Adrienne Arsenault
Andy Macdonald
Brent Choi
Bon Montgomery
Mark (Dashan) Henry Rowswell
Orna Montgomery
Robert Lengyel
Kay Blair was a tireless advocate for social justice and committed her life to improving the lives of others, particularly women. She immigrated to Canada in 1976 and began working at the Emily Stowe Shelter for Women, and was instrumental in establishing the Shirley Samaroo House, the first shelter for abused immigrant women. In 1988, Blair began work at Community MicroSkills Development Centre, serving as Executive Director, a position she would hold for 28 years. Blair built a reputation as a passionate community leader with an unparalleled commitment to diversity and inclusion. From 1997 -2008 she served as President of the National Visible Minority Council on Labour Force Development.
Blair was the recipient of numerous awards, including Canada's Most Powerful Women Top 100 - Trailblazer Award and Champions Award, YWCA Women of Distinction - Community Leadership, The Premier's Award - Community and Social Services, Innovation Canada - Entrepreneur of the year Award, Frances Lankin Community Service Award, OCASI - Award of Excellence, United Way Spirit Award, Province of Ontario - Recipient of the Golden Jubilee medal, and the Outstanding Achievement Award - Jamaican Canadian Association. Blair will be forever remembered for her compassion, guidance and kindness, along with her ability to quickly build deep connections with everyone she met.
Bill Davis was premier of Ontario from 1971 to 1985, serving as a member of the Ontario Legislature from 1959 to his retirement in 1985, representing Peel, Peel North and Brampton. He was instrumental in creating Ontario’s college system, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
As premier, Davis combined a business-like approach to the running of government with a sensitive understanding of the needs and aspirations of the people it serves. On May 6, 1987, Davis was among the first of 20 citizens to be honoured with an investiture in The Order of Ontario.
Davis was born in Brampton on July 30, 1929. After attending the University of Toronto and Osgoode Hall, he was called to the bar in 1955.
Davis has been awarded honorary degrees by a dozen Ontario universities. In 2007, the 40th year of the community college system in Ontario, Mr. Davis was honoured to receive honorary diplomas from George Brown College, Fanshawe College and Humber College.
Peter’s experience in paramedics dates back close to 38 years. In his early years, Peter worked with Lee’s and Halton-Mississauga Ambulance Services as a paramedic, road supervisor, district supervisor and duty manager. In 1999, Peter moved to Durham Region and became an assistant director of Paramedic Services, successfully transitioning them to a regionally operated service on January 1, 2000.
An honours graduate from Humber College’s Ambulance & Emergency Program, Peter has forged a long and distinguished career that includes recognition from the Governor General of Canada and from his peers, who recently awarded him the Richard J. Armstrong Leadership Award. Peter was also nominated by Humber College in 2016 for the Premier’s Award in Health Sciences for Outstanding College Graduate.
As a recognized authority in paramedicine, Peter has been invited to guest lecture at various colleges and universities. Additionally, he is an active industry member serving as first vice-president, Ontario Association of Paramedic Chiefs, as well as a member of the Paramedic Chiefs of Canada.
Farrah Khan picked up a microphone to speak out about sexual assault as a teenager and has not put it down since. She has spent two decades working diligently to raise awareness of the connection between equity and gender-based violence, through art creation, education counselling. Khan mentors young feminist groups including We Give Consent, Project Slut and femifesto. With femifesto, Khan researched and created Use the Right Words: Media Reporting on Sexual Violence for journalists. Use the Right Words has been used widely across North America by journalists, educators and translated into multiple languages.
In 2015, Khan was named the co-chair of Ontario’s first permanent provincial Roundtable on Violence Against Women. In 2016, she was also appointed to the Government of Canada's Federal Strategy Against Gender-based Violence advisory council. Khan regularly contributes to national media, including CBC’s The National, the Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail. She is the inaugural Sexual Violence Support and Education Coordinator at Ryerson University. Khan is the recipient of numerous awards including the Toronto Community Foundation’s Vital People Award.
Alex Usher is president of Higher Education Strategy Associates (HESA), a consulting firm that advises governments, institutions and corporations in the higher education sector on policy and strategy. In addition to being Canada’s most recognized expert on student financial aid, his policy work spans issues such as access to education, higher education finance and measurement of institutional performance.
Overseas, his work spans six continents, and he works frequently for the European Commission, World Bank and other development agencies in Asia and Africa. Usher is also a fellow-in-residence at the CD Howe Institute, and writes a popular daily commentary on Canadian higher education called One Thought to Start Your Day.
Lawrence Hill is the author of ten books, including The Illegal and The Book of Negroes, winner of various awards including The Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize, and CBC Radio’s Canada Reads. Hill delivered the 2013 Massey Lectures, based on his non-fiction book Blood: The Stuff of Life. He co-wrote the adaptation for the six-part television miniseries The Book of Negroes, which attracted millions of viewers in the United States and Canada. He is currently writing a new novel and a children’s book, and co-writing a television miniseries adaptation of The Illegal for Conquering Lion Pictures.
He holds honorary doctorates from five Canadian universities and in 2015 was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada, received the Governor General’s History Award and was inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame. In 2016, his novel The Illegal won CBC Canada Reads after a spirited defense by Olympian and philanthropist Clara Hughes. Also in 2016, Hill (along with co-writer Clement Virgo) won the best writing award from the Canadian Screen Awards for the TV miniseries adaptation of The Book of Negroes, which won CSA awards in a total of eleven categories including best TV movie/miniseries, director, actress, actor and supporting actress.
