million in venture financing and is active in unique venues that seed creative thought in technology worldwide.