Mohawk welcomes Richard Court, Tony Thoma, Jim Vanderveken and Nandini Daljit as Mohawk's newest Deans

Mohawk has created 8 new Dean positions to further strengthen the quality of teaching and learning at the College.

Joining Paul Armstrong (Dean, Community and Urban Studies), Piero Cherubini (Dean, Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship), Jo-Anne Westerby (Dean, Teaching, Learning and Quality) and Ted Scott (Dean, Applied Research and Chief Innovation Officer) are:

Richard Court (Dean, Faculty of Business, Media and Communications)

Richard joined Mohawk on Dec. 7. Rick has been involved in the start-up and served as president of several successful business ventures where he was responsible for all operations, administration, sales and customer support. Rick also served as Vice President and Divisional Manager for Star Case Canada and Vice President Finance and Administration for Hi Tec Sports (Canada) Limited, to name a few of his many accomplishments. Rick serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Art Gallery of Hamilton, is a member of the Business Advisory Council for the McMaster University – DeGroote School of Business, and is on the fund raising committee of Hamilton Foodshare. Rick holds a Masters of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Business from McMaster University, and is presently enrolled in the Chartered Directors program. He also holds a Masters Certificate in Supply Chain and Logistics Management from York University.

Tony Thoma (Dean, Engineering Technology)

Tony joined the College on Nov. 30, 2009. Tony has had a distinguished career in leading technical and operational teams focusing on process improvements, development of KPI’s and continuous improvement. He has held impressive senior level positions in industry including Vice President of Operations, Metalco Inc, and several positions at Wescast Industries in Brantford leading to nine year tenure as Global Technical Director. Tony has coordinated many industrial association research studies with colleges, universities and government organizations, including the development of the Foundry lab and the Metal Casting Technician program at Mohawk. Tony has an Executive Masters of Business Administration from The University of Western Ontario, ah Honours Bachelor of Business Administration from Brock University, and a BSc in Metallurgy and Materials Science from McMaster University. Tony is a licensed Engineer through the PEO. He also serves as a member of the Quality and Mission Committee of the Board of Trustees at St, Joseph’s Hospital, and a Director of the Association of Major Power Consumers of Ontario.

Jim Vanderveken (Dean, Interdisciplinary Studies)

Jim Vanderveken assumed his new role as Dean on Nov. 30, 2009. Jim has held numerous positions during his time at the College, culminating in his most recent role as Director, Community Training Solutions and the Job Centre. Jim has led many significant initiatives at the College, including the transformation of the operational structure of the department and the delivery of the Co-operative Education preparatory courses. He has been responsible for the strategic oversight of many programs and services, including the College and Career Preparation Program, Enhanced Language Training for Immigrants, Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada, and Cooperative Education for 31 Coop Programs. He has held primary accountability for fostering and sustaining new partnerships with government funding agencies and community stakeholders, such as municipal economic development and Ontario Works departments, district school boards, and ministry representatives. Jim has established collaborative relationships with other departments and academic schools in all matters relating to curriculum development, program design and delivery, and student engagement and success in the context of access and preparatory programming. Recently, Jim has held corporate responsibility for leading the college’s Second Career campaign, and for assisting to secure sustainable funding for the Jobs Prosperity Collaborative. Jim holds a Masters in Education from Brock University and a Bachelor of Arts from McMaster University, and is a Board member on the Hamilton Training Advisory Board. He has also led several community task forces and is a member of many community associations, such as the Hamilton Skills Development Flagship Committee, and the Hamilton Literacy Service Planning Committee.

Nandini Daljit (Dean, Health Sciences)

Nandini will join the College on Dec. 14, 2009. Nandini joins Mohawk from George Brown College where she holds the position of Director of the School of Social and Community Studies and the School of Deaf and Deafblind Studies in the Faculty of Community Services and Health Sciences. Nandini has also served as Manager of Student Development and Wellness at Sheridan College, where she was responsible for developing a strategic plan for student development and wellness, with accountable performance measures and budget projections in alignment with broader college goals. She held the positions of Coordinator, Executive Development, Education and Development Services Bureau and Business Planner, Corporate Services, with the Ontario Provincial Police. There, she worked with First Nations communities both in urban and remote fly-in locations. She has in-depth knowledge and understanding of an interprofessional approach to allied health education, and of the social determinants of health from her work at George Brown. She holds a Doctorate in Education, specializing in Educational Leadership from Central Michigan University, a Master of Social Work from York University, and a Bachelor of Social work from McMaster University. Nandini serves on the Board of Governors for Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital, and the Advisory Council of Global Partnerships for Learning.