Hill volunteers with Crossroads International, the Black Loyalist Heritage Society and Project Bookmark Canada, and lives with his family in Hamilton, ON. In 2016, Hill served as chair of the jury of the 2016 Scotiabank Giller Prize and became a professor of creative writing at the University of Guelph.
Saäd Rafi is the CEO of the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan Administration Corporation (ORPPAC). He joined the organization in January 2016. Rafi is responsible for implementation the Ontario Pension Plan. At maturity, the plan will have over four million members and 450,000 plan sponsors.
Prior to this role, Rafi was the CEO of the Toronto2015 Pan Am Parapan Am Games Organizing Committee. Under his leadership the organizing committee delivered the largest multi-sport event in Canadian history, returning $106 million back to the provincial and federal governments. Prior to this role Rafi was the deputy minister of Health and Long Term Care from 2010 to 2014. During his tenure the ministry undertook the most ambitious and significant transformation of the health system in a generation.
Rafi has held the following deputy minister positions during his 24-year OPS career: Community Safety (formerly Public Safety and Policing Services), Transportation, and Energy and Infrastructure. He was first appointed to the role of deputy minister in February 2003. From 2005 to 2008, Rafi was a partner at Deloitte and Touche, LLP where he started and successfully built a national Infrastructure Advisory and Project Finance practice. He has also held senior management positions in the Ministries of Economic Development and Trade, cabinet office, transportation, and the Ontario SuperBuild Corporation, an agency of the Ministry of Finance.
Mark Saunders was appointed the 10th Chief of the Toronto Police Service on May 20, 2015. The Toronto Police Service employs more than 5,300 police officers and 2,700 civilian employees, and is the largest municipal police service in Canada and fifth-largest in North America. During his 32-plus year policing career, Saunders has had extensive investigative experience in many policing units and served as the unit commander of the largest homicide squad in Canada. As deputy chief, recognizing current trends in technology, Saunders created an investigative cybercrime Unit called “C3” in order to maximize the use of technology in policing.
Saunders is committed to continuous education and has recently completed a Bachelor of Arts in Justice Studies degree at the University of Guelph-Humber. He has also completed the Leadership in Counter Terrorism Course (LinCT).
Saunders is a member of many committees, organizations and associations. In recognition of his many contributions to policing and service to the community, Saunders has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal for Outstanding Community Contributions. He was awarded the Police Exemplary Service Medal with Thirty Year Bar and has received the Black Canadians Award for Public Service and has twice received the Black History Month Award. In October 2015, he was named an Officer of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces. Saunders lives in Toronto with family. He is an accomplished photographer and often donates his work to charitable organizations.
n 1988, paramedic Vince Savoia attended to the homicide of Ms. Tema Conter. This event not only changed Savoia’s life, but also changed the lives of the Conter family. Dealing with feelings of guilt, anger and helplessness, Savoia began his long battle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Flashbacks, nightmares, isolation and hyper-vigilance were some of the symptoms that Savoia dealt with.
Hoping that his experience could help others, Savoia founded the Tema Conter Memorial Trust in 2001. Through research, education and training, and through the provision of peer and psychological support, this charity aims to help men and women working within Canada’s emergency service, public safety, military and correctional organizations.
Savoia is an expert in work-related mental health and wellness, as well as a peer support and crisis intervention specialist. As a former paramedic and emergency medical dispatcher, Savoia was a member of the first-ever Critical Incident Stress Management team at Toronto Paramedic Services. He has an extensive background in crisis intervention, peer support, training and education, and is a highly sought after public speaker.
A graduate of Royal Roads University and Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, Savoia has also taught in the School of Public Safety at Seneca College. He is a Certified Executive Coach, an alumni member of the York Region Critical Incident Stress Management Team, an advisor to Peer Support Accreditation Certification (Canada), a qualified Mental Health Works trainer with the Canadian Mental Health Association and a certified Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training instructor.
Jennifer Turliuk is the CEO of MakerKids, the first and largest makerspace for kids in the world. MakerKids offers programs, camps and parties on topics such as 3D Printing, Robotic Inventions, Videogame Making, and Electronics. She studied exponential technologies and how to apply them to education as part of the Singularity University Graduate Studies Program (based at NASA Ames). Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Forbes, Huffington Post, Fast Company, CBS national TV, and more. Jennifer has spoken at MakerCon Norway, Maker Faire Rome, MakerCon New York, Maker Faire Bay Area, TEDxSantiago and more.
She attended business school at Queen’s University. Her career highlights include helping build a 3D printer for a music video, launching an SMS-based disaster relief project during Hurricane Sandy, being selected as a Startup Chile entrepreneur (as part of a program run by the Government of Chile to foster entrepreneurship locally), creating her own self-education program which involved being one of the top six finalists in a competition to shadow Dave McClure of 500 Startups, leading the Canadian launch of Tide Pods (P&G’s biggest launch in 27 years), running Canada’s largest business plan competition (the Queen’s Entrepreneurs’ Competition), writing one of Forbes' Greatest Hits articles, speaking on a panel discussion with Peter Thiel (founder of Paypal), doing a TEDx talk in Spanish, being invited to join MaiTai (a group of pro kiteboarders and entrepreneurs), and DJing for Red Bull. In her spare time, she enjoys salsa dancing, kiteboarding, and improv.
