alumni news
meet our alumni speakers from spring convocation In the five short years since his graduation, Allan Giacomelli, has accomplished a lot in his field. Displaying his talent and skills long before graduating from Mohawk College’s Television Broadcasting Program, Allan received four Mohawk Television Awards in 2006 and 2007. Since graduating in 2007, Allan has worked for CBC Television, first as a Senior CG Designer and now as an Art Director. In these roles, he has created the first visual on-air graphic triggered by an iPad in North America; designed current on-air graphics for CBC News Network; designed CBC News’ first Election touch-screen and Election on-air graphics; and developed CBC’s first Social TV concept with Power & Politics, Hockey Night in Canada and the Fifth. For all his efforts and dedication, Allan has been nominated many times for the CBC President’s Awards in the categories of Audience-First, Innovation, MVP and Brand. While enrolled in Mohawk College’s Electronic Engineering Technology Program, Derrick LaRiviere, was given a great opportunity to have a placement with IBM Canada, which led to a full-time position in the Calgary office upon his graduation in 1978. Years later, Derrick took the skills he learned from Mohawk and the business world to start his own company, AMI, with two partners. As the visionary leader, founder and president of AMI, Derrick brings more than 25 years of experience working with national and global customers across North America and the United Kingdom. While working hard on his career, Derrick has taken the time to contribute to his community in many ways including: being a Big Brother, a Scout Leader and the President for his children’s school council. Since 2004 Derrick has participated in the CIBC Run For The Cure, and in both 2003 and 2004, Derrick worked as the liaison with CIPS National (Canada’s Association of Information Technology Professionals). In his spare time, Derrick has also written and published two children’s books, Silly Sam Squirrel and The Brown Christmas Light Bulb, which he has donated to many schools and charities. In 2011, Derrick received the Alumni of Distinction Award for Technology.
Over the past 10 plus years, Andy Ross, a 2010 graduate of the Mohawk College General Carpenter Apprenticeship Program, has worked in a variety of positions many of them focusing on construction. Andy attended Niagara College’s Environmental Field and Lab Technician Program for 2 years, after which he worked for the Regional Niagara, Water & Wastewater Services as well as Agricorp/CFIA Canadian Food Inspection Agency, before heading back to school to pursue carpentry. In his years attending Mohawk, Andy worked as a Foreman for Bavco Construction and upon graduation obtained his Certificate of Qualification. In 2012, he returned to Mohawk as an instructor for the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program, teaching General Carpentry to young apprentices, by planning and facilitating the course material. This past June, Andy started his own business, W.A. Ross Construction and continues to work in the field he’s dedicated to. A graduate of Mohawk’s Municipal Planning and Development Program, the once Mayor of Hamilton, Fred Eisenberger was appointed President and CEO of the Canadian Urban Institute in December of 2010. He is a member of CivicAction’s 2011-2015 Steering Committee, joining other prominent Toronto region leaders in guiding to execute CivicAction’s post-2011 Summit strategy. His career also includes serving as a Councillor for the City of Hamilton and the Region of Hamilton-Wentworth for nearly a decade in the 1990s. In 2001, he was appointed by the Federal Government as the inaugural Chairman of the new Hamilton Port Authority providing strategic and operational leadership to one of Canada’s largest inland Ports and, in 2006, Fred was elected Mayor of Hamilton and served until November of 2010. While serving on the Metrolinx Board of Directors 2006-2009 and thereafter, Fred made his mark as an advocate for public transit, transit-oriented land-use, and active transportation (cycling, walking). From 1991-2000 as Hamilton City and Regional Councillor, Fred held Committee Chairmanships
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