Niagara College Canada

Lora Tisi has over 30 years experience as an International Retailer, leading several Brands business, market share, revenue and profit growth.

Most recently, as President of the RW&CO Brand for Reitmans Canada Limited, delivering 18 Consecutive quarters of sales and margin growth. Menswear results were particularly strong, with Brand collaboration with NHL Superstars, such as PK Subban, Erik Karlsson, Morgan Reilly and Mark Schieffele, resulting in significant sales and market share increases across both genders.

In 2000, Lora became President of American Eagle Outfitters and launched the brand across Canada. The team was successful with the brand launch, opening 46 stores, coast to coast in 108 days, exceeding first year profit targets, and becoming the “Brand of Choice” for Canadian teens.

Prior to American Eagle, Lora spent 17 years building the four banner, two country, 900 store chain, The Northern Group. By leveraging the marquis brand, Northern Reflections, total sales grew to C$1Billion. Unquestionably, the US stores result is a proud achievement, as this success eclipsed any other Canadian apparel entry into the US for sales, growth and profit.

Currently, Lora is exploring her mixed race Six Nations Indigenous Ancestry, creating change, hope, unity and Self Determination for Indigenous Peoples, mentoring First Nation Companies and serving on Boards.

Rashmi Biswas is a co-owner of Lake and Associates Canada Inc., a performance consulting firm specialising in leadership development, team effectiveness, and process facilitation. Working with private and public sector clients Rashmi has delivered services in North America, South America, Asia and the Middle East. Prior experience includes corporate and academic roles in the UK, USA, and Canada.

Rashmi holds a Masters degree in Human Resource Management from Sheffield Hallam University (UK.)

Andrew Harber is the CEO at Abatement Technologies, where he leads a team that designs, manufactures and distributes specialty air filtration and containment products. The organization services several market segments including healthcare, restoration, air duct cleaning and asbestos abatement.

During his 20 years with the company, Andrew has been successful with building out the company’s Canadian distribution network, completing four acquisitions, implementing a culture of lean manufacturing, and expanding sales globally.

Andrew is an avid golfer and enjoys a glass of wine at his family’s winery (Ravine Vineyard). He lives in St. Davids with his wife Dana and two young children.

David is the Chief Executive Officer of The Niagara Parks Commission, a board-governed operational enterprise agency of the Ontario Government. He also serves as the Secretary/Treasurer of The Niagara Parks Foundation. Initially joining Niagara Parks as the Senior Director of Business Development in 2013, David was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2016 and subsequently to his current role in 2019. Niagara Parks’ has a two-fold mandate: to provide stewardship of the 56-kilometre Niagara River corridor and to support tourism through a self-funded model. Niagara Parks operates a number of iconic tourism experiences and businesses, welcoming guests from 169 countries in 2024.

David’s 36-years of public service includes serving as the President and CEO of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, Executive Director at Tourism Hamilton, and positions with the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs as well as the City of Hamilton in Cultural Services and Corporate Services.

Over his career, David has served on over twenty not-for-profit boards of directors including: the Ontario Museum Association, YMCA of Hamilton Burlington Brantford, Culinary Tourism Alliance, Attractions Ontario, and Innovation Factory. He has given back to his alma mater, McMaster University where he served on the board of the McMaster Museum of Art, on the Board of Governors’ Advancement Committee and as president of the McMaster Alumni Association. He was inducted into the McMaster Alumni Gallery in June 2025. He is also a proud alumnus of Queen’s University where he completed his Master of Public Administration.

David lives in St. Catharines with his wife Nancy and their three rescue cats.

Janet is a retired Partner from KPMG LLP (2017) previously working in KPMG’s St. Catharines office.

Janet has over thirty-five years of experience in public accounting, serving a broad range of clientele including local governments, education (including school boards, colleges and universities), not-for-profit organizations and private companies. This involved all aspect of audit services including reporting to audit committees, councils and boards of directors. Janet was the National leader of the KPMG Technical Topic Team for Not-For-Profit Accounting and Government Accounting from 2009 to retirement in 2017. This role included monitoring and advising partners in the firm with respect to accounting for Not-for-profits and Public Sector Accounting standards
Janet has lived in St. Catharines since 1981 and has been actively involved in the community since then, volunteering for a significant number of not-for-profit organizations, including Gillian’s Place, the United Way of St. Catharine and District and Niagara Health System.