Dwight Drummond has been a reporter and news anchor for over two decades. He was awarded the Ryerson University Alumni Award of Distinction and has been inducted into the Faculty of Radio and Television Arts Wall of Fame. Currently, Dwight is the co-host of CBC Toronto News, which airs weeknights at 6pm, and was winner of Best Local Newscast at the 2015 Canadian Screen Awards.
Dwight has done “just about every job there is to do in a newsroom” as he worked his way up through the industry. Known for his exclusives, he’s broken local stories that have gone national and has reported from the U.S., Caribbean and Africa. He had the lead story on CityNews’ Gemini win for best newscast, and a top story for City’s Edward R. Murrow win for best newscast.
Dwight has also received a number of awards for his police reporting and commendations for his community work. He is a recipient of the Men of Excellence Award, the Distinguished Men of Honour Award and the African Canadian Achievement Award for excellence in media.
Cathy Corsetti graduated from Humber’s Law Clerk program in 1977 and has built a highly successful career in which she’s specialized in Landlord and Tenant Board and Small Claims Court for more than 38 years. In addition to co-founding and becoming the President of Corsetti Paralegal Professional Corporation & Associates, Cathy has been recognized with a number of appointments and accolades.
Cathy was elected to the Law Society’s Paralegal Standing Committee in 2010 and for 5 years was the committee Chair. More recently, Cathy was elected as a Bencher at the Law Society for 2014-2018.
Among her more notable appointments, Cathy is a member of many Law Society Committees including Access to Justice (Co-Chair), Audit and Finance: Priority Planning, TAG, Exemption working group, Morris report working group (Chair), Professional Regulation, Professional Development and Competence, Equity and Aboriginal Issues and CPD and Costs working group. She was also a member of the LibraryCo Board of Directors in 2011 and 2012.
Cathy is also a Law Society Tribunal Adjudicator of Discipline and Appeal Hearings and was a Judge at the Paralegal Cup Moot Competitions in 2013 and 2014.
A regular presenter for Law Society CPD programs including “Opening your Paralegal Practice”, “Ethical Advocacy”, “Fundamental Components of a Retainer Agreement” and “Amendment to Rules of Conduct,” Cathy’s prolific paralegal knowledge was instrumental in forming the following policies and recognitions: Law Society Distinguished Paralegal Award; Paralegal Welcome Reception; Five year review of paralegal licensing; Law Society Referral Service, to include paralegals;Members Assistant Program./p>
Russ Ford has been the Executive Director of LAMP Community Health Centre for the last 15 years. Under his direction LAMP has dramatically expanded its programs and services in Toronto and Mississauga and has won a number of awards for its work with youth. Russ founded the Brendan Ford memorial scholarship which annually provides money to youth who are in financial need and have exhibited a commitment to social justice.
Prior to working at LAMP, Russ founded the Stonegate Community Health Centre. He has also been involved in the founding of many other social agencies or advocacy organizations in the city. Russ has spoken at a number of provincial and national conferences on issues relating to poverty, social exclusion and health, and is a regular speaker for the United Way and has acted as a national policy advisory on community health. Internationally, Russ helped establish a health centre in Maroontown, Jamaica.
In 2014 Russ ran for Toronto City Council. Though he was not elected, his social justice based campaign dramatically increased voter participation in low-income areas of the ward. Russ is a member of Humber’s advisory committee on its proposed Community Development degree program. He holds a Masters degree in social policy and Bachelor’s degrees in social work and journalism. Russ is a resident of Etobicoke where he lives with his wife Sheila and daughter Charlotte.
Jim Grieve was appointed Assistant Deputy Minister, Early Learning Division, Ontario Ministry of Education in November 2009 to lead the provincial implementation of full-day kindergarten for four- and five-year-olds. With the transfer of responsibility for child care to the Early Learning Division, Mr.Grieve leads the work of creating a seamless early learning experience for children from birth onward.
His passionate advocacy for early learning began as a founding member of the Council for Early Child Development. He holds a Master’s Degree from OISE/University of Toronto, and undergraduate degrees from York University and Victoria. College, University of Toronto. Following an exemplary career as a teacher, school administrator and superintendent in the North York Board of Education, Mr. Grieve served as Director of Education in Ottawa-Carleton before moving to the Director of Education role with Peel District School Board, Canada’s second largest school board.
Since 2010, Mr. Grieve has co-chaired a working group on early childhood learning and development for the Council of Ministers of Education Canada. A member of the Executive Committee, OECD Network on Early Childhood Education and Care, he is currently leading an international project to develop an early learning and development framework and identify early learning outcomes.
Walter Rhoddy is President of Rhoddy Design, a Toronto-based experiential marketing agency he founded in 2006, as the sole employee. Today, the firm includes 30 employees and completes more than 200 projects annually. With more than 18 years of experience, Walter is a creative visionary in the field of strategic marketing and project management. He guides and executes marketing solutions through the entire design/build lifecycle to create experiences that motivate, engage and enlighten audiences.
Rhoddy Design is at the forefront of turnkey experiential marketing services, turning products into compelling consumer experiences. Going beyond the idea generation and design stages, Rhoddy Design oversees projects through their entire lifecycle: idea, design, fabrication, project management, installation, warehousing and transportation. The unique component of this process is that all of the work is done under one roof - projects stay in-house from the very first to the final step. Rhoddy Design works to enhance the consumer experience while bringing marketing solutions to major brands many of us interact with almost every day. Walter himself has contributed to the education and enlightenment of individuals around the world through his work on major museum projects and a national pavilion exhibit.
