Mohawk celebrates eight outstanding alumni

Successful entrepreneurs, business leaders and community activitists are among the eight Mohawk College graduates who will be receiving Alumni of Distinction Awards next month. The annual awards recognize the career achievements and community contributions of successful college alumni.

Congratulations to this year’s recipients:

AFFINITY RECIPIENT: BRIAN HANSELL
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, 1983

Brian Hansell is a mental health advocate, entrepreneur and business leader. As Founder and President of Hansell Consulting Group Inc. (HCG), Brian has established himself as a leader in the wellness industry. HCG is committed to creating custom, wellness-based solutions and implementing these progressive solutions in the workplaces of its clients. Since 1995, Brian has been a member of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO). He has served as EO President of the Toronto Chapter and the Global Organization and, in 2014, he founded the EO’s Southwest Ontario Chapter. Brian founded the Paul Hansell Foundation, a not-for-profit organization named in honour of his son. The foundation serves to promote the mental and emotional wellbeing of youth. Brian is the 2017 recipient of the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) annual Champions of Mental Health Award – Community (Individual) category.

BUSINESS RECIPIENT: STEVE STIPSITS
ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGY, 1984

Steve Stipsits is President and Owner of Branthaven Homes, a Burlington-based home building company active in the GTA and South Western Ontario. He has leveraged his custom home building background into a highly successful company that leads the industry in custom-inspired production homes. Steve is the recipient of a number of awards, including Burlington Entrepreneur Hall of Fame Award (2014) and BILD Stephen Dupuis Humanitarian of the Year Award (2016). His charity work includes Branthaven Homes funding the $400,000 renovation of Hamilton’s YWCA transitional living spaces. Since 2016, he serves as Governor on the Mohawk College Board of Governors. In spring 2017, Steve was inducted as a Mohawk College Distinguished Fellow.

COMMUNITY SERVICES RECIPIENT: JOAN MINNERY
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, 1988

Joan Minnery is Owner and Operator of Joan Minnery Enterprises. Joan plays many roles – as a mother, music educator, motivational speaker, Zumba instructor, professional entertainer, dance teacher, weight management consultant, drama coach and health journalist. Her work has been recognized through numerous awards, including Brant News Reader’s Choice Awards – Brantford’s Best Motivational Speaker (2016); Brant News Reader’s Choice Awards – Brantford’s Best Local Author (2016); and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012). Joan is the award-winning author of Walking My Way Back to Me, her personal transformation autobiography.

CREATIVE ARTS & DESIGN RECIPIENT: JONATHAN VIZE
JOURNALISM & COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA, 2005

Jonathan Vize is an award-winning broadcast professional whose career began at CTV Toronto through a student internship at Mohawk College. Nearly a decade later, Jonathan became an integral part of the CTV Newsroom and management team as Senior Manager of Broadcast Operations, overseeing one of the largest groups at CTV in Toronto. In 2014, he was awarded the Bell Media Inspiration Award for his commitment to excellence and productivity. Jonathan has now returned to his hometown station in Hamilton, where he coordinates and assigns daily news coverage, generates story ideas, and stays on top of breaking news as the Assignment Editor at CHCH News.

ENTREPRENEUR RECIPIENT: NATALIE SEXTON
AESTHETICS, 2005

Natalie Sexton is a fashion stylist, professional makeup artist and blogger (SextonInTheCity). In 2013, Natalie opened her store, Sexton in the City Boutique, in downtown Hamilton. She created her own Canadian-made brand—Sexton in the City (SITC)—of makeup, clothing and accessories. She is regarded as a social media influencer and a go-to media spokesperson for all things fashion. Natalie appears regularly as a style expert on CTV’s The Marilyn Denis Show and CHCH. She supports local causes in a variety of ways, including acting as the emcee for the Cancer Assistance Program’s Annual Gala in 2015. Natalie continues to be an integral part of the Mohawk College community, serving as a member on the Advisory Committee for the college’s Aesthetics Program.

HEALTH SCIENCES RECIPIENT: LINDA HASLAM-STROUD
NURSING, 1977

Linda Haslam-Stroud is a long-time nursing leader, political activist and nursing advocate. Linda is currently serving her seventh consecutive term as President of the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA, the union representing 62,000 registered nurses and allied health professionals and more than 16,000 nursing student affiliates providing care in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the community, clinics and industry. She has been active in ONA since 1980, having served as President and Local 75 Coordinator for much of that time. Linda is an experienced leader in provincial bargaining, strategic planning and government liaison. Her work in the field of nursing has not gone unnoticed – she is the recipient of several industry awards, including Sisters of St. Joseph of Hamilton Mission Legacy Award (2008) and Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) Lifetime Achievement Award (2017). In spring 2017, Linda was inducted as a Mohawk College Distinguished Fellow.

MOHAWK COLLEGE EMPLOYEE RECIPIENT: KAREN DAVIS
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, 1993

Karen Davis is Professor/Coordinator of Mohawk’s Early Childhood Education (ECE) Program. Karen is an exemplar employee who displays passion and enthusiasm in all areas of her job. She acts as Coordinator for several areas in the ECE program, including the Early Childhood Education Diploma, Early Childhood Education Intensive Diploma and Child Development Practitioner Apprenticeship program. Karen is very committed to community engagement and has been an active participant in various committees related to early childhood education, including Evenstart Committee, Halton Region; Recruitment and Retention Committee, City of Hamilton; and Best Start Coordinating Committee, City of Hamilton.

TECHNOLOGY RECIPIENT: DAVID FOLK
ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGY, 1988

David Folk is Senior Project Manager at PCL Constructors Canada Inc. (PCL). He possesses over 29 years of experience in the construction industry, with nearly 20 of those years with PCL, where he has distinguished himself as a top-tier construction professional. David’s leadership on such landmark projects as the Humber River Hospital has garnered a number of awards and distinctions, including Toronto Construction Association Best of the Best Award – Project Achievement (Large) in 2015; Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships (CCPPP) Gold Winner – Infrastructure Award (2015); and Gold Medal, Modern Healthcare Design Awards (2016). He is actively involved in community endeavours within Hamilton, including serving as Board Member of Hamilton Halton General Contractors Association (HHGCA); Member of Association of Architectural Technologists of Ontario; and Leader of the United Way PCL Leaders Campaign.

For more information on this year's recipients visit: https://www.mohawkcollege.ca/alumni/alumni-of-distinction