Janet holds a B.Math from the University of Waterloo and has her CPA designation. In 2013, Janet was recognized as an FCPA, for outstanding service to the community and the profession.

Kate Hagen is serving as the Support Staff Representative on the Niagara College Board of Governors for the following term: June 1, 2022, to August 31, 2024.

Kate is no stranger to Niagara College. She is a proud NC alumna of the Business Administration-Marketing program. Demonstrating her commitment to lifelong learning, Kate also obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Integrative Management from Niagara University, as well as a Certificate in Career and Academic Advising from the University of Calgary.

For more than a decade, Kate has worked in various student-facing roles within the NC community, supporting countless students in achieving their educational and career dreams.

Most recently, Kate’s role as NC’s Co-op Career Consultant has enabled her to continue supporting the College’s mission of preparing work-ready graduates. Through this role, Kate passionately equips students with the right tools and supports to apply the skills learned in the classroom to their co-op opportunities. She is very keen in bringing her student-centric approach to her role at the Board.

Klaus W. Reif is highly regarded as a leading figure in the Niagara wine industry. The Reif Family founded Reif Estate Winery, one of the original family wineries in Niagara-on-the-Lake in 1982, a legacy later carried on by Klaus. His long-standing involvement with some of the most influential organizations in Ontario and across Canada reflects his expertise, dedication, and the high regard in which he is held by his peers.

Klaus studied the technical trades of viticulture and oenology and in 1984 was accepted to the most prestigious winemaking school in the world, the Geisenheim Institute. After graduating in 1987, Klaus moved to Niagara-On-The-Lake. He then earned an Engineering degree in Viticulture, Winemaking, and Wine marketing.

Klaus’ unwavering dedication to excellence has led him and his wines to win over 500 International awards, including twice the Grand Gold at VinItaly and “Canada’s Best Winery” at both VinItaly and the International Wine & Spirit Competition, London, England.

He remains deeply involved in the local wine community and is committed to supporting the growth and success of the Niagara wine region, a place he holds very dear to his heart.

Linda Franklin recently retired as the President and CEO of Colleges Ontario. Under her leadership, Colleges Ontario worked to coordinate system wide initiatives from advocating for college standalone nursing degrees and three year degrees to building a unified system response to COVID-19. She also spearheaded a major marketing campaign to drive home the value of a college education and established a Board governance leadership program for the college system.

Previously, Linda was the CEO of the Wine Council of Ontario. There, she worked with government to change legislation that dramatically improved the economics of the industry. Prior to joining the Wine Council, Linda was a writer and communications specialist whose career included time as a consultant, five years as the head of communications for a regulatory body and heading up a department charged with meeting the communications needs of MPPs at Queen’s Park. She has also served as chief of staff to former Ontario Cabinet Minister Ernie Eves.

In addition to her role as a member of the Niagara College Board of Governors, she serves as Board Chair of the William Osler Health Care System, is the Chair of the Governance Committee for the Ontario Motor Vehicles Industry Council, chairs the Governance Committee of the Ontario Centre of Innovation and is the immediate past president of the Albany Club.

Linda Franklin has a degree in English and History and a Master of Arts in Journalism from the University of Western Ontario.  She also has her ICD.D from The Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.

Lynn Guerriero joined Niagara Health as President in February 2020 and transitioned into the role of President and CEO in early 2021.

She came to Niagara Health as an accomplished leader in the Ontario healthcare system, with more than 30 years of leadership, management and clinical experience within a variety of healthcare provider settings. Lynn has also held senior leadership roles at Cancer Care Ontario and prior to joining Niagara Health was Assistant Deputy Minister for the OHIP Division of the Ontario Ministry of Health. Lynn has Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from Western University and a Master of Health Science degree in Health Administration from the University of Toronto.

Lynn is a strong champion and advocate for all Niagara Health staff and physicians and for including diverse patient experiences and perspectives in decision-making. Since arriving at Niagara Health, she has supported the hospital team through the complex COVID-19 response, as well as with all Niagara region assessment centres, temporary management of two long-term care facilities in crisis, and the region’s largest vaccination clinic.

Working with Niagara Health’s community and government partners, she helped the team make significant progress in a number of areas that will enhance patient care and benefit our region. These areas include planning for the new South Niagara Site hospital, expanding healthcare research, and embracing innovations in technology to enhance access to safe, quality care and patient information. Working with the Board of Directors, she is currently implementing Niagara Health’s new 5-year Strategic Plan, Transforming Care.

Lynn lives in Pelham with her husband and their 3 dogs.

Matt Giffen is the Founder of Bench Brewing Company located in Beamsville.

After a 24-year career in banking overseas and in Canada, Matt followed his passion for brewing and agriculture full time and created Bench Brewing Company in 2018 on 8 acres in the beautiful Niagara Benchlands. Matt and his family have been part of the Town of Lincoln community now for close to fifteen years, first growing grapes and now hops and apples alongside the brewery.

Situated in Ontario’s wine country, Bench crafts premium quality and award-winning IPAs, Ales, Lagers and Barrel-aged Sours. Surrounded by some of Ontario’s best agricultural land, Bench Brewing is a certified BCorp that focuses on sustainability and the environment in its brewing practices with a commitment to being a zero-wastewater footprint facility. Bench is certified Carbon Neutral with zero net GHG emissions by BMO Radicle Climate Smart.

Matt was born and raised in London, Ontario, and is a BComm graduate from McGill University. Married to Erin with three daughters Molly, Kate and Ella.

Michael has practiced law in St. Catharines since 1995. Currently, he is a member of the corporate/commercial team at Lancaster Chown & Welch. In this capacity, Michael provides advice regarding the various methods of carrying on a business. He also assists in the incorporation and organization of companies and drafts security agreements, shareholder agreements, leases and other documents of a corporate or commercial nature for his clients.

Michael handles residential and commercial real estate transactions, including the preparation of deeds and mortgages. Estate Administration and Estate planning, including the drafting of wills and powers of attorney are also within Michael’s expertise.

Michael was admitted to the partnership at Lancaster Chown & Welch LLP in November, 2000. In 2008, Michael received the Business Link’s 40 Under Forty Business Achievement Award, which is given to future leaders under the age of 40 who consistently make their mark in business and regularly contribute to their respective communities.

Orel is a proud NC alum from the Business Administration –International Business advanced diploma (2011). He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Integrative Management and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Niagara University.

He began his career at NC in 2009 as a Student Ambassador in the Student Recruitment division and subsequently held several student-facing roles within the NC community. In 2014, Orel moved to the International division, working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as part of the launch of the Taif campus and held progressively senior roles with Niagara College KSA until 2020, when he returned to NC Canada as the Manager, Global Education & Training.

In his current role as the Director of Global Campus Operations, Compliance and Reporting, he leads a team of skilled staff and administrators, responsible for the development and operations of global campuses and program delivery, and supporting divisional procurement, contract management, compliance, and financial reporting.

Orel is passionate about the power of community engagement and making a positive social impact, and is a proud alumnus of the Leadership Niagara civic engagement program. Outside of work, Orel enjoys exploring new places and cultures, fueling his love for travel.

Pam is a Partner at MNP’s St. Catharines office where she specializes in Assurance and Advisory for private enterprises.

With over 25 years of experience, Pam helps private companies with their accounting and internal control needs, as well as their statutory and regulatory reporting requirements. She is a senior business advisor serving clients from a broad range of industries and is the manufacturing leader for MNP in South Central Ontario.

Pam is a Chartered Public Accountant and holds a Master in Accounting degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree both from the University of Waterloo.

Pam is currently the Chair of the Board of Directors of United Way Niagara and the Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of Special Olympics Canada. She has held previous Board positions with the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce, the United Way of St. Catharines and District, the Sunbeam Residential Development Centre and the St. Catharines & Thorold Chamber of Commerce.

As a life-long resident of Niagara, Pam currently resides in St. Catharines with her husband Craig and their two sons Alex and Abbott.