Walter credits Humber for providing him with a solid foundation in design, as he had the opportunity to learn about the variety of options within the design world. Walter found his professors to be experienced professionals with extensive knowledge. Small classes and a tight-knit community provided Walter with the personalized attention that helped him build on his strengths and succeed in the world of design.
Jacques was born and raised in Northern Ontario, a proud Canadian who received his Diploma in Business Administration from Canadore College. He began his career in the hospitality industry at Garland Commercial Ranges as an Internal Sales Clerk. Working his way through progressive administrative, marketing, sales and operations roles, Jacques became President of the Garland Group in 2001. As Group President, Jacques established a global vision for the company to ensure that Garland was a recognized brand in over 100 countries. During his tenure, Garland was one of the industries’ most recognized companies receiving numerous Innovation Awards from the National Restaurant Association in the U.S. along with the Canadian Food Service and Hospitality Magazine Pinnacle Award.
In 2014, Jacques assumed the role of Senior V.P. of Strategic Planning and Process Improvement at Manitowoc, and is a member of both the executive leadership team of the Foodservice Division and the senior leadership team of the Manitowoc Corporation.
Jacques is a Fellow of the Ontario Hostelry Institute, he is the past Chair and Director of the Canadian Hospitality Foundation, which provides over $200,000 of student scholarships annually. He is a recent nominee for the Premier’s Award, as outstanding Ontario College Graduate in the business category. He is an Advisory Committee member at Canadore College and Kostuch Hospitality. He is Chairman of the Board of Inducs, as well as being the Board President for Garland Commercial Ranges. Jacques is also the co-author of the business book “Winners are not lonely at the top”.
Jacques, his wife Michele and their two boys live in Port Credit. He enjoys tennis, cycling and on most summer weekends, you will find him rumbling around the GTA on his Harley Davidson.
Danny Vogler is the Technical Director for Digital Operations at Corus Entertainment in Toronto. He is responsible for all aspects of digital operations systems to deliver state of the art technologies in the Canadian digital media landscape. His credits include Treehouse Go and the Gemini award winning Babar and the Adventures of Badou Interactive. His focus on the evolution of digital media has brought Canadian kids and lifestyle entertainment to your phone, tablet, PC and TV. He received his Humber Diploma in Computer Networking & Support Technician and is currently on the Program Advisory Committee for Computer Networking & Support Technician and Computer Engineering.
Danny found technology at an early age. He managed his first server for online gaming when he was 13. By 18, he was hosting dozens of websites for friends and businesses and investing all of his minimum wage part-time income on online advertising. As a full-time student at Humber, he created Market Shark, an online marketing company focused on measuring user actions resulting from advertising. Danny’s creative abilities go beyond technology. He was placed as a co-op student at Corus through Silverthorne Collegiate High School and created original soundtracks for flash games. He directed a music video for The Next Star reality TV show that reached the most watched video on YTV’s YouTube channel and was the on-air web personality on The Zone.
Danny spends his free time working on new ideas and interests. He instructs 10 pin bowling lessons as a certified instructor and provincial champion, is the Director of Membership and Recruitment at West Toronto Lawn Bowling and will bargainm a website for trade any day.
Greg Wells is a multiple Grammy award-nominated record producer, songwriter, musician and mix engineer in Los Angeles. His songs have appeared on more than 85 million albums. His credits include top recording artists such as Holychild (featured in the new Apple Watch TV ad), Mayer Hawthorne, Adele, Twenty One Pilots, Katy Perry, Pharrell Williams, Rufus Wainwright, Theophilus London, Mika, Timbaland, OneRepublic, Deftones, Pink, Kid Cudi, Burt Bacharach, k. d. Lang, Sir George Martin, and the Count Basie Orchestra. Greg is currently producing Regina Spektor’s new album for Warner Brothers Records, and is in the process of opening a music school in Los Angeles called the Modern Music Conservatory. Katy Perry performed his song written with her “By The Grace Of God” at the 2015 Grammy Awards, and Beyoncé recorded a new song of his in March 2015.
Raised in Peterborough, Ontario, the multi-instrumentalist joined many musical ensembles in his hometown including the local orchestra and various club bands. He was also a church organist and choir director, DJ-ed dances and ran a weekly radio show on Trent University Radio CFFF-FM. He studied classical piano, drums, pipe organ, orchestral percussion and music theory at Toronto’s Royal Conservatory of Music before attending Humber’s Jazz Music program for drums, piano and guitar.
After moving to Toronto at age 17, he soon became engrossed in the city’s music scene as a live and studio musician working with some of Canada’s top jazz, classical, and pop musical talent. He now lives in Los Angeles with his wife and four children and works in a studio he built called Rocket Carousel Studio.
Craig Alexander is the senior vice-president and chief economist for TD Bank Group. In that role, he manages a large team of economists that supports all of the divisions and clients of TD – the second-largest bank in Canada and the eighth-largest bank in the United States. Craig has 18 years of experience in the private sector as an economic and financial forecaster. He is also a regular commentator on public policy. Prior to joining the private sector, Craig spent four years as an economist at Statistics Canada.
Each year, Craig travels across the United States and Canada speaking at more than 100 events about economic and financial developments. He also writes on a wide array of subjects, and is frequently called upon by the media to provide perspective on pressing issues. In addition to his role at TD, Craig is a strong advocate for the cause of literacy for which he was recently awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, and is a champion of the charitable sector. He also serves on the board of directors for several non-profit groups. Craig is a trustee of two pension plans and is on the editorial board for the quarterly journal Canadian Public Policy. Craig is the former two-term president of the Canadian Association for Business Economics. He holds a graduate degree in economics from the University of Toronto.
