Marissa Reckmann has been appointed to the position of President and Chief Operating Officer at AGAT Laboratories.  In her new role, Marissa is focussed on ensuring the preservation of the AGAT Laboratories culture and values, including company philosophies, mission statements and loyalty to staff and clients.  

Marissa graduated from Lakehead University with an HBSc. in Chemistry in 2006.  She joined AGAT shortly after graduation and quickly gained experience within each of the company's geographic and diversified operating divisions.  Marissa's leadership was instrumental in helping the company gain a solid footprint in their 43 locations.  

Marissa is currently the President of the Canadian Land Reclamation Association - Alberta Chapter and a member of the Board of Directors of the National Canadian Land Reclamation Association.  

MICHAEL RAPINO, 52  CEO, Live Nation Entertainment (Last Year's Rank: 3)

Michael Rapino (BAdmin '89) likes to hold court in a corner seat of Live Nation's new employee lounge and bar, a space stocked with high-end tequila and craft beer that feels more like a miniature House of Blues than the first-floor reception area of the company's Beverly Hills headquarters. With 50,000 employees spread out across 40 countries, the firm's Southern California office serves as the de facto boardroom for the world's largest music entity, which in 2017 helped artists reap record revenue despite two terrorist attacks at live-music events, including the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.

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The Departments of Interdisciplinary Studies and History and the Faculty of Education are pleased to announce that alumna Kylie Burchat (HBASc/BEd '17) has been recognized as one of 20 Government of Canada History Award winners for 2017.   

The goal of the Government of Canada History Awards is to connect youth to their history by honouring outstanding students and teachers who show an interest in celebrating Canadian history.

The awards are administered by Canada’s History, an independent national charitable organization whose mission is to promote greater popular interest in Canadian history.

Kylie completed her degree specializing in history and geography at Lakehead Orillia. The genesis of her award-winning submission, a grade six lesson plan exploring the difference between immigrants and refugees, had its roots in her history and education coursework while at Lakehead. 

Kylie is now enrolled in the MA program in History at Wilfrid Laurier University.   

More information about the Government of Canada History Awards can be found at http://gcawards.canadashistory .ca/History-Awards/Teaching- Award/Home

The North West Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) announced on April 19th, the appointment of the new CEO for the North West LHIN, Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott (HBScN '91)

“The Board of Directors wishes to acknowledge the high caliber of skills and abilities that Rhonda brings to this prestigious position with the North West LHIN; her leadership experience and her passion for quality health care in Northwestern Ontario will be an asset for the LHIN. She brings a strong work ethic and demonstrated ability to mobilize teams toward a common goal. We look forward to the results, that she and her Executive Team will bring for the continued success of the LHIN”, stated Gil Labine, Chair of the North West Local Health Integration Network (LHIN). 

A strategic and visionary Senior Health Care Executive, Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott is known as a collaborative, patient and family centred, innovative, results oriented leader. She is a committed individual, passionate about patients and families at the centre of care, energized by new challenges and opportunities to improve quality care, and driven to support teams to accomplish results. 

Dr. Crocker Ellacott has a Baccalaureate in Nursing, Masters Clinical Nurse Specialist Degree in Nursing, and Doctorate in Human Services Administration (Health Care Administration). Her previous position was the Executive Vice President, Patient Services & Chief Nursing Executive of Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and Chief Executive Officer, Nipigon District Memorial Hospital.

Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott has over 25 years of experience in the health care field. From her previous roles as Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer and as a Chief Nursing Executive, she brings to the LHIN CEO position knowledge and experience related to Emergency, Critical Care and Trauma Programs; Surgical and Ambulatory Care Services; Women and Children’s Programs; Diagnostic Service; Patient and Family Centred Care; and Nursing and Professional Practice.

“The Board of Directors is very excited about the future possibilities and opportunities that Rhonda will bring to the LHIN operations and the health care system in Northwestern Ontario through her leadership,” said Labine.

“The Board would also like to thank and acknowledge the excellent work that Laura Kokocinski provided to the LHIN during her eleven year tenure with the LHIN and we wish her much enjoyment and success in her retirement,” said Labine.

Thunder Bay artist Cree Stevens (BABEd '97, BFA '15) has won the 2018 K.M. Hunter Artist Award for Visual Arts.

The annual award is given to six Ontario, mid-career, professional artists in various art disciplines. The winners this year are Christine Friday, Ottawa (Dance); Matthew Heiti, Sudbury (Theatre); Shane Book, Ottawa (Literature); Luo Li, Dundas (Media Arts); Allison Cameron, Toronto (Music); and Cree Stevens, Thunder Bay (Visual Arts).

“I was so honoured to learn that I was nominated for the K.M. Hunter Award,” said Stevens from her home in Thunder Bay. “To me, the nomination was enough, because it came from jury members of the Ontario Arts Council. When I learned that I had actually won, I couldn’t believe it.”

The annual K.M. Hunter Artist Awards are financed by a gift from the K.M. Hunter Charitable Foundation to the Ontario Arts Council.

“We are very impressed at the caliber of artists our awards attract and wish all the winners this year great success in the pursuit of their work,” says Sarah Hunter, President, K.M. Hunter Charitable Foundation.

It has been a busy 2018 for Cree Stevens so far. Along with this award, Stevens recently completed the Converging Lines group exhibition at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery and has just started showing her work in the private Ahnisnabae Art Gallery in downtown Thunder Bay.

