Joe Kertes is retiring this summer after 35 years at Humber. He began as a professor in Liberal Arts and Sciences, was a Chair in Applied and Creative Arts, became Director of Marketing for the college, and has been Dean of the School of Creative and Performing Arts since 2001. Joe founded the Humber School for Writers and the Comedy Writing and Performance programs. Under his stewardship, the Music diploma became a Bachelor of Music degree; the Acting for Film and Television, the Introduction to Commercial Jazz, and Creative Book Publishing programs were launched, and the Arts Administration program returned. Joe served on numerous committees, including six years on College Council and two terms as admin. rep. on the Board of Governors. Joe was recognized for his many innovations and efforts with a host of awards, including the first Distinguished Faculty Award, the League for Innovation Teaching Excellence Medal, an Innovator of the Year Award, the Robert Gordon Leadership Award, and the ACCC Leadership Excellence Award.

Joe is also the author of six works of fiction. The first, Winter Tulips, won the Stephen Leacock Award, and the fifth, Gratitude, won a Canadian National Jewish Book Award and the U.S. National Jewish Book Award for Fiction.

If you are free and would like to, please come say farewell to Joe on June 11 in the Lakeshore Commons open space, from 2 to 5 pm. Please RSVP your attendance to creativearts@humber.ca by June 1, 2015.

If you would like to make a gift in honour of Joe’s retirement and his dedication to Humber students and the Arts click here.  The funds raised will be used to establish a new Scholarship in Joe’s name for the most promising artist in any School of Creative & Performing Arts program in the middle of their studies.