Seven standout Niagara College alumni are in the provincial spotlight with nominations for prestigious Premier’s Awards.

From changing the game in sports broadcasting, lighting up films on the big screen, and championing diversity in healthcare, to powering up support for the skilled trades, taking companies to new heights, and helping the mining industry dig deeper into sustainability – NC’s 2024 nominees are making their mark in Niagara and beyond.

The nominees are all 2024 NC Alumni of Excellence honourees – the highest recognition alumni can receive from the College for their notable achievements – and the distinction comes with a coveted Premier’s Award nomination.

“NC’s 2024 Alumni of Excellence honourees are not only notable graduates from our College, they are trailblazers, game changers, and difference-makers who exemplify the significant impact Ontario college graduates have on their industries and communities, locally and globally,” said Vice-President, Advancement, Gord Arbeau. “We are tremendously proud to celebrate their outstanding achievements with nominations for prestigious Premier’s Awards.”

Hosted annually by Colleges Ontario, the Premier’s Awards celebrate the important social and economic contributions that graduates make in Ontario and around the world.

The Awards are presented in seven categories – Business, Community Services, Creative Arts and Design, Health Sciences, Recent Graduate, Skilled Trades, and Science Technology and Engineering. NC has submitted a nomination for each category.

• Amy Audibert (Miami) is a Radio and Television Analyst for the Miami HEAT Broadcast team. She made history as part of an all-female crew for a Toronto Raptors broadcast in 2021. Audibert, who graduated from the (Broadcasting- Radio, Television and Film program in 2012, was nominated for Creative Arts and Design.
• Daniel Brennan (Montreal) is Senior Vice President, People and Sustainability, at Bombardier, which is among the top 10 largest aircraft manufacturers in the world. Brennan, who graduated from the Business Administration – Personnel Management program in 1979, has been nominated for Business.
• Andres Coimbra Castedo (Niagara) is a Lighting Artist for Herne Hill Media and worked as a Lighting Artist for the 2023 Oscar winning film, Pinocchio. The Game Development, graduate (2019) is a nominee in the Recent Graduate category.
• Mauro DelleMonache (France), CEO, GEOVIA, helps geoscientists, earth engineers, and urban planners access information to help ensure the responsible use and development of the earth’s resources. A graduate of the Electronics Engineering Technical program (1996), he has a nominee in the Science, Technology and Engineering category.
• Stephanie M. Leheta (Niagara) is Senior Director, Customer Experience Strategy, at CIBC, and an active youth and female ambassador with a focus on compassion, diversity, equity, and inclusion. A graduate of the Medical Record Technologist program (1993), Leheta has been nominated for Community Services.
• Karen Paschert (Niagara) is Clinical Manager for Niagara Health’s Niagara Falls Site Emergency Department. A Nursing graduate of NC’s former Mack School of Nursing, (1991) and the Critical Care Nursing (2006) program, she has been nominated for Health Sciences.
• Elizabeth Tait (Niagara), Co-owner of Level 5 Drive and part-time Automotive Professor at NC, is a graduate of Motive Power Technician program (2011). She is a nominee in the Skilled Trades category.

Eight NC alumni have previously won Premier’s Awards, including

• 2022: Journalist Murray Brewster (Broadcasting – Radio, Television and Film grad, 1985), and Founder of Erica’s Embrace, Erica Williams (Social Service Worker grad, 2018);
• 2014: Royal Canadian Navy Capt. Rebecca Patterson (Nursing grad, 1987);
• 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 than 100 colleges graduates from across the province have been nominated for Premier’s Awards. Winners will be announced at a gala event on November 25 during the Colleges Ontario Higher Education Summit in Toronto. For more information about the Premier’s Awards, visit co-awards.org.

Niagara College has an alumni community of more than 120,000 – and growing. Visit niagaracollege.ca/alumnirelations.

Niagara College has a full-time enrolment of more than 10,000 students from over 100 countries, who study in 130 diploma, certificate and bachelor degree programs at specialized campuses in Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake. Niagara College is also involved in educational projects and partnerships around the world and is ranked Canada’s No.1 research college. Learn more at niagaracollege.ca.

Photo: Niagara College’s 2024 Premier’s Awards nominees include (top row from left): Daniel Brennan, Amy Audibert, Karen Paschert, (bottom row from left) Andrés Coimbra Castedo, Elizabeth Tait, Mauro DelleMonache, and Stephanie Leheta.