Samantha is a second-year fitness and health student and was elected as the 2025-2026 student governor on the Niagara College Board of Governors. She is the captain for the Niagara Knights women’s volleyball team and enjoys spending her time reading, playing sports and being in nature. Samantha has a kitten named Milo and a dog named Toby. She grew up in Niagara, where many of her family members have also attended Niagara College.

Samantha’s accomplishments include being selected for the 2023-2024 OCAA All Rookie Team, earning both the Niagara College Female Rookie of the Year and Female Volleyball Rookie of the Year awards for that season. She went on to compete on the 2024-2025 OCAA First All-Star Team and was also recognized as an Academic All Canadian for the 2024-2025 season.

Appointed Niagara College’s sixth president in January, 2020, Sean has been a member of the College’s senior leadership team since 2006, when he joined NC as vice president of Student and External Relations, a role in which he oversaw the development of the College’s new branding and community engagement strategies and was responsible for Enrolment & Registration, Student Services, Alumni Services, Athletics, Marketing and Recruitment, and International. In addition, he was the CEO of the Niagara College Foundation, responsible for leading the College’s fundraising efforts.

From September 2011 to June 2012, Sean served as Niagara College’s interim vice president, Academic, with responsibility for all academic operations of the College, including programs, pathways and educational development, research and innovation, and the College’s learning enterprises.

Since 2014, Sean has served as vice president, and most recently as senior vice president, International, leading the College’s global engagement and rapidly growing international activities, including international partnerships and student mobility, student recruitment and services, English Language programs, and overseas projects, campuses and training.

Prior to joining Niagara College, Sean was dean of students, and then associate vice president, Student Services and International Education at Red Deer College in Alberta. After serving as a student leader with the Students’ Union, Sean held various roles at the University of Alberta from 1990 to 2000, including director of the Student Ombudservice and director, Undergraduate Student Services in the Faculty of Education.

Recognized as a leader in international education and student services in Canada, Sean has served on the board of directors of the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) and a number of international advisory committees. He has also served as chair of the Colleges Ontario Student Access and Success Coordinating Committee, and as co-moderator of the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities Summit on Mental Health and Addictions.

Active in the community, Sean has served on the boards of the Business Education Council of Niagara, Niagara Sport Commission, Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce, St. Catharines-Thorold Chamber of Commerce and Leadership Niagara.
Sean holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Alberta and a Master of Public Administration from Queen’s University, and is currently completing his Doctoral studies in leadership in higher and adult education and comparative, international and development education at the University of Toronto.

A sports and outdoors enthusiast, Sean holds a Level III National Coaching Certification in cross-country skiing. He and his wife, Kerry, live in Fonthill and are the proud parents of two sons, Aidan and Neil.

Shauna Gupta is a seasoned educator, curriculum designer, and academic leader with 25 years of experience in post-secondary education. She holds a Master of International Development, a Master of Education in TESL, and a Bachelor of Education. Since 2009, she has served at Niagara College, coordinating EAP and ELCP programs, leading international curriculum initiatives (Be World Ready and KSA), and building strong community partnerships. Her work earned her the President’s Award for Innovation in Student Learning and Success and the Dream Big Lightboard Innovation grant. A Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholar, Shauna is committed to student success, equity, and academic excellence.

With over 20 years of executive experience in human resources and organizational leadership, Lisa is committed to advancing post-secondary education and supporting institutions that prepare students for the evolving workforce.

As Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Health & Safety at Walker Industries, she serves on the Executive Committee and has led enterprise-wide initiatives including the transformation of the HR operating model, the development of People and Talent Acquisition strategies, and the implementation of a company-wide Diversity, Equity & Inclusion strategy. Her work focuses on leadership development, employee engagement, and aligning workforce strategies with long-term organizational goals.

She is actively engaged in the Niagara community through the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce and regional planning organizations, reinforcing her appreciation for the vital role colleges play in regional economic prosperity. She brings expertise in employment law, employee relations, collective bargaining, dispute resolution, compensation strategy, talent strategy, governance, strategic planning, organizational culture, and risk management. Lisa is committed to supporting Niagara College through principled governance and continuous improvement.