Niagara College brought two cherished traditions together on Wednesday, December 17, joining employees at a combined Niagara Day and NC Holiday Reception at the Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Presented in a streamlined format this year, the combined celebration honoured the spirit of both events, recognizing employee achievements and milestones during Niagara Day, followed by the warm and festive spirit of the annual Holiday Reception. While the format looked a little different, the focus remained the same: celebrating the people who make Niagara College an exceptional place to learn, work, and grow.
Niagara Day
Niagara Day opened with a Land Acknowledgement, offered by Maxine Semple, Director of Cultural and Global Engagement, setting a thoughtful tone for the afternoon.
President Sean Kennedy then welcomed the NC community, reflecting on the year and the resilience of the College.
“Despite the challenges of 2025, the best of Niagara College has continued to shine through on a daily basis,” said Kennedy. “I hope it bolsters you as much as it bolsters me. Today we celebrate our amazing employees, organization, culture, students, and support we receive from our community.”
He took a moment to honour members of the NC community who passed away over the past year, paying tribute to their lasting impact, including Dr Tom Keenan, Jill English, Scott Price and Jerry Zolner.
A highlight of the afternoon was the Year in Review video, which captured standout moments, milestones, and achievements from across the NC community throughout the year.
Farewells and New Beginnings
President Kennedy also acknowledged that this Niagara Day was marked by significant change across the College.
“This Niagara Day is like no other not just because of the time of year but because we’ll be saying farewell to an unprecedented number of retirees,” he said. “We’ve also welcomed a number of new people to our college community and will continue to do that, and there are a number of people for whom this is their first Niagara Day.”
He then shared a heartfelt farewell to former Vice-President, Academic, Fiona Allan, who retired on December 11 after a remarkable 31-year career at NC as a faculty member, administrator, and senior leader.
“I am so grateful to have had the career I have had at Niagara College,” said Allan. “I have had so many years of great conversations, great memories, and really it’s all about the colleagues we have and the moments we share.”
Niagara College also formally welcomed its new Vice-President, Academic, Dr. Fay Lim-Lambie.
“When I decided to make the change to come to Niagara College there were certain things that really stood out for me,” said Lim-Lambie. “First of all, it’s an amazing brand, it’s got such a stellar reputation, amazing leadership team and of course, it’s people… and I arrived here on Monday and felt it.”
Niagara College Student Administrative Council (NCSAC) President Hish Clifford joined for his first Niagara Day in the role, thanking employees for their ongoing collaboration and support.
“We recognize that the amazing reputation and level of excellence this College is known for is owed to everyone here, so thank you so much for that.”
Representatives from the Niagara College Retirees Association (NCRA) shared information about the association and its continued connection to the College. Remarks were provided by Michelle Pugh, President of the NCRA, and Ron Mottola, Executive Member and Treasurer, alongside Jodi Fitzgerald, Senior Director, Human Resources. All Niagara College retirees from this year were also acknowledged.
Awards
Awards of Excellence
The Awards of Excellence recognized three outstanding individuals and one team for their remarkable contributions to the Niagara College community.
Team Award: SMA4 Team: Adam Dusome, Senior Director, Enrolment Services; Vince Malvaso, Senior Director, Finance; Katerina Gonzalez, Director, Planning and Institutional Research; and Jeff Post, Senior Director, Academic Excellence and Learning Innovation
Award of Excellence Team Award recipients, Adam Dusome; Vince Malvaso; Katerina Gonzalez; Jeff Post.
Faculty Award: Terri Champion, Professor, School of Business and Management Studies
Award of Excellence Faculty Award recipient, Terri Champion.
Support Staff Award: Marissa Ditto, Financial Aid Advisor
Award of Excellence Support Staff Award recipient, Marissa Ditto.
Administration Award: Michael Wales, Director, Corporate Communications
Award of Excellence Admin Staff Award recipient, Michael Wales.
President’s Award for Innovation in Student Learning and Success
The President’s Award for Innovation in Student Learning and Success celebrates innovative approaches that enhance student learning and success and create opportunities to share best practices across the College.
The 2025 cohort included three winning innovations representing 15 exceptional innovators from across the NC community, including
Building a Community of Students through Extra-Curricular and Experiential Learning: Kerri Simich, Professor, School of Business and Management Studies – Business and Environment
Innovator Kerri Simich representing the Building a Community of Students through Extra-Curricular and Experiential Learning innovation.
Enhanced Immersive Ecosystem Restoration Field Experience: Martin Smith, School of Environment and Horticulture – Business and Environment and Andrea Sinclair, School of Environment and Horticulture – Business and Environment
Innovators Andrea Sinclair and Martin Smith representing the Enhanced Immersive Ecosystem Restoration Field Experience innovation.
STEP UP Program: Leah Neamtu, Learning Facilitator, Community Integration through Cooperative Education (CICE); Scott Green, Learning Facilitator, CICE; Aaron Russell, Field Placement Officer, CICE; Kellie Kirkwood, Learning Facilitator, CICE; Tanya Pavelko, Learning Facilitator, CICE; Lorraine Nadeau, Learning Facilitator, CICE; Linda Ismailos, Professor, School of Academic and Liberal Studies; David Atherton, Dean, Academic and Liberal Studies Division; Jennifer Roberts, Associate Dean, Academic and Liberal Studies, DJP; Jessica Berecz, Associate Director, Workforce Development and Community Partnerships; Katrina Frausel, Manager, Academic Portfolio, CICE.
Innovators Leah Neamtu; Scott Green; Kellie Kirkwood; Tanya Pavelko; Lorraine Nadeau; Linda Ismailos; David Atherton; Jennifer Roberts; Jessica Berec; Katrina Frausel representing the STEP UP Program.
Niagara Champion Award
The Niagara Champion Award was presented to Katrina Frausel, Manager, Academic Portfolio, Community Integration through Cooperative Education (CICE).
The award recognizes staff or faculty who go above and beyond in supporting student recruitment while fostering a positive and inclusive campus environment.
Katrina Frausel, Manager, Academic Portfolio, CICE accepting the Niagara Champion Award.
NC ExperieNCe Awards – Years of Service
Employees celebrating service milestones were recognized with NC ExperieNCe Awards, presented by Gord Arbeau, Vice-President, Advancement; Dr. Chris McGrath, Vice-President, Students; and Dr. Marc Nantel, Vice-President, Research, Innovation and Strategic Enterprises.
Celebrating 10 years of service
Celebrating 15 years of service
Celebrating 20 years of service
Celebrating 25 years of service
Celebrating 30 years of service
Celebrating 35 years of service
A special thank-you is extended to the Community Relations and Events team and the many collaborators from across the College whose efforts helped create a meaningful and memorable way to close out the year.
NC Holiday Reception
Following Niagara Day, the celebration moved outdoors for the Holiday Reception in the courtyard, where colleagues connected and reflected on the year around warm fire pits and enjoyed food provided by NCSAC.
NC Cares in a United Way Campaign
A longstanding tradition of the Holiday Reception is the presentation of the College’s fundraising total from the NC Cares in a United Way Workplace Campaign.
“United Way is so important to helping so many across our region and we love being part of the campaign and supporting the great work United Way Niagara does,” said President Kennedy.
This year’s campaign co-chairs, Leah Neamtu, Learning Facilitator with the Community Integration through Cooperative Education (CICE) program, and Nimisha Sumathi, Co-Curricular Engagement Coordinator, thanked the NC community for its continued generosity.
“Thank you to the Niagara College community for being so incredibly generous this year — your commitment to giving back has stayed strong,” they said. “That speaks volumes about who we are as a community. When things shift around us, NC still shows up.”
The 2025 campaign raised $45,315 in support of United Way Niagara.
United Way Niagara CEO Frances Hallworth accepted the cheque on behalf of the organization and thanked Niagara College for its continued support.
Niagara College extends sincere thanks to the departments and partners who contributed their time, creativity, and energy to this year’s campaign: The Teaching Greenhouse, Athletics, the Teaching Salon and Hair Styling Program, the Teaching Spa and Benchmark.
A special thank-you is also extended to the United Way Niagara team for joining the celebration and sharing remarks during the Holiday Reception.
About United Way Niagara
United Way Niagara exists to support the most vulnerable people, when and where they need it, by investing in life-changing programs that strengthen the social safety net and build capacity in Niagara.
For more information on United Way Niagara, visit unitedwayniagara.org.
