Perseverance pays off Mike Kelly: “The grass is greener when you love your career.” Making time for fitness when there isn’t time to breathe Q&A with Ruth Vesterback, Georgian’s Fitness Co-ordinator The Power of Alumni Your Association donates $500,000 ALUMNIVIEW I summer 2009 to the Power of Education Campaign Summer 2009 468 20 Mike Kelly Dr. Ted Vandevis Mike Woods Andy and Kim Moffett Grad turns passion into Lifelong learning a Alumnus helps to steer Dynamic duo criss-crosses profession powerful tool for career family car business and United States to chase success the future of CAI career success Columns Updates Alumni View 2 19 Director of Georgian College View from the President Lost 1996 Grads Development & Alumni Association Good news in bad times Alumni Relations One Georgian Drive Lisa Eveleigh Barrie, Ontario L4M 3X9 3 23 Tel: 705.728.1968 x1213 View from the Chair Grad Grapevine Production/ Fax: 705.722.5176 alumni.georgianc.on.ca The importance of Copy Editors giving back Tina Hurst Kelly Pottage (Graditude) 24 27 Q & A with Reunion News Writers Ruth Vesterback Dave Dawson There’s no excuse Tina Hurst Kelly Pottage (Graditude) Centre pages 28 Graditude - Celebrating Alumni Ticket Deals Photography Georgian’s Donors Doug Crawford The Power of Education Kelly Pottage Campaign hits $17 million Angela Woods Design/production Canada Post publication mail agreement # 40069524 McIntosh Design Group Return undeliverable Cdn addresses to : Georgian College Alumni, One Georgian Drive, Barrie ON L4M 3X9 1 · ALUMNIVIEW VIEW FROM THE PRESIDENT Message from Brian Tamblyn President and CEO Georgian College Good news in bad times While headlines are fraught with distressing news, I am of its kind in Canada and one of very few in North pleased to be able to tell you there is a lot of good news America. Current enrolment in UPC stands at over happening here at Georgian. 2,000 full- and part-time students in degree programs, up from 53 Laurentian University students in 2001. Did you know Georgian’s business is skyrocketing with diploma, degree and apprenticeship enrolment But with growth comes growing pains. Georgian has growing faster than any other College in the province? reached a critical juncture. At the current rate of growth, we will be out of space by September 2011. Combine Our enrolment intake in January increased a stagger- this space shortage with the critical need for more ing 53 per cent over January 2008. Our applications skilled workers in Ontario, and we are looking at an for this fall are well on track to establishing new all- institutional “perfect storm.” time records. But we are responding like never before. In the near Georgian is one of the local region’s largest economic future, we are hopeful that Georgian will be invest- drivers – with over $300 million in economic impact ing over $80 million into expansion projects. The largest per year being generated by our organization in the project is the Georgian Centre for Health and Well- province – and over $150 million annually in Barrie ness at the Barrie Campus, a 165,000-square-foot and area alone. expansion that will increase enrolment in Health Sciences to 3,000 students per year. This facility will Over the past four decades, Georgian has evolved from also be home to leading-edge laboratories, technolo- a storefront operation at the Wellington Plaza with gy-enhanced classrooms, and community-accessible 101 students to some 10,000 full-time and 27,000 health care teaching clinics. At the time of writing, part-time students today - spread over seven campuses we have just received news that the federal and pro- across southern Georgian Bay, as well as operations in vincial governments have agreed to contribute $40 India and China. million towards the $65.5-million project. A ground At a time when cities and towns struggle to bring breaking ceremony will take place as early as this summer. well-paying jobs to this area, Georgian employs over As our plans for expansion and development in strategic 2,000 full- and part-time staff. We are also providing areas become reality, we can ensure that Georgian more local talent with higher education and they are continues to be a key driver for growth in the regional using their acquired knowledge and skills to begin and provincial economies. We’re also working very successful ventures here, rather than in other medium diligently to ensure we offer every individual in our and large urban centres. community an opportunity for the best education Our most significant recent achievement has been and training possible. the launch and unparallelled growth of Georgian’s University Partnership Centre (UPC) – the only one 2 · ALUMNIVIEW VIEWFROM THE CHAIR Message from Stephen McIntosh Chair Alumni Association The importance of giving back Your Alumni Association has an impressive history of giving back to the College. Over the years, it has donated over a million dollars. That total includes contributions of $45,000 to the Barrie athletic centre Stephen McIntosh (centre), Chair of the Alumni Association, presents a cheque to Tom Ambeau, Chair of the POE Campaign and $300,000 to build the Alumni Courtyard. In and Brian Tamblyn, President and CEO of Georgian College. 2002, it donated $600,000 to key projects such the Centre for Technology Enhanced Learning, Alumni Hall, and the Orillia athletic centre. Giving back in these difficult economic times is even more vital to the success of our alma mater. With the Power of Education campaign, the College is raising much needed funds for growth and pro- gram development to ensure Georgian continues to meet the needs of students, employers and the communities in which it operates. These dollars will help build a Georgian Centre for Health and Wellness, a Centre for Sustainable Technologies, a revitalized hospitality and tourism program, and fund critical advancements at the Owen Sound, Midland and Muskoka campuses. The campaign will also help grow the Georgian awards and schol- arships program. I’m thrilled to tell you that $17 million of the cam- paign’s $25 million goal has been met, and your Alumni Association has played a key role in this with the recent announcement of a $500,000 gift to the Power of Education campaign. This gift will help the future success of Georgian and its students. With this contribution, donations by the Alumni As- sociation have reached over $1.5 million. We are immensely proud of our philanthropic mandate, and our continued support of Georgian College. ALUMNIVIEW · 3 Mike Kelly Turning a passion into a profession By Dave Dawson With a zeal that rivals that of a “Actually, I had a winter job selling television evangelist, Mr. Knickers, this quirky curling and mini-putt sporting bright green knickers and device to schools and a teacher “This just doesn’t a matching bow tie, exhorts a said to me that it’s too bad golf feel like working. gymnasium full of energetic kids isn’t taught in schools.” to give golf a try. Students, freed It’s really a from a rigid regimen of books and For Kelly, the seed was sown. He blackboards, faithfully respond, developed Mr. Knickers and his dream job.” eager for a chance to swing an unique ‘Golf4Kidz’ program, oversized plastic club and to cata- which aimed to introduce all pult tennis balls at Sticky Dave, elementary school children to the Mr. Knickers’ loyal sidekick. game of golf. The program led Kelly across Ontario and to his Mr. Knickers and Sticky Dave are two-time nomination for the characters created by Georgian Premier’s Award of Excellence by College alumnus Mike Kelly, who Georgian College. developed a ground-breaking golf program for kids in 2003 that Kelly worked for ClubLink, one of married golf with education, the country’s best-known golf club creating a match made in heaven. owner/operators, while running the Golf4Kidz program. In 2006 he “I guess you could say this is not joined the Golf Association of a typical golf program,” said Kelly Ontario (GAO) to lead a new incar- of his concept that has helped to nation of his unique program, the shatter the staid stereotype that Callaway Golf in Schools program, many people conjure when they and to facilitate the GAO’s player think of golf. “But the idea, and development initiatives. one of the reasons I dress up as Mr. Knickers, is to make it fun for Under Kelly’s direction, Callaway the kids. We want to ensure that Golf in Schools has reached more the kids remember this presentation than 25,000 students since its and, more importantly, we want inception in June of 2007, and them to get excited about golf. has led to the development of a It’s a great game and we want national Golf in Schools program. everyone to be exposed to it.” The program sees golf incorporated into the school curriculum with a That’s why Kelly created the multi-step approach to promoting program and, when it began, physical activity while ensuring travelled to various elementary students have a positive experi- schools to present it – for free. ence with golf at a young age. 4 · ALUMNIVIEW “I’m really happy to bring some exposure to the game Mike Kelly, a.k.a. Mr. Knickers, teaches kids the fun of golf. and Georgian College.” His passion and tireless dedication program, his enthusiasm for the just doesn’t feel like working. It’s to introduce the game to a new golf industry never ceased to amaze really a dream job.” generation of golfers helped Kelly me and his instructors,” said Doey.