Georgian College celebrates excellence with the annual Awards of Distinction

Dale Boyle, Executive Director, The Gilbert Centre, accepts the Distinguished Alumni Award in a new Changemaker category from Mary-Anne Willsey, Chair, Georgian College Board of Governors, and Kevin Weaver, President and CEO, Georgian College on April, 25, 2024. (Georgian College)

On Thursday, a college in Barrie honoured excellence.

The Georgian College Board of Directors presented the annual Awards of Distinction to tribute employees, alums, and community partners.

"The Board of Governors is proud to recognize and celebrate the outstanding achievements and impressive contributions of this year's recipients of our Awards of Distinction," said Mary-Anne Willsey, chair of the Board of Governors.

The City of Barrie, a recipient of this year's Community Partner Award, has provided co-op experiences to 75 Georgian students. Their collaboration with Georgian has also secured more than $1 million through the Skills Development Fund, a testament to their commitment to address skills development and labour shortages within the manufacturing sector.

The second Community Partner Award was presented to Furniture Bank, powered by Redwood Park Communities. Furniture Bank supplied used furniture and household items to vulnerable groups and Georgian students. Since 2018, it has supported over 20 student field placements.

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The Distinguished Alumni Award, a symbol of change-making, was presented to Dale Boyle, executive director of The Gilbert Centre. A graduate of Georgian's Business Administration Advanced Diploma and Honours Bachelor of Business Administration—Management and Leadership programs. Boyle is a community advocate who has created a Safer Spaces Training Program. His work has helped develop the tools to cultivate change-making abilities, a testament to his leadership and commitment.

Maria Artuso, vice president of Commercial Financial Services at RBC, received the Distinguished Alumni Award. She holds a General diploma and a graduate certificate in Human Resource Management. As a fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute, she holds the highest honour in Canadian financial services and has great experience volunteering for local foundations.

Five additional awards were handed out to employees to recognize their hard work.

"I'm extremely proud of each of our recipients and nominees this year and deeply grateful for their contributions to the college, our campus communities, and most importantly, our students. What distinguishes them are the ways they inspire others through their exceptional commitment, changemaker mindset, passion for all things Georgian, and heart-centred leadership," said Kevin Weaver, president and CEO of Georgian College.