Eight of Conestoga’s outstanding alumni were recognized for their contributions to their professions and their community at the college’s Alumni of Distinction Awards event held at the John W. Tibbits campus in Waterloo on Wednesday, November 21.
2018 Alumni of Distinction recipients (L-R) Rohan Nandakumar, Steve Zinger, Casie Stewart, Deanna Clatworthy, Martha George, Clarice Crocker and David Timlock with Mike Cybulski, president of Conestoga Alumni Council.
“Conestoga alumni make a difference,” said Mike Cybulski, president of Conestoga Alumni Council. “They are the people that shape our community and touch our lives every day.”
“Tonight’s award recipients come from a variety of backgrounds and academic achievements, but what they all have in common is the unwavering commitment to excellence that has helped them reach their individual goals, made their workplaces more effective and their communities better places to live,” Cybulski continued.
In recognition of their career achievements and contributions to the community, the newest Alumni of Distinction award recipients are:
- Deanna Clatworthy, Practical Nursing, 2012. Clatworthy is clinic coordinator and nurse at Guelph’s HIV/AIDS Resources and Community Health Clinic, and considered a pioneer in HIV/AIDS and transgender health care.
- Clarice Crocker, Women in Skilled Trades, 2006; General Carpenter Apprenticeship, 2011. Crocker is vice-president of operations for the Canadian Association of Women in Construction and currently works as a project coordinator in the Specialty Contracts Division at a general contractor.
- Mike Farwell, Broadcast - Radio & Television, 1996. Farwell hosts his own show on 570 News, and serves as the play-by-play voice of the Kitchener Rangers. His Farwell 4 Hire fundraising campaign has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to support Cystic Fibrosis research.
- Martha George, Teacher/Trainer of Adults, 1999. An active community leader, George served as president of the Grand Valley Construction Association (GVCA) and was recognized with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal in 2012 for her significant contributions to Canada’s construction industry.
- Rohan Nandakumar, Bachelor of Applied Technology - Integrated Telecommunications and Computer Technology, 2008. Nandakumar runs WSIB's Innovation Lab at Communitech, developing prototype services and solutions to enable a healthy workforce for Ontario. He previously held roles with both BlackBerry and Apple.
- Casie Stewart, Business Administration - Marketing, 2003. Stewart is an award-winning social media pioneer and innovator who serves as an ambassador for such global brands as Ford, Pepsi, Telus, TD and BMO. Her work has earned more than 30 million impressions in the last 6 years.
- David Timlock, Construction Engineering Technologies, 1980; Civil Engineering Technology, 1984. Timlock is founder and president of Collaborative Structures Limited and possesses more than 30 years of experience in construction and project management.
- Steve Zinger, Business Administration - Marketing, 2006. Zinger is president of Blendtek Fine Ingredients Inc. and was named Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2018 by the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce.
In his remarks, Conestoga president John Tibbits pointed out that the majority of the college’s 130,000+ graduates live in the local community, making a tremendous contribution to the prosperity and well-being of the region. Almost 55 per cent of the local adult population has participated in Conestoga’s education and training programs.
According to a recent analysis, Conestoga graduates own more than 3,500 local businesses and contribute more than $2.3 billion to the regional economy each year.
More than 200 outstanding Conestoga graduates have been recognized through the college’s Alumni of Distinction program since it was established in 1997.
For more information, visit http://www.conestogac.on.ca/alumni/