A limited number of tickets are still available for ReuKnighted 2023!

To be held November 3-4 at the Welland Campus (The Core), ReuKnighted is not only NC’s biggest on-campus alumni reunion of the year, it’s the perfect time for staff and faculty to connect with NC’s alumni community.

The entire College community is encouraged to attend this year’s event, organized by Alumni Relations, in collaboration with Athletics and Student Engagement.

The event will kick off with a tailgate party on Friday, November 3 at The Core (Welland Campus) beginning at 4 p.m. Guests can savour the tastes of NC  with a selection of fare prepared from the School of Culinary Arts including Crispy Mushroom Arancini (Smoked Tomato Sauce, Shaved Pecorino), Grilled Miami Cut Short Ribs (Ginger Emulsion, Candied Tai Chili, Toasted Sesame Seeds, Scallion), Pulled Pork Slider (Dill Slaw, Roasted Garlic Aioli, Cobb’s Brioche Bun), and Signature Alumni Pastry presented by Baking and Pastry Arts students. NC wines and beer will also be available.

At 6 p.m., the action will move to the Simplii Financial Athletic Centre (gym) for two basketball games versus Lambton College (women’s at 6 p.m., men’s at 8 p.m.). Post-game festivities will be held at The Core (9:30 p.m.).

The event will continue Saturday, November 4 – the same day as Fall Open House – at the Welland Campus with campus tours at 11 a.m., followed by women’s (1 p.m.) and men’s (3 p.m.) volleyball games versus Conestoga College.

Tickets

ReuKnighted tickets are $10 each, including access to the VIP tailgate party, one food token, one dessert token, and one drink token for the tailgate party (additional tokens will be available for purchase), as well as admission to games on Friday, November 3 and Saturday, November 4.

Children under 12 will be admitted free and the event will feature plus special activities for ‘mini Knights.’

The first 100 alumni to register for ReuKnighted 2023 will receive a gift from Alumni Relations.

Tickets are available via Eventbrite here while supplies last.

Welland Food Drive  

Donations of non-perishable food items or cash will be collected at this year’s tailgate party for the Welland Food Drive. Items may be dropped off at The Core during the tailgate party or at the gym entrance during the games.

NC spirit promises to be on full display at ReuKnighted 2023.

While the annual event, organized by Alumni Relations, is an opportunity for NC alumni to reconnect at the Welland Campus, the entire NC community is welcome attend.

‘ReuKnighted is an opportunity for our NC alumni and friends to support our Knights, and it’s the perfect time for staff and faculty to connect with alumni,” said Jana Boniferro, Director, Alumni Relations. “Everyone is welcome to continue this annual tradition with us, so come out and show your NC spirit!”

Tickets are now available for ReuKnighted 2023, which will kick off with a tailgate party on Friday, November 3 at The Core (Welland Campus) beginning at 4 p.m., before the excitement moves to the gym for two basketball games versus Lambton College (women’s at 6 p.m., men’s at 8 p.m.). Post-game festivities will be held at The Core (9:30 p.m.).

ReuKnighted will continue Saturday, November 4 at the Welland Campus with campus tours at 11 a.m., followed by women’s (1 p.m.) and men’s (3 p.m.) volleyball games versus Conestoga College.

Guests can savour the tastes of NC at ReuKnighted 2023 tailgate with a selection of fare prepared by students from the School of Culinary Arts. NC wines and beer will be available.

Tickets are $10 each, including access to the VIP tailgate, appetizers and refreshments, plus special activities for ‘mini Knights’ as well as game admission on Friday, November 3 and Saturday, November 4. Children under 12 are admitted free.

Tickets are available via Eventbrite here while supplies last.

Purchase your tickets before Friday, October 20 to automatically enter a draw for an exclusive NC Knights themed gift basket valued at $250.

Employees at Bulk Barn stores across the province were in for a treat this August as Jason Ofield, President and CEO and prominent NC alum (Business – Sales and Marketing, 2005) dropped in unannounced to get the scoop on his stores.

Their interactions with Ofield were captured by grads from Niagara College’s Broadcasting – Radio, Television and Film (BRTF) program, a partnership born from the College’s Speaker Series in 2022.

The small film crew followed Ofield from store to store across Belleville, Kingston, Toronto and the Niagara Region. The surprise visits were a chance for Ofield to thank employees for their commitment to the company, gather feedback and new ideas, and promote Bulk Barn’s corporate culture.

“Jason was impressed with the NC team and really enjoyed having them accompany him on the store visits,” said Shannon Gutcher, Director of Marketing at Bulk Barn. “Their positive attitudes and willingness to get in there and capture different moments on the fly were great. It felt like a true partnership with a shared vision. They were professional, engaged, and enthusiastic.”

Jason Ofield in a Bulk Barn store.

The crew was led by Carter Varmeyer (BRTF 2019) and with support from BRTF Program Coordinator Dutch Vandenberg, Associate Director, Community Relations and Events, Carly Root, and NC Community Broadcasting Liaison Parween Taheri (BRTF ). Varmeyer runs his own video production company, Vacant Inn Productions, which he started in his first year at NC.

The alumni duo worked in tandem – Taheri with a shoulder rig camera and Varmeyer on a gimbal – to get maximum coverage at each store Ofield visited.

“Jason was truly amazing to work with,” said Varmeyer. “He had phenomenal energy that kept the whole crew energized and excited for each location. His attention to detail at each store and his ability to play towards the camera made our jobs much easier.”

The footage will be used to tell the story of the company’s vision on their website and at the Bulk Barn State of the Union meeting on October 5 for corporate office employees, store managers, and regional operations team members. Students in the BRTF program have been tapped to support editing and the delivery of the livestream.

“When it came time to determine the approach for our State of the Union, Niagara College came up as Jason was very impressed with the alumni event,” said Gutcher. “The professionalism of the team, the scale of the production of the event and just the positive interactions with everyone at the College made it an easy decision to reach out.”

Gutcher says that the footage captured of leadership running great stores will be a highlight of their meeting.

The NC crew filmed interviews with Bulk Barn employees.

“We are excited to see how it all comes together – the mix of the sit-down interview, the store visits and the b-roll will ensure our message and meeting is very well rounded. Having the NC team capture this content will help bring the vision of “People, Purpose & Passion” to life in a compelling way for our store teams and our corporate office staff.”

Ofield has been highly engaged with his alma mater, and the inspiration for the livestreamed company event – a first for the bulk foods giant – came from NC’s Fall 2022 Convocation and the alumni event in which Olfield spoke to grads about resilience and leadership.

In October, the State of the Union meeting will give current BRTF students a unique experiential learning opportunity.

“Collaborating with an accomplished NC alum like Jason, and two of my own former students, Carter and Parween, was an experience that really encapsulates what it means to bleed NC blue,” said Vandenberg. “Current students are looking forward to supporting the project through editing footage and crewing the livestream production for Bulk Barns’ State of the Union this fall.”

Throughout the shoot, Varmeyer says Dutch always there “to lend a hand with gear whether it be to fix something, set lights, or take behind the scenes photos.”

NC’s Dutch Vandenberg supported the NC film crew. The footage will be edited by students in the BRTF program.

Vandenberg and Root (the latter who facilitated production and consulted on the livestream) were on the road periodically to check in with production team and ensure the content aligned with expectations.

“Working with Dutch, Carly, and Parween has been an amazing experience and opportunity. Although I graduated in 2019, I still feel part of the “college family” at NC any time I get to return,” said Varmeyer.

Ofield cites his NC classes for having opened his eyes to how retail practices can be aligned with environmental sustainability, inspiring the idea for Bulk Barn’s reusable container program. He supported the College’s 21^st Annual Golf Classic fundraiser in September with in-kind product for a ‘Candy Barn.’

The CEO of a major retail chain has joined a hospital president, a high-tech veteran, a community non-profit leader, a popular drag queen/ pop star, a development  technologist, and an automotive technical trainer as part of a a select group of NC alumni to be nominated for prestigious Premier’s Awards.

Niagara College has nominated seven members of its alumni community for Colleges Ontario Premier’s Awards, which celebrate outstanding contributions that college alumni make to Ontario and the world. Nominations are submitted from each of Ontario’s 24 colleges in seven categories: Apprenticeship, Business, Creative Arts and Design, Community Services, Health Sciences, Technology and Recent Graduate (within five years).

Meet NC’s 2023 nominees

Apprenticeship: Christine White

Lead Technical Trainer, Stellantis N.V. (NC Automotive Certificate of Qualifications, 2006)

Christine White is a Lead Technical Trainer, Stellantis N.V.
Supplied photo

Christine White is single-handedly revolutionizing how automotive technicians learn about new generations of hybrids and complex electric vehicles.

When pandemic lockdowns halted in-person teaching, the skilled trainer and Red Seal certified automotive technician turned to video to broaden accessibility and share lessons, illustrations, demonstrations, and Q&As. She established her company’s first-ever on-demand micro-learning library and has written, illustrated, produced, and narrated 140 training tutorials, which are now available to her 22,000 technicians across the U.S

Every day, hundreds log in to view White’s five-to-10-minute training tools, which she hopes to soon offer bilingually for potential distribution in Canada.

Business: Jason Ofield

President and CEO, Bulk Barn Foods Limited (NC Business, Sales and Marketing, 2006)

Jason Ofield is President and CEO, Bulk Barn Foods Limited.
Supplied photo

As Bulk Barn’s President and CEO, Jason Ofield is a change-maker within the Canadian grocery industry. He’s purposefully devoted to sustainability, recycling, and responsible community stewardship, and as a climate change advocate, is the innovator behind Canada’s first-ever reusable food container program.

By actively encouraging customers to repurpose and use reusable (often recycled) containers instead of disposable packaging that ends up in landfills, Ofield is leading by example by tangibly helping consumer and communities reduce their environmental footprint. His successful program already results in more than one million waste-free transactions annually, and adaptation rates continue to grow by the day.

Community Services: Mark Carl

Chief Executive Officer , Habitat for Humanity Niagara (NC Business Administration – Marketing (Diploma) 1997, and International Trade (Post-Graduate Certificate) 1997)

Mark Carl is Chief Executive Officer , Habitat for Humanity Niagara.
Supplied photo

As CEO of Habitat for Humanity Niagara, Mark Carl is his community’s foremost fundraiser for low-income, working families within Ontario’s unprecedented housing crisis.

Mobilized by his learning disability to start volunteering, he witnessed firsthand how lived traumatic experiences trap individuals into homelessness, mental health struggles, and opioid addiction. His advocacy energized a run for city council, where he influenced affordable and social housing legislation, engaged local organizations, and compelled all levels of government into action. His current goal is to build 30 affordable family homes over the next five years by fundraising $10 million, with $4 million already secured.

Creative Arts and Design: Mark Suknanan/ Priyanka

Drag Queen, Pop Star &Television Personality (NC Broadcasting – Radio Television and Film, 2012)

Mark Suknanan / Priyanka is a drag queen, pop star and television personality.
Supplied photo

As a Canadian television personality and drag queen, Mark Suknanan knows what it’s like to be out front–to pave the way for others.

Suknanan’s alter-ego, Priyanka, won the premiere season of Canada’s Drag Race in 2020.

Suknanan was the first Indo-Caribbean to win the title in the worldwide broadcast franchise. Previously a YTV host on The Next Star and The Zone, he went by the nickname, ‘Suki.’  Determined and optimistic, he’s honoured to be a role model as a successful gay, brown man.

Health Sciences: Dorothy Urschel

President and CEO, Columbia Memorial Hospital and Clinical Professor, State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo (NC Nursing Diploma, 1991)

Dorothy Urschel is President and CEO, Columbia Memorial Hospital and Clinical Professor, State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo. Supplied photo

Dorothy Urschel is an award-winning leader in healthcare dedicated to advocating for patient care. An innovative professional, she skillfully used her nursing diploma as a catalyst to a two-decade-long career as a nurse practitioner before she became a change maker at the leadership level.

Urschel served tirelessly on the front lines of the Covid-19 pandemic during New York’s state of emergency, by coordinating overflow beds to treat patients from the NYC region.

Currently, as President and CEO for Columbia Memorial Health System, she’s advancing patient services while simultaneously nurturing the next generation of healthcare professionals. She continues to collect numerous outstanding leadership, advocacy, and teaching awards.

Recent Graduate: Jessica Garrett

Development Technologist, City of Niagara Falls (NC Construction Techniques, 2015, and Construction Engineering Technology /Construction Management, 2019)

Jessica Garrett is a Development Technologist for the City of Niagara Falls. Supplied photo

Jessica Garrett is a fearless female trailblazer within the male-dominated construction industry, dedicated to mentoring young women to join the field. She stands out as an abuse survivor, who during her college studies overcame severe physical trauma and needed a wheelchair, cane, and knee braces to recover. She’s endured unchecked sexism and discrimination that young women in technical construction jobs can face and recalls the pressures of working during college to pay her bills.

Today, Garrett’s in charge of vetting engineering submissions and planning documents for subdivisions and condominiums for one of Ontario’s most famous destinations, Niagara Falls.

Technology: John Zambakkides

President and CEO, Z3 Controls Inc. (Power Engineering diploma, 1972)

John Zambakkides is President and CEO, Z3 Controls Inc.
Supplied photo

John Zambakkides is a high-tech veteran who,after joining one of the world’s largest semiconductor companies in Silicon Valley, became its first Field Application Engineer in Canada. By 31, he was managing two companies, bringing in $70 million of business.

His career spans innovative start-ups, such as V3 Semiconductors, a leader in memory controllers, and his current venture, Z3 Controls Inc. As President & CEO he oversees production of affordable, user-friendly energy monitors that enable industrial and commercial energy users (who comprise more than 70% of the market share), to reduce energy consumption, related costs, and their overall carbon footprint.

The Premier’s Awards

Nominees will be honoured and  winners will be announced at an annual gala event in Toronto, which is part of the Colleges Ontario Higher Education Summit. The 2023 Premier’s Awards will be presented on November 27 at the Sheraton in Toronto.

Previous NC Premier’s Award winners over the years include:

Brewster and Williams were among seven NC alumni who were nominated for 2022 Premier’s Awards. They are the seventh and eighth alumni from NC to win Premier’s Awards since the awards were launched in 1992. NC alumni who have won previously include:

Previous NC winners include:

• 2022 :Murray Brewster (Broadcasting – Radio, Television and Film grad 1985);
• 2022: Erica Williams (Social Service Worker grad, 2018);
• 2014: Senator Rebecca Patterson (Nursing grad, 1987), formerly Royal Canadian Navy Captain;
• 2012: :David Pratt (Greenhouse Technician grad, 2007);
• 2011: Jerry Howell (Computer Engineering Technology grad, 1988);
• 2008:Jordan Harris (Winery and Viticulture Technician grad, 2004);
• 2003: Heather Kilty (Social Welfare Worker grad, 1969); and
• 1995: Carol Alaimo (Journalism-Print grad, 1984).

More information is available at co-awards.org.