Terry began his career as copy chief for FM 108 radio in Burlington, Ontario, then went on to become an award-winning copywriter for Toronto advertising agencies Campbell-Ewald, Doyle Dane Bernbach and Chiat/Day. In 1990, Terry co-founded Pirate Radio & Television, a creative audio production company producing scripts, sound and music for radio and television commercials with eight recording studios in Toronto and New York City.
Terry has won hundreds of national and international awards for writing, and has directed such notable actors as Alec Baldwin, Ellen DeGeneres, Kiefer Sutherland, Bob Newhart, Martin Short and Drew Carey. In demand as a keynote speaker, Terry talks about key marketing issues to companies and organizations in all sectors. He has been a judge at the Cannes Advertising Festival in France, was named Radio Chairman for both the International Clio Awards in Miami and the London International Advertising Awards. When he’s not creating advertising, he’s talking about it as the host of the award-winning CBC Radio One/Sirius Satellite/WBEZ Chicago radio show, “Under The Influence,” which was the follow-up to the hit series, “The Age of Persuasion.”
The New York Radio Festivals awarded his show the grand prize as Best Radio Program in 2011 and 2012, and iTunes chose it as “Best New Podcast of 2011.” Terry was given a lifetime achievement award by the advertising industry, and an honorary doctorate of laws from McMaster University. He has a wonderful wife and three lovely daughters.
Rosalie Silberman Abella attended the University of Toronto, where she earned a B.A. in 1967 and an LL.B. in 1970. She was called to the Ontario Bar in 1972 and practiced civil and criminal litigation until 1976 when she was appointed to the Ontario Family Court. She was appointed to the Ontario Court of Appeal in 1992 and was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada in 2004 where she is a current Judge. She is the first Jewish woman appointed to the Supreme Court.
Abella is the recipient of a number of prestigious awards, including the Distinguished Alumnus Award of the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, the Distinguished Service Award of the Canadian Bar Association (Ontario), the International Justice Prize of the Peter Gruber, the Bora Laskin Award for Distinguished Service in Labour Law. She holds 32 honorary degrees.
She is a specially elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, as well as a graduate of the Royal Conservatory of Music in classical piano. She was a judge of the Giller Literary Prize, has written over 90 articles and written or co-edited four books on a wide variety of legal topics, and chairs the Rhodes Selection Committee for Ontario.
Abella is married to Canadian historian Irving Abella and they have two sons, both lawyers.
Sarah Fulford is the editor-in-chief of Toronto Life, an influential monthly magazine that publishes award-winning feature writing and expert service journalism. She began her career at Elm Street magazine and joined the Toronto Life staff in 1999. After occupying various roles, she was promoted to editor-in-chief in January 2008. At the time, she was 33 years old and was the first woman ever to run Toronto Life. In 2010, Fulford successfully overhauled Toronto Life with a redesign that a reporter for The Globe and Mail called “smart,” “nuanced,” and “a clear improvement.”
Fulford is a graduate of The University of King’s College in Halifax and spent a year after graduation studying at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. She has won two Canadian National Magazine Awards for her writing (and many more for pieces she has edited). Over the years, she has contributed articles to publications such as The Globe and Mail, The National Post, and The Walrus. She sits on the board of the Toronto Public Library (TPL) Foundation. In 2012, she co-founded “The New Collection,” the TPL’s young professional program. She also sits on the Humber Journalism Advisory Board. Fulford lives in Toronto with her husband and two children.
Dr. Paul Hawkins graduated from the Medical Faculty of the University of Manitoba in 1981. He is a Fellow of the American Board of Emergency Medicine and holds the Certificate of Special Competence in Emergency Medicine from the College of Family Physicians of Canada. Hawkins has practiced emergency medicine for the past 25 years in the Department of Emergency Services at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center, a University of Toronto teaching facility. He is active in administration, with a special interest in multi- professional, multi-disciplinary education, for which he has won several awards. He is a dynamic leader, instructor and mentor with a successful track record of leading-edge clinical and administrative program creation within emergency medicine generally and physician assistants specifically.
Hawkins is the founding Director and present Co-Director of the Emergency Services Physician Assistant Program at Sunnybrook. Hawkins has extensive leadership experience, encompassing clinical, administrative, and academic perspectives in the creation of the physician assistant role at the hospital and provincial level. He is the Assistant Dean at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, Bachelor of Health Sciences, Physician Assistant Education Program at McMaster University.
Hawkins is an Adjunct Professor, Director, and one of the founding partners of the Humber – Sunnybrook Advanced Life Support Educators Program. This multi-institutional and collaborative program consists of approximately 100 educators and actors who provide over 70 critical care courses annually, and has successfully earned a reputation for excellence in adult cardiac, pediatric and traumatic emergencies.
Andy Kikites is a graduate of the Civil Engineering Technology program at Humber. He continued his studies in Civil Engineering at the University of Toronto, studying under one of the top bridge engineers in North America and earning a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in structural engineering with a specialization in bridges. Kikites is a nationally recognized expert in the field of bridge engineering, and is currently an Associate Vice President and Officer of the Corporation at HDR, responsible for leadership and oversight of the Canadian operations. He also serves as the Bridge Engineering Practice Leader for Canada.