“We are thrilled to have Cree Stevens in our gallery,” said gallery owner, Louise Thomas. “Stevens is part of an exciting group of younger contemporary Indigenous artists in this region that are making a name for themselves.”

Cree Stevens will be honoured at the K.M. Hunter Charitable Foundation event in Toronto in June.

Article credit: TBNewswatch

Tracey Nieckarz (BA'89/HBA'90), a partner at the law firm Buset LLP, has been named a judge of the Superior Court of Justice in Thunder Bay.  Her appointment was announced by Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould.  

Justice Nieckarz replaces Madam Justice H.M. Pierce, who retired from her full-time position to become a part-time judge last year.

Nieckarz was born in Liverpool, U.K. and raised in Thunder Bay. She graduated from Lakehead University before earning her law degree from York University in 1993.

She practised in Thunder Bay for her entire legal career, joining Buset LLP in 2001.  In recent years she focused primarily on family law, including representing children through the Office of the Children's Lawyer.  

The Fleming College Board of Governors is pleased to announce that Maureen Adamson has been selected as the college’s sixth president.

This appointment marks several firsts for the college. Maureen is the first Fleming alumni to lead the college, as well as the first female and the first person originally from Peterborough to hold the position.

Ms. Adamson has 25 years of progressive leadership experience in the postsecondary, healthcare, government and not-for-profit sectors. She holds an MBA from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Lakehead University and a diploma in Business Administration from Fleming College and is an accredited Director with the Institute of Corporate Directors, Canada.

She was most recently the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Sport for the government of Ontario, a 900-employee organization that is responsible for all policy and programming, accountable for the oversight of 20 agencies and attractions such as the Ontario Media Development Corp, Ontario Place, the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Royal Ontario Museum. She also established the first ever Ministry of the Status of Women in Ontario and held the position of Deputy Minister of the Status of Women.

In the postsecondary education sector, Ms. Adamson was the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Michener Institute which is devoted to applied health sciences education and a leading academic partner for the healthcare system in Ontario. She also held the position of Vice-President, Corporate Services at Mohawk College.

From 2011 to 2014, Maureen was the CEO of Cystic Fibrosis Canada, responsible for transformational leadership, strategy, fundraising, advocacy, innovation and research, and clinical investments.

Maureen succeeds Dr. Tony Tilly who will end his 14-year tenure as Fleming’s president on June 29.

The Ledcor Group of Companies, a leading Canadian diversified construction and industrial operations company, today announced the appointment of Don Quan as President, Ledcor Resources and Transportation.  

“On behalf of the Board, I am pleased to announce that Don Quan has been appointed as President, Ledcor Resources and Transportation,” said Dave Lede, Chairman and CEO of the Ledcor Group.  “Don will manage Ledcor’s ongoing operations and expansion into the forestry, biomass and marine and aviation transportation sectors.”

As President, Ledcor Resources & Transportation, Don will oversee Ledcor’s Resources and Transportation division, which includes Forestry, Marine, and Aviation services (Summit Air and Summit Helicopters).

Don joined Ledcor in 2012 as Director, Solid Wood Operations, Resources and Transportation.  Five years later, he became Chief Operating Officer of the Forestry and Marine divisions.  Don is a chartered accountant, and over the past 25 years has worked primarily in the forestry industry. His past positions were with both public and private enterprises and the roles varied from finance to senior operating positions.  

Don holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Lakehead University.

Andrea Tarsitano (HBComm '01) has permanently taken on the role of Vice-Provost Students & Registrar at Lakehead University.  Having served as the Acting Vice-Provost (Student Affairs), alongside her existing role as Associate Vice-Provost Enrolment & Registrar, the transition to her new role best addresses the needs of the students and the future direction of the University.

Kutcho Copper Corporation is pleased to announce the appointment of Sue Craig (MSc. 1991) as Vice President of Community & Environment. 

As a highly-respected professional geoscientist, Ms. Craig has worked in British Columbia and Yukon for over 25 years on projects from the exploration and development stage to construction, production and mine closure. Ms. Craig's experience includes work with publicly-listed mining companies, Territorial and Federal Governments, First Nations and industry associations.

Ms. Craig successfully led the Environmental Assessment process for NovaGold's Galore Creek project in 2006 and played a key role in establishing the Participation Agreement with the Tahltan Nation. She was co-recipient of the inaugural 2007 Robert R. Hedley Award, presented by the Association for Mineral Exploration British Columbia ("AME"), for her "excellence in social and environmental responsibility" on the Galore Creek project. From 2013 to 2016, Ms. Craig was the Director of Government and Community Relations for Aurico Gold as the Kemess Underground Project entered the Environmental Assessment Process. Ms. Craig first collaborated with a First Nation to implement a Socio-Economic Accord related to a mining project in Yukon in 1995, one of the first of these types of agreements in Canada.

In 2016, Ms. Craig was recognized by AME for her "exceptional meritorious service to the Mineral Exploration Community" with the Gold Pan Award. She has served as the Chair of AME Mineral Exploration Roundup, as well as a Board Member of AME, and is currently a Director of Yukon Energy Corporation and President of the Yukon Chamber of Mines. She has received a number of awards recognizing her contributions toward environmental stewardship and sustainable development, and was the recipient of the 2017 Canadian Women in Mining Trailblazer award.