As Ontario’s first college, established in 1966, Centennial is a fitting host of the awards this year as the provincial college system celebrates its 40th anniversary. The College Compensation and Appointments Council and Centennial College are proud to welcome the 2006 Premier's Awards recipients and nominees from 24 colleges across Ontario. Award recipients will each receive a bronze medal at the Feb. 19 gala dinner in Toronto, as well as a $5,000 bursary that will be directed to each winner's graduating college.

Here’s a brief introduction to Centennial’s six exceptional nominees:

José Etcheverry, General Arts and Science, 1991
José is a Research and Policy Analyst with the David Suzuki Foundation. The former Chilean immigrant credits his Centennial program with whetting his appetite for environmental research and scholarly excellence. His research into sustainable energy in Mexico drew the attention of the United Nations, which offered him a posting in its Climate Change Program. José focuses on finding practical solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in collaboration with other environmental organizations. By helping to draft Ontario’s distributed generation policy, which will see consumers paid for electricity generated at home, José is helping usher in a brave new world in sustainable energy.

Lorie Keith, Hospitality and Tourism Administration, 1991
Lorie is a successful sales professional whose superior communication and interpersonal skills have earned her a series of swift promotions in the hotel industry. Lorie is a corporate sales account director for Marriott International, managing the lodging needs of corporate giants Ford, Daimler-Chrysler and Nortel Communications. With each firm spending $30 million a year in travel and entertainment around the world, Lorie makes sure Marriott International meets their needs and provides exceptional service. In her other life, Lorie puts her skills to use as a volunteer fundraiser for a Toronto charity that helps disadvantaged children learn online skills.

Pary Bell, New Media Design, 2002
Pary is the Director of Online Media at Alliance Atlantis Communications. His mission in the emerging new media field is to build compelling, interactive web content tied to popular television shows, bringing to an end passive TV viewing. Previously, Pary was a Senior Producer at CBC where he supervised a team that produced interactive games and online content for children. The CBC Kids website proved immensely popular, demonstrating to the industry the value of quality online content. The former artistic painter received industry recognition by winning the Canadian New Media Award as Graduate of the Year in 2002.

Lee Mantini, Nursing, 1980
Lee started a 23-year career with the Scarborough Hospital, working in many demanding areas including emergency and coronary care. In 2003, she took a lead role in managing the hospital’s five outpatient clinics during the SARS crisis. After two humanitarian missions in South America, a year of community health consulting, and four years of university, Lee began a new career in international health and development. By reinventing herself, Lee can rightfully call herself a humanitarian, teacher, speaker and health professional who is passionately dedicated to the profession of nursing at home and around the world.

Tracy Schmitt, Recreation Leadership, 1991
Although a quad-amputee with limbs undeveloped beyond the elbow and knee joints, this does not define who Tracy is. She has spent her life well integrated into her community and school, enjoying the same recreational activities as people without physical disabilities. While working at Air Canada as an Organizational Learning Specialist, she managed the delivery of training programs to more than 40,000 unionized and management employees that resulted in improved morale and customer service. Today she is a Corporate Trainer at Shoppers Drug Mart headquarters, employing a variety of methods from web-based and classroom training to interactive distance learning.

Stanley Papulkas, Radio and Television Broadcasting, 1981
Stanley is a pioneer in multicultural television. As the Executive Producer, Diversity, at Toronto’s OMNI Television, he supervises all editorial content to ensure equal editorial balance and to maintain OMNI’s adherence to CRTC broadcasting regulations. His responsibilities include creating and producing fresh and innovative weekly programs, 13-week series and special broadcasts. Stanley joined the station at its infancy and has grown with it professionally. His passion for storytelling stems from the untimely loss of his parents in a car accident, a passion that allowed Stanley to shape a medium through which new Canadians can tell their own stories.

Centennial College in Toronto, Ontario, Canada is a post-secondary institution created for today's world - honouring the classic academic traditions of the world's best colleges and universities, but designed expressly for the 21st century student.

Centennial College
P.O. Box 631, Station A
Toronto,  Ontario   M1K 5E9
Canada

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