Throughout his professional career Kikites has worked with noted planners and architects and has been a key member of international design teams for some of the largest projects in the world, including Palm Island, Dubai; the Tappan Zee Bridge, New York; and the Eglinton Cross-Town LRT, Toronto. Kikites’ projects have received noted industry awards such as the OPWA Project of the Year Award (twice) and the Heritage Canada Foundation National Achievement Award.
Kikites is a lecturer at, and has developed courses for the Civil Engineering departments at Humber, McMaster University and Ryerson University, and is an instructor for bridge and structural-related courses for the public sector and the Canadian military. He serves as Chair of the Civil Engineering Technology Advisory Committee at the Humber Institute of Technology.
Robert Lunney concluded a 44-year career in police and protective services in March 1997, with all of his active service in Canada. He is the former Chief of Police of Peel Regional Police (1990-1997), Commissioner of Protection Parks and Culture, City of Winnipeg (1987-1990), Chief of Police, City of Edmonton (1974-1987) and member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, where he retired with the rank of Superintendent after 21 years of service. An international member of the Washington, DC-based Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) since 1982, Lunney was recognized by PERF in 1995 with a Leadership Award for progressive policing practices.
Lunney is regarded as an authority on community-based policing systems. He is also a notable proponent of police accreditation, and was personally responsible for initiating accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) in three police services.
In September 2000 he began a consulting relationship with the Office of the Oversight Commissioner for Policing Reform in Northern Ireland, which concluded in May, 2007. Following this work, Lunney was engaged by the Northern Ireland Policing Board to develop a framework for monitoring policing with the community, a relationship extending to 2009. He is currently assisting Public Safety Canada to create a clearinghouse for police research. Lunney is an active member of the Criminal Justice Advisory Committee for Humber College.
Mike Myers, one of the most multifaceted performers of his generation, has brought an astonishing array of memorable characters to life in film and television. As a writer, director, producer and actor, Myers is best known as the creative force behind such iconic characters as Austin Powers and Shrek. Myers most recently made his directorial debut with the documentary, Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon which chronicles the life of talent manager, Shep Gordon.
Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Myers began his professional career with Chicago's Second City Troupe. Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels' discovery of Myers at Second City led to his debut as a featured performer and writer on the show in 1989. Myers successfully brought his popular SNL character, Wayne Campbell, to the big screen in Wayne's World and Wayne’s World 2, which he also wrote.
Myers also created, wrote, produced and starred in the smash hit, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. Myers portrayal of Austin Powers spawned two sequels, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and Austin Powers: Goldmember. Myers lent his voice to the title role of Shrek, the beloved green ogre for the DreamWorks animated franchise which include Shrek, Shrek 2, Shrek the Third, and Shrek Forever After.
Myers received a star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California for his impressive body of work. He was also honored with the 'Jack Benny Award' by the student body of the University of California, the AFI Star Award at U.S. Comedy Arts Festival, the MTV Generation Award, and has a star on Canada's Walk of Fame. His character, Shrek, also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Bo Pelech and his partners at MayorWilson, an innovation and strategy consultancy, founded Launch180.com as an alternative incubator and accelerator, helping to develop a more broadly based entrepreneurial experience. He and his colleagues have been experimenting with collaborative creativity, applied innovation and experimentation workshops working with organizations including the Toronto District School Board and Rotman’s Omnium Global Executive MBA program.
Pelech regularly serves as a guest speaker and panelist in various Humber Business School Programs and as mentor to a number of Humber start-ups. He was appointed Humber’s inaugural Entrepreneur-In-Residence in 2012. In addition to facilitating innovation and entrepreneurship workshops for Humber’s Postgraduate Global Business Management Certificate students, this fall Pelech will be leading a unique experiential small business development program within Humber’s Continuing Education program.
Pelech received his MBA from the School of Business at York University in 1982. He worked in the financial services industry until the mid-90s, lastly being a Director of Structured Products and Derivatives Group at CIBC Wood Gundy. Following that, Pelech spent roughly the next 10 years building a marketing and business strategy consultancy and pursuing a series of active angel investments and entrepreneurial initiatives. He continues to be active as a sponsor and advisor to early / growth stage companies, sharing his insights and experience and helping guide business discovery and development strategies.
Most of Bob Adams’ career was spent with two of the world’s most successful, most admired corporations - IBM and Andersen Consulting/Accenture. Bob has served as the Humber Business School’s Marketing Executive-in-Residence since spring 2011.
Bob’s career at IBM spanned more than twenty-five years. In addition to an assortment of client-facing roles, Bob performed IBM Canada’s first consulting engagement (1981), consulted in Asia (1982), participated in many global task forces and was one of several Canadians involved in leading the global transformation of IBM from a hardware company to today’s services-led organization. When he took early retirement from IBM, Bob was Senior Account Manager on one of IBM Canada’s largest accounts.
Bob joined Andersen Consulting when it was a professional partnership; it transformed into a publically-traded corporation, Accenture, in 2001. Bob was an Associate Partner in Canada’s Financial Services practice. He had a broad range of business development and engagement delivery roles during his ten year career at Andersen Consulting/Accenture. He also had Canadian responsibility for Business Development, global responsibility for Financial Services Business Development and was a member of the Global Integrated Marketing Council.
In addition to running his own consulting business, Bob also makes time for public service. He currently serves on the Boards of several organizations and provides extensive support to the post-graduate students at Humber’s Business School. Bob graduated with Honours from Bishop’s University.
