Waterloo Region Record
Kitchener, Ont.: Oct 23, 2009
Outstanding Conestoga College alumni were recognized at a ceremony Thursday night. The Alumni of Distinction Awards are handed out by the college annually in several categories, from community services to health and life sciences.
This year's winners in the different categories are:
Business - Sharron Gilbert. The materials management graduate from 1995 is co-founder and chief executive officer of Septimatech, which manufactures innovative container handling solutions for the global packaging industry.
Community Services - Corey Hill. Hill, a 1991 law and security graduate, worked for London Health Sciences Centre as team leader and security co-ordinator for almost 10 years before becoming the manager of corporate security for the City of London.
Engineering and Information Technology - Jeffrey Wiesel. An electrical engineering graduate from 1983, Wiesel is vice-president and general manager at COM DEV's Switch business unit, where he implemented the international benchmark lean manufacturing to maximize capacity and profits.
Health and Life Sciences -John Prno. The ambulance and emergency care graduate from 1978 is director of emergency medical services for the Region of Waterloo, overseeing ambulance service in the area.
Media and Design - Ron D. Smrczek. The 1996 graphic design graduate is an executive creative director at the advertising agency TAXI, New York, which creates multimedia campaigns. He's won numerous international, national and regional awards for his work.
Trades and Apprenticeship - Don Gosen, a resource technician/electrical apprentice graduate from 1974, has been the president of Gosen Electric Ltd. since 1977. He successfully lobbied the provincial government to harmonize master electrician licensing, leading to the formation of the Electrical Contractor Registration Agency.
Recent Graduates - Drew Leslie. The 2005 general machinist and 2006 industrial mechanic graduate owns Leslie Precision Machining, which makes cutting-edge medical and educational robotic systems.
Credit: Record staff