Confederation College Media Release
Three Confederation College Alumni to Receive President’s Awards in Recognition of Remarkable Achievement
Recipients also Nominated by Confederation for Premier’s Awards
September 2, 2015, THUNDER BAY, ON – Confederation College will be honouring three alumni for their remarkable achievements by presenting each of them with a President’s Award. Wendy Landry will accept her award at the 20th Annual Community Partners’ Evening on Thursday, September 24, while Laurie Saindon and Glenn Schiiler (both living outside of Thunder Bay) will receive their awards at the Premier’s Awards ceremony in November.
“We are proud of all of our alumni and I am thrilled to honour them at our Community Partners’ Evening,” said Jim Madder, President of Confederation College. “Each of these individuals has proven that they are leaders in their respective fields through their exemplary accomplishments. Confederation College is happy to have played a role in their success.”
The 20th Annual Confederation College Community Partners’ Evening, presented by Tbaytel, is one of Thunder Bay’s premier business networking events. Guests will enjoy gourmet food prepared by the College’s culinary students at stations throughout the Ryan Hall venue. This year will also include a visit from special guest Chef Michael Smith thanks to Sodexo, Confederation’s food service provider. All funds from the event will be directed to student awards. Tickets are still available for purchase by visiting www.partnersevening.eventbrite.ca. Full event details can be found at www.confederationc.on.ca or by calling (807) 475-6460.
In addition to receiving the President’s Award, each of the three alumni have been nominated for the 2015 Premier’s Awards, which recognize the tremendous contributions Ontario’s college graduates make to the success of the province and beyond. The Premier’s Awards ceremony will take place on Monday, November 16 in Toronto.
Wendy Landry, Law and Security (graduated 1986)
Wendy Landry has dedicated her life to making the community a better place. She started her career as a case manager for a youth detention centre, became a professor herself at Confederation College, and then moved on to a position in the private sector as manager of First Nations, Métis, and Municipal Affairs for Union Gas.
Most recently she was elected mayor of Shuniah, the first woman of a First Nation/Métis descent to become mayor of a municipality in Ontario. Wendy has also volunteered in many positions, and with her husband Pat, raised three foster children along with three children of their own.
Laurie Saindon, Aircraft Technology (graduated 1980)
In a short time, Laurie Saindon and his partner have taken a small, sideline business and turned it into Tempest Aviation Group, the largest helicopter parts supplier in Canada and one of the largest in the world.
The Aircraft Technology program he took at Confederation College not only taught him the basics of fixing aircraft, it taught him self-reliance – a key trait needed to succeed in business. This year alone, Tempest has signed on as a supplier to a Boeing subsidiary, expanded to a new facility, hired a sales professional in Dubai, and will increase its workforce by 50%.
Glenn Schiiler, Broadcasting – Television Production (graduated 2001)
Glenn Schiiler is the host of TSN’s That’s Hockey 2Nite, a daily recap of NHL action. Glenn’s college education covered all areas of broadcasting, allowing him to develop the skills he would later use to produce his own segments from writing and presenting to videography and editing.
His previous work includes covering local news and sports in Thunder Bay and then Ottawa. That led to his big break working for “The Score” before moving to the NHL Network and eventually TSN. Glenn is gaining a reputation as a tough-but-fair sports journalist, always pushing the medium to tell stories better.
