Algonