10 outstanding leaders honoured as Alumni of Distinction

Mohawk College is celebrating 10 exemplary leaders who are the newest recipients of the prestigious Alumni of Distinction award. 

The award recognizes graduates for their career achievements and community contributions that provide an exceptional source of inspiration for future generations. 

The 2024 honourees are: Beverley Dinham Spencer ’72, Janine Gaunt ’88, Stacey Hill ’88, Rob Darling ’02, Jason Herd ’05, Amanda White ’08, ’09, ’11, Andrew Moles ’09, Ricardo Gonzalez ’10, Lori Zozzolotto ’12 and Adil Khalqi ’20. 

Learn more about the recipients: https://www.mohawkcollege.ca/alumni/alumni-of-distinction?ayear=all&field_award_category_target_id=All&field_program_of_study_target_id=All&gyear=all&title=&page=0

This year’s award winners are inspirational leaders in business, trailblazers in high-tech, community builders, educators, artists and teachers. 

“They have cut new paths in business, cultivated talent and potential in people through education and recreation, and they have lifted people up along the way,” said President Paul Armstrong while speaking at the awards ceremony earlier this week. “Their careers have grown in very different ways, but the roots of their training began in the same place – at Mohawk College.” 

President Armstrong is not only the first alumnus to lead the college but an Alumni of Distinction award recipient as well. He was honoured in 2013.

The Mohawk College Alumni Association, representing 165,000 alumni, created $1,000 entrance scholarships in honour of each recipient. Since the award’s founding 28 years ago, more than $100,000 has been donated to create scholarships and bursaries for students and learners. 

“We celebrate the excellent education that allowed each of us to be successful in our chosen professions and encouraged us to make a difference in the world,” said Jonathan Vize ’05, chair of the Alumni Advisory Council and an Alumni of Distinction award winner in 2017. “We honour the best among us who have achieved so much and who will inspire generations of Mohawk College alumni to come.” 

Since the creation of the awards there have been 190 Alumni of Distinction award recipients spanning classes from 1969 to 2023 and representing more than 85 different programs.