Alumni Award Winners Announced
During this weekend’s Homecoming festivities, Nipissing University will recognize the achievements of four graduates with alumni awards, and celebrate five individuals with honorary alumni status at the annual Alumni Awards, Friday, October 20, in the Harris Learning Library from 7 – 9 p.m.
Paul Heinrich and Dr. Glynn Sharpe will each be recognized with a Distinguished Alumni Award. Marianne Berube will receive a Dr. James Jamieson Influential Alumni Award. Leah Symington will receive a Rising Star Alumni Award.
Celebrations continue as Nipissing presents Honorary Alumni Awards to Gerry Foster, Sandy Foster, Cheryl Kelley, Colleen Miller and Ted Thomson.
Distinguished Alumni Award
Paul Heinrich graduated from Nipissing with a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1992. Earlier this year, he was appointed as President and Chief Executive Officer for the new North Bay Regional Health Centre. Previous positions have included: President and Chief Executive Officer of the Georgian Bay General Hospital, Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer for Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, Advisor to Executive Vice-President and Chief Clinical Officer at Calgary Health Region, Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer for the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Calgary, and Director of Finance and Operations at Inuvik Regional Health and Social Services Board. He is currently a member on the Ontario Hospital Association - Physician Provincial Leadership Council and Ontario Complex Continuing Care and Rehabilitation Provincial Leadership Council. He is a past member and chair for the Association of Canadian Medical Colleges, Committee on Finance and Administration.
Dr. Sharpe earned his Master of Education from Nipissing University in 2004. A dedicated amateur athlete, Sharpe began his teaching career in 1989 with the Peel District School Board, before moving to the Simcoe District School Board. He has taught from grades 3 – 8 and has also taught special education. Currently an Assistant professor in Nipissing’s Schulich School of Education, Sharpe teaches Education and School in the Junior/Intermediate consecutive program. He has published on the topics of overhauling the Ontario Social Studies and History curriculum, teaching difficult subjects, bullying and abuse of Elementary-aged students, and principalship and gender. His research interests include teacher bullying and abuse of students, the democratic classroom, teacher mentorship, teacher training and Aboriginal education. Actively involved on campus, Sharpe creates a strong community among the education students and graduates. In 2007 he was shortlisted for TVO’s Best Lecturer Award.
Influential Alumni Award
Marianne Berube is the recipient of the Dr. James Jamieson Influential Alumni Award. Berube graduated Nipissing with a Bachelor of Arts in 1978. She has been the Executive Director of Wood WORKS! for the past 12 years, building the program from its pilot launch to the Provincial initiative it is today. Berube also holds Professional Management and Certified Investment Management Degrees. She sits on several boards, including Nipissing University’s Board of Governors, Innovation Initiatives for Ontario, Northern Ontario Value Added Initiative, and is past Chair of Canadore College’s Board of Governors.
Rising Star Alumni Award
The Rising Star Alumni Award will be presented to Leah Symington, who graduated in 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts. Symington is the Fine and Performing Arts Technician in Nipissing’s Fine Arts program. She participates in a variety of fundraisers, juried exhibitions and group exhibitions and is an active member of local and provincial art galleries and associations. Symington’s art work has been showcased in prominent art collections at the North Bay Regional Health Centre, the Redpath permanent art collection and the Art Gallery of Ontario archive. Symington also lends her artistic skills to independent film production groups, and charitable theatrical events such as the downtown North Bay Zombie Walk.
Honorary Alumni Awards
Gerry Foster served Nipissing as a member of the Board of Governors for seven years, including three as Board Chair. He also served on the YMCA’s Board of Directors for nine years, including three as Chair. Foster retired from his role as Vice-President and General Manager of North Bay’s Boart Longyear in 2001, after 31 years of service.
Sandy Foster is a former teacher who returned to university to study psychology, earning her Masters degree. A certified Psychotherapist, Child Psychotherapist and Play Therapist, her specialty was working with Children and families. Foster is a Past-President of the Canadian Association for Play Therapy and was named Play Therapist of the Year in 1998. She has been recognized by the Rotary Club of North Bay-Nipissing, with a Service Above Self Award and was named to the North Bay Human Rights Hall of Fame. She has received the Peace Medallion from North Bay’s YMCA.
Cheryl Kelley is the Director of Economic Development for the Town of Bracebridge. She is a member and Past Director of the Bracebridge Rotary Club, the Chair of the Rotary Centre Operating Committee, and Past Chair of the Economic Development Council of Ontario’s Tourism Committee. She has been involved in the development of the Houston Mural Program with young artists, the creation of the Houston Farmers’ Market, the organization of the International Winter Cities Forum in 1999 and the 2000 Scott Tournament of Hearts. More recently, she has worked on the expansions of Nipissing University and Georgian College in Bracebridge, the development of Bracebridge’s CONVERGENCE process and the Art in the Heart program.
Colleen Miller is an independent training consultant specializing in Leadership and Human Resource Training and Development. She is greatly involved in the community as a member of Nipissing’s Board of Governors and President of the Grand Valley Educational Society. She is the co-chair on Nipissing’s Brantford Anniversary Celebrations Committee. Miller is a director for the Brantford Brant Chamber of Commerce, director for the Hillier Foundation, Past President and Charter Member for the Teen Esteem Program and Former President, Chair and Co-Chair for the outreach committee – Enterprise Brant BCFDC. She received the Paul Harris Fellow Award in 2009 and has been nominated twice for the citizen of the year in Brantford with Brant County.
Ted Thomson is the co-owner of Assante Wealth Management in North Bay, Sudbury, New Liskeard and Powassan. He is a member on the Board of Directors of North Bay and Area Community Foundation, a former Charter President of the Nipissing Kiwanis Club and was on the fundraising committee for the Harris Learning Library. Thomson has coordinated major funding for a range of institutions, including: North Bay General Hospital Foundation, Nipissing University and Canadore College, The North Bay Capitol Centre, The North Bay CATSCAN Fund, The North Bay Heritage Festival, The North Bay Santa Fund, The DIA presence of the North Bay Police Department, St. Andrews United Church Restoration and Rotary 4 Kids.
For more information on the awards, please visit the website:www.nipissingu.ca/alumni