As Director of Communications, Mike leads a team of dedicated communications professionals, and has day-to-day responsibility for media and public relations, internal and strategic communications and issues management.

Mike’s career at Niagara College has spanned more than 20 years in communications roles as well as a year teaching part-time in the College’s Journalism program. In 2016-2017, he was part of the team that developed Niagara College’s 2017-2021 Strategic Plan.

Prior to joining Niagara College in 2000, Mike worked as a journalist in Niagara.

In the community, Mike has served as a board member, vice chair and marketing chair for a major local festival, and as a volunteer coach and trainer with Welland Minor Hockey and Welland Minor Baseball. Most recently, Mike was a member of the Leadership Niagara Class of 2018.

Mike is a proud double graduate of Niagara College, where he earned a diploma in Journalism and a graduate certificate in Public Relations.

Julie joined Niagara College’s Communications department in April 2011, equipped with more than 13 years of journalism experience in Toronto and the Niagara region.

She has held several positions in the magazine and newspaper industries, including managing editor, senior news editor and experiential columnist for Post City Magazines in Toronto; editor-in-chief of Our Kids Publications in Mississauga; Life and Entertainment editor at the Welland Tribune; news reporter at the St. Catharines Standard; and editor of the Voice of Pelham.

Channeling her expertise into the communications field, Julie has been laser-focused on shining the spotlight on the news and people of NC.

As a writer and editor, Julie has been instrumental to the growth of the College’s news website InsideNC, since its inception in late 2011 – as well as Encore magazine – an annual showcase of major news and feature stories from our College.

An ‘outside-the-box’ and critical thinker, Julie has a ‘sixth sense’ for sniffing out feature-worthy stories, which she enjoys bringing to life through her craft of producing engaging content.

Julie has drafted countless web and print articles, media releases and advisories, advertorial copy, media materials, speaking notes, professional letters, and social media content for the College. She has also organized press interviews and events, contributed to emergency communications responses, issues management, and much more.

Julie has an Honour’s Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in English Literature and Sociology from the University of Guelph, and an Advanced Journalism - Print and Broadcasting - post-graduate diploma from Humber College.

Courtney is a communications professional with a proven track record of providing strategic communications and public relations advice and guidance. She joined the Niagara College communications team in 2021 after spending the past seven years as a consultant and project manager with a busy communications agency. She gained extensive experience leading and working on media relations, content marketing and digital media campaigns for a diverse array of clients from the private and public sectors.

Courtney has developed strong relationships with media across Canada who she regularly works with to develop and place meaningful and impactful content. She also routinely writes media releases, media advisories, opinion pieces, key messages and social media content for a wide variety of topics.

Outside of work, Courtney has been involved in numerous community and professional associations in Niagara and elsewhere. She currently serves on the Canadian Public Relations (Hamilton Chapter) Board of Directors as the Co-chair of Events and the University of Guelph Alumni Association as Vice-President, External.

Courtney holds an Honour’s Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph and a post-graduate certificate in public relations from Niagara College where she was awarded the Chair’s Award of Excellence. In 2015, 2016 and 2017 Courtney was named one of PR in Canada’s Top 30 under 30 for her work in public relations.

Jessica joined the Corporate Communications team in December 2018, bringing a penchant for words and more than a decade of communications experience in central and western Canada to her role telling the Niagara College story.

Naturally curious and an analytical thinker, Jessica has provided strategic communications counsel to a broad range of clients in government and higher education, including two Canadian universities.

Jessica holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Media, Information and Technoculture with a minor in English from Western University, and a post-graduate Certificate in Public Relations from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University).

In her free time you can find Jessica out on a hiking trail, experimenting with a new recipe, or planning her next big travel adventure.

Alyssa’s lifelong passion for writing and storytelling led her to pursue a career in PR and communications where she enjoys crafting unique brand narratives and stories. Prior to working in communications, Alyssa studied English Language & Literature at Western University and Public Relations at Humber College.

Alyssa’s PR experience involves working in the energetic and fast-paced world of agency where she’s helped elevate today’s leading lifestyle, beauty, fashion and entertainment brands such as Arterra Wines Canada, L’Oréal Paris, Dr. Martens and Amazon Prime Video. A well-rounded communications professional, Alyssa has engaged with various roles in the industry such as leading and supporting creative strategy, media relations, social media partnerships, events and more.

As a bookworm and film buff, some of Alyssa’s favourite things to do outside of work are finding new books to read or catching up on the latest Netflix craze. 

Ana is an award-winning communications professional who brings dynamic storytelling to life. Trained in graphic design, she creates multimedia content that conveys concepts, informs audiences, shares experiences, and solves problems.

As a trilingual individual, Ana is passionate about linguistics and writing. She began her career as a technical writer before moving on to specialize in higher education and government communications. She has served as a marketing and communications officer for more than 15 years in Toronto, Mississauga, and Niagara.

Ana holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in English and Professional Writing from the University of Toronto, a Master's Certificate in Marketing & Communications Leadership from York University, and a Graduate Certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language from Niagara College.

In 2024, Ana was recognized with the prestigious Best in Class honour at the Niagara 40 Under Forty Business Achievement Awards.

Ana joined Niagara College in 2019 and currently serves as the Development Communications Specialist.

In her spare time, Ana can be found spending time with her young family and volunteering in her community.