Durham College to honour the Class of 2008

June 13, 2008

Six outstanding alumni also to be recognized at convocation ceremonies

OSHAWA, Ont. – Family, friends, faculty, staff and guests will all be on hand Thursday, June 19 as Durham College honours the success of close to 1,600 graduates at its annual spring convocation. Three ceremonies will recognize the graduates’ accomplishments as they join the workforce as career-focused individuals with the market-ready skills needed to obtain great careers and make a difference in the world.

During the ceremonies being held throughout the day, Durham College will also honour six outstanding alumni with the college’s 2008 Alumnus of Distinction Award. This year’s recipients are Gary Heagle (in the category of Technology), Kristi Honey (Recent Graduate), Bob Malcolmson (Business), Patricia O’Connor (Health Sciences), Stephen Reynolds (Community Services) and Janice Tanton (Creative Arts/Design).

Heagle, a graduate of the Electronic Technology program in 1980, has been employed with Bell Canada as a customer systems engineer for 20 years. He has also been instrumental in the college’s pursuit of provincial and national accreditation for its engineering programs through his roles as a program advisory committee member and an Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists college liaison.

Since graduating from the two-year Business program in 2004, Honey has completed her Bachelor of Management (Business) and Master’s of Business Administration degrees, while establishing and becoming president of two successful companies. She is also recognized around the world for the training she provides in Microsoft Dynamic Training Skills.

Malcolmson was a student during the college’s first year of operation and graduated from the Business Administration/Accounting program in 1970. After working with the Thomson Newspaper Corporation for 20 years, Malcolmson went on to join the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce as the chief financial officer and general manager, where he has, among other achievements, increased membership by 60 per cent.

After graduating from the Nursing program in 1976, O’Connor became the province’s first female paramedic and was part of the first air ambulance team in Ontario. For the past 20 years, O’Connor has been providing care to patients receiving treatment in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories and is a founding member of the Canadian Association of Aero-medical Transport, which provides services in Canada.

Reynolds graduated from the Sports and Entertainment Administration program in 1974. He has been working with the City of Pickering for more than 30 years, most currently as its division head for the Culture and Recreation department, where he is responsible for the development of recreational and cultural opportunities for the community.

Since her graduation from the Graphic Design program in 1985, Tanton has had her artwork sold and featured in more than 800 galleries across North America and has licensed her images to a collector plate distributor and clothing stores. Tanton is currently the program manager for Aboriginal Leadership and Management at The Banff Centre where she recently designed a teepee for the centre’s 75th anniversary.

The Alumnus of Distinction award is presented annually to Durham College graduates who have achieved success in their careers and have made extraordinary contributions to their communities, society as a whole and the college. With this year’s recipients, this honour has been awarded to 62 of the college’s more than 42,000 graduates.

When:
Thursday, June 19, 2008
9:30 a.m.
Graduates from the schools of Emergency Services; Justice; and Applied Sciences, Apprenticeship, Skilled Trades & Technology.
Gary Heagle to be honoured with an Alumnus of Distinction Award.
1:30 p.m.
Graduates from the schools of Communication Arts; Design; Health and Community Services; and Career Development and Continuing Education.
Patricia O’Connor and Janice Tanton to be honoured with Alumna of Distinction Awards.
5:30 p.m.
Graduates from the schools of Integrated Studies; Business; and Information Technology.
Kristi Honey, Bob Malcolmson and Stephen Reynolds to be honoured with an Alumnus of Distinction. Awards

Where:
General Motors Centre
99 Athol Street East
Oshawa, Ontario

For more information contact:
Michelle Good
Communications and Marketing
905.721.2000 ext. 2197
905.213.2375 (during convocation)
michelle.good@durhamcollege.ca

 

Disclaimer: The contact information provided in archived news releases was current at the release date. For current information please contact Communications, Marketing and External Relations.