In the news: Planning for a greener Mohawk
HAMILTON (Nov. 2, 2011) – Hamilton-based McKeil Marine is making the largest donation in company history to support the largest renewal project in the history of Mohawk College.
In addition to the company’s $750,000 contribution to Mohawk’s Fennell Campus Renewal Project, McKeil Marine Chairman and CEO Blair McKeil and his wife Kathy hosted an event last month that inspired family and friends to donate $250,000 for student scholarships and bursaries. Blair is also mentoring students by serving as Mohawk’s first ever entrepreneur-in-residence while Kathy is organizing an entrepreneurship speakers’ series.
In recognition of these investments in Mohawk, the college will officially announce the naming of the McKeil School of Business on Thursday, Nov. 3 at 3 p.m. in the iWing Rotunda at the Fennell Campus. The McKeil School of Business, with 2,600 students in 20 programs, is the first to be named for a Mohawk benefactor.
“Blair, together with his family and his company, has made a remarkable investment in both our students and our college,” says Mohawk President Rob MacIsaac. “Mohawk is proud to name our School of Business in tribute to a hometown CEO and an industry-leading company.”
“My family and company are proud to invest in a college that does an outstanding job of preparing students in our community for the business of life,” says Blair. “Like every successful company, our most valuable asset is our people. McKeil Marine supports Mohawk because the college provides our company and the Greater Hamilton Area with highly skilled graduates who make an immediate contribution thanks to their hands-on and real-world college education.”
McKeil Marine provides innovative marine transportation solutions and special project support to customers across the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence Seaway, eastern seaboard and Canadian arctic. With 53 years of experience in the marine transportation industry, McKeil owns and operates a diverse and versatile range of tugs and barges.
Mohawk College delivers a quality education to 12,000 full-time students, 4,500 apprentices and 42,000 continuing education registrants. The renewal of Mohawk’s largest and oldest campus is earning high marks from students. In the Ontario government’s latest province-wide student satisfaction survey, Mohawk ranked number one among all colleges in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area for quality of programs and learning, quality of facilities and services and overall student and graduate satisfaction.