Joseph Boyden, author and educator, is also, to quote the National Post, “one of Canada’s most acclaimed writers.” A Canadian with Irish, Scottish, and Anishnaabek (Ojibwe) roots, Boyden’s novels focus on First Nations history and culture. His first novel, Three Day Road, which chronicles the story of two Cree soldiers serving in the Canadian military during World War I, received the McNally Robinson Aboriginal Book of the Year Award, was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Award for Fiction, was named as one of the Quill & Quire’s Books of the Year, won the Writer’s Trust Prize and the Amazon.ca First Novel Award, and was chosen as one of the five CBC Canada Reads books. His collection of short stories, Born with a Tooth, was shortlisted for the Upper Canada Writer’s Craft Award. His second novel, Through Black Spruce, won the most prestigious literary prize in Canada, the Scotiabank Giller Prize. His most recent novel, The Orenda, has been praised wildly both in the National Post and the Globe and Mail.
Born in 1966 in Willowdale, Ontario, Joseph Boyden currently resides in New Orleans with his wife Amanda, also an author and educator. Joseph now divides his time between his home in New Orleans, Louisiana where he teaches creative writing at his alma mater, the University of New Orleans, and Ontario where he continues to work with colleges and universities supporting Aboriginal Studies programs and mentoring young writers, including those within Humber’s own School for Writers.
Rudy Blair lives and breathes music. From Beyoncé, Dolly Parton, Gordon Lightfoot and Anne Murray to music sensations like Michael Bublé, Lady Gaga and the Black Eyed Peas. Rudy has an ear for the best in music and a talent for revealing their true personalities outside of the recording studio.
His conversational and engaging interview style has garnered praise from the artists he talks to and from listeners alike. Some of the artists he has chatted with include Phil Collins, Janet Jackson, Sting, Lionel Richie, Leona Lewis, Norah Jones, Nelly Furtado, Mary J. Blige, Bruno Mars, Shania Twain and Andrea Bocelli.
After graduating from Vaughan Road Collegiate (now Academy), Rudy majored in radio broadcasting at Humber College. Soon after, he was employed by several major market radio stations in Toronto, eventually landing at the number one AM music station All Hits Radio-CFTR, which changed format to 680News in 1993.
Rudy is the recipient of many awards and honours, including the Radio-Television News Directors Association Edward R. Murrow Award several times over. He’s been one of the judges for the TTC subway musicians’ auditions since 1999, the Toronto Argonaut cheerleaders’ selection since 2002 and TTC Idol since 2006. Since 2003, Rudy has been the host of the Scotiabank Rat Race, which helps to raise money for United Way. From 2000 to 2003 Rudy was the in-house MC/host at Rogers Centre for the Toronto Blue Jays. He also was the five-time host of the annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration.
Lloyd Bryant is the Vice-President and General Manager, Printing and Personal Systems Business (PPS) for HP Canada. Lloyd has overall responsibility for all aspects of HP’s printing and personal systems business in Canada, as well as being responsible for HP Canada’s environmental programs, including end-of-life compliance, strategy and sponsorships.
Lloyd is Chair of the Board of Directors of Electronics Products Stewardship Canada (EPSC) and Electronics Products Recycling Association (EPRA). These are not-for-profit organizations, which work to design, promote, harmonize and implement sustainable programs to manage Canada’s used electronic equipment. In 2012, Lloyd was named as one of Canada’s Clean16, individuals who have had the most impact in their contributions to clean capitalism. Lloyd was identified as the leader in the IT & Telecommunications category.
Additionally, Lloyd serves on the Board of Directors of the RCMP Foundation. The RCMP Foundation was formed in 1994 with the purpose of supporting the work of RCMP members across Canada to enhance the lives of Canada’s youth at risk. Lloyd also serves on the Board of Directors of The Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC). ITAC is the voice of the Canadian information and communications technologies (ICT) industry. Lloyd is currently leading an industry wide effort on behalf of ITAC to address the gender diversity issue in the technology sector.
Michael “Pinball” Clemons is an icon of sporting excellence, community leadership, personal character and integrity. Having graduated from the College of William and Mary with a degree in economics, he was drafted by the National Football League’s Kansas City Chiefs in 1987. He joined the Canadian Football League’s (CFL) Toronto Argonauts in 1989, earning the nickname “Pinball” because of his running style. He became head coach of the Argos in September 2000, a position he held until 2007.
Pinball is a four-time Grey Cup winner, playing three championships and coaching one. He was the pro-football world record holder in all-purpose yards until 2012, which earned him induction into the CFL Hall of Fame in 2008. He is also the first and only black head coach to win the Grey Cup in its 100 years.
Mike is also well known for his off-the-field activities. He is the founder of his own foundation whose most noteworthy project to date is building 131 schools in third-world countries over five years. The author, philanthropist and entrepreneur is currently Vice-Chair of the Toronto Argonauts.
A member of the distinguished Order of Ontario, Mike’s proudest accomplishment is to be the husband of Diane, and the father of Rachel, Raven and Rylie.
Michele McKenzie is President and CEO of the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC), and has worked in Canada’s tourism sector for 30 years. She is an internationally recognized expert in the fields of hospitality, tourism and marketing. Her initial involvement with CTC began in 2001 when she was appointed as a member of Board of Directors. Michele was appointed President and CEO of the CTC in January 2004. She has guided the evolution of the CTC from its origins as a newly formed crown corporation, to a respected, professional and competitive brand marketing organization. Canada was named number 1 and number 2 country brand in FutureBrand’s Country Brand Index (rising from number 12 in 2006) and CTC was named Marketer of the Year by Marketing Magazine, a first for a company based in western Canada.
Michele founded, and remains active in the CEO Best Practice Forum, a collaborative undertaking involving the CEOs of the world’s leading national tourism organizations. The winner of several awards for management excellence, Michele recently accepted on behalf of CTC the Canadian Government Executive magazine’s 2013 Leading Management Change Award for exceptional leadership in management practices in strategic planning.
Prior to her CTC appointment, the Dalhousie University graduate was Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Heritage for the Province of Nova Scotia. Michele has held positions on a number of boards and currently sits on the Board of the Vancouver Community College Foundation and Board of the Christian Children's Fund of Canada, a member of Child Fund Alliance.
The Honourable R. Roy McMurtry, OC, O.Ont, QC, is a member of Gowlings’ Advocacy Department where he serves as counsel to the firm. The former Chief Justice of Ontario, High Commissioner to Great Britain and Attorney General for Ontario provides strategic counsel to Gowlings’ clients in both the public and private sectors.
Prior to joining Gowlings, Mr. McMurtry practised law as a trial counsel for 17 years before being elected to the Ontario Legislature in 1975. Upon election, he was appointed to the Cabinet of Premier William G. Davis as the Attorney General for Ontario, a position he held until 1985. As Attorney General, he oversaw an unparalleled era of law reform in Ontario including bilingualism in the courts, multiculturalism and family law reform. He was deeply involved in the patriation of the Canadian Constitution and the creation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. During that period he also served for four years as the Solicitor General for Ontario.
In 1985, Mr. McMurtry was appointed Canada’s High Commissioner (Ambassador) to Great Britain, a post which he held until 1988. In 1991 he was appointed Associate Chief Justice of the Superior Court and then Chief Justice of that Court in 1994. In February 1996 he was appointed Chief Justice of Ontario, a capacity in which he served for more than 11 years until May 30, 2007.
Mr. McMurtry is the founder and President of The Osgoode Society, a body established in 1979 for the writing of Canadian legal history. In May 2008, Mr. McMurtry was appointed the 12th Chancellor of York University.
He is a recipient of the Order of Ontario, is an Officer of the Order of Canada and was awarded the prestigious Law Society Medal in May, 2013.
Jane Ash Poitras, RCA, is an internationally acclaimed visual artist whose work has been showcased in numerous solo and group exhibitions around the world, and can be found in many prestigious public, private and corporate collections.
She is a graduate of the University of Alberta (U of A) with degrees in microbiology and printmaking, and has a Master of Fine Arts in Painting and Sculpture from New York’s Columbia University. She is a long-time lecturer at the U of A and a much-in-demand guest lecturer across North America and overseas.
Respected for her generous support of Aboriginal and community causes, her numerous honours include the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Distinguished Artist Award, the Alberta Centennial Medal, the National Aboriginal Achievement Award for Arts and Culture, the University of Alberta Alumni Award of Excellence and the City of Edmonton Cultural Hall of Fame Salute to Excellence.
A major exhibition of her work has been featured at the Royal Ontario Museum for the past two years.
University of Calgary Press has published a book on her career and art called “Cultural Memories and Imagined Futures: The Art of Jane Ash Poitras” by Pamela McCallum.
Lynne Sinclair is an Educational Consultant and also the Innovative Program and External Development Lead at the Centre for Interprofessional Education, University of Toronto (U of T). She is an Assistant Professor with the Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine at U of T and has more than 20 years’ experience in the Faculty of Medicine. She remains a registered physiotherapist and always brings her eight years of direct clinical practice to her teaching.
Lynne has worked with Humber College’s School of Health Sciences as an Educational Consultant and guest speaker for the Annual Interprofessional Education Workshop over the last six years.
Lynne was awarded the 2008 U of T Faculty of Medicine - Helen P. Batty Award in Faculty Development for Teaching Excellence. Lynne was also most thrilled to be nominated by Humber College’s IPE Working Group for U of T’s Centre for IPE 2012 Merit Award – The Ivy Oandasan Leadership Award for Outstanding Leadership in Advancing Interprofessional Education.
Lynne recently accepted a position on the Board of Directors for Girls Inc., an organization, which promotes education for girls in the Durham Region. She is a proud step-mother to Paul, Hannah and Rebecca, who is a student in the University of New Brunswick – Humber Bachelor of Nursing program. Lynne lives in Whitby with her husband Dean and their two active dogs.
Morris Zbar has been a Correctional Officer for the better part of the last five decades. Starting his career as a Correctional Officer in the Ministry of Correctional Services, he held a variety of line, management and executive positions and retired as the Deputy Minister of Corrections for Ontario.
Following his retirement from the Ontario Public Service, Morris has served as a Special Advisor to the Commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada, working on a major transformation agenda and focusing on community employment programs for offenders, among other initiatives.
Mr. Zbar has also been an active volunteer serving in leadership roles in a variety of institutions, including terms as President of the Ontario Corrections and Criminology Association, Chair of The North York Library Board, Chair of Operation Springboard, Governor of Centennial College, and Vice-Chair of the Ontario Heritage Foundation. He has also served on a number of Boards in the not-for-profit sector.
In September of 2012, Mr. Zbar was honoured by The International Community Corrections Association with the David Dillingham Award for distinguished Public Service in recognition of lifelong leadership in community corrections and support of evidenced-based practice.
He is married to Margaret, his wife of 43 years, has two children, David and Ilana and three beautiful grandchildren, Noa, Neeve and Miles.