Oshawa, Ont. - R. J. (Bob) Strickert and Garry Cubitt have been appointed chair and vice-chair respectively of the Durham College board of governors. In addition, four individuals from the external community and three individuals from the college were elected governors. The new external governors are Joanne Burghardt, Michelle V. Carter, Mike Shields and Dr. Phillip (Rocky) J. Simmons. The three new internal governors are Liesje de Burger, Lisa Grande and Deborah Kinkaid.
Chair and vice-chair
Bob Strickert of Port Perry is a retired vice-president of Pickering Nuclear, Ontario Power Generation. During his career in the energy sector he worked on a variety of key projects at the national and international levels. Strickert is a graduate of the Faculty of Chemical Engineering at Queen's University.
Garry Cubitt of Oshawa has been employed by the Region of Durham since January 1974. In his current role as chief administrative officer, Cubitt is responsible for 1,700 employees who work at diverse locations in the region. He holds an Honours B.Sc. from Trent University and an M.Sc. from the University of Toronto.
New external governors
Joanne Burghardt is editor-in-chief of the Durham division of Metroland Printing, Publishing and Distributing Ltd., as well as editorial director for 12 regional publications. A 1981 graduate of the college's Journalism program, Burghardt received a Durham College Alumnus of Distinction Award and a YWCA Woman of Distinction Award in 1996.
Michelle V. Carter is executive director of Vince Carter's Embassy of Hope Foundation and CEO of Visions in Flight, Inc., both based in Daytona Beach, Florida. She was a teacher for 20 years and her extensive community service work has focused on education. Carter's contributions have been recognized through awards such as the state of Florida's Best Practices Award. She holds a B.Sc. in business education from Bethune-Cookman College and an M.Sc. in administration and supervision from Nova University, both in Florida.
Mike Shields is president of CAW Local 222 and the CAW/GM Intra-Corporation Council. He is also a member of CAW Canada's national executive board. Active in the community, Shields is a director of the Durham College Foundation and the Unemployed Help Centre, and co-chairs the United Way of Clarington/Whitby/Oshawa fundraising campaign.
Dr. Phillip (Rocky) J. Simmons is president and chief executive officer of Eco-Tec Inc. of Pickering. His experience and expertise are in the areas of research and development, manufacturing, engineering, international relations and education. Dr. Simmons holds a B.A.Sc., an M.A.Sc. and a PhD, all in chemical engineering from the University of Toronto.
New internal governors
Liesje de Burger, a professor in the college's School of Business, was elected for a three-year period to represent college faculty. She is a member of the Durham College professional development committee and co-ordinates Central Michigan University's MA in adult education program at Durham College. De Burger holds an honours BA in Canadian studies from Trent University, a joint diploma in library science from Ryerson University and the University of Toronto, and in education from Central Michigan University.
Lisa Grande, a third-year Chemical Engineering student, was elected to represent Durham College students for a one-year term. Highly involved in student life and her community, Grande serves as a peer tutor and as a volunteer at the Distress Centre Durham and Victim Services for the Durham Regional Police Service. She is a graduate of Clarke High School in Newcastle and Durham College's Motive Power Fundamentals program.
Deborah Kinkaid, director of payroll and purchasing, was elected by her administrative peers to represent them on the board for a three-year period. She is a member of the college's Banner upgrade committee and represents the college at the Durham Region Purchasing Co-operative. Kinkaid has served as treasurer of the Durham College staff association where she volunteered her expertise in budgetary projection analysis.
Returning board members:
Peter Bagnall, general director, customer support services, General Motors of Canada Ltd.;
Carol Beam, multimedia co-ordinator, Durham College;
Denise Jones, chartered accountant, Hobb, Bakker, Bergin, Hill;
Gail MacKenzie, department head, student services department, Courtice Secondary School;
Mark Moorcroft, crown attorney, Ministry of the Attorney General, Crown Attorney's Office;
Gary Polonsky, president, Durham College and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology;
Lorraine Sunstrum-Mann, program leader, Lakeridge Health Corporation, Oshawa; and
Doug Wilson, lawyer, Uxbridge, Ontario.
Media contact:
Catherine Shearer-Kudel
(905) 721-3111, ext. 2162
e-mail: catherine.shearer-kudel@durhamc.on.ca
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