On March 11, four Durham College (DC) alumni from across North America spoke via video conferencing in the Global Classroom for DC Talks: Global Graduate, an event organized by the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs. Co-hosted by DC President Don Lovisa and Global Class professor Lon Appleby, students and employees had the opportunity to attend the class in person or join via livestream, taking advantage of the Global Classroom’s state-of-the-art facility and teleconferencing capabilities.

During the event, the alumni, who are all graduates from one of DC’s sports business programs, spoke about their career path in the sports entertainment and law enforcement industries and what it’s like to live and work abroad.

Guest alumni included:

• Stew MacDonald – Currently executive vice president of revenue for Oilers Entertainment Group, Stew has also worked for the Regina Pats and the Saint John Flames and has been part of Stanley Cup Championships in 1987, 1988, and 1990, a Calder Cup Championship in 2001 and a Memorial Cup Championship in 2014. A native of Ottawa, Stew holds a diploma in Sports Administration from DC and is currently based in Edmonton at Oilers Entertainment Group headquarters.
• DJ Mackovets – A 1980 Sports Administration graduate, DJ has spent 40 years in event marketing and operational planning in the sports entertainment industry. He has been involved in the World University Games, the Goodwill Games, two US Olympic Festivals and two Super Bowls. Most recently he was the CEO of the 2021 World Games Birmingham Organizing Committee, and the CEO of the 2015 World Police and Fire Games. DJ currently lives in Alabama with his wife Christy.
• Judy Pal – After graduating from DC’s Sports and Entertainment program in 1983, Judy started her career in PR and sports marketing, working for the Edmonton Oilers, and as a television anchor for Global Television. She then took her communications experience and applied it to law enforcement, working as chief of staff for numerous police organizations and as director of operations for the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association. Today, Judy lives in Knoxville, Tennessee and works as a consultant, training public information officers and police leaders about how to better communicate.
• Philip Pritchard – A 1985 graduate of DC’s Sport Administration program, Phil travels the globe to promote the game of hockey and the Hockey Hall of Fame. He has visited more than 35 countries and attended a number of key amateur and pro hockey events, including the Olympic Games and World Championships. Part of his duties include being the “Keeper of the Cup”, travelling with and walking the Stanley Cup out onto the ice to be presented to the National Hockey League’s champion.

To watch a recording of the class, please visit www.durhamcollege.ca/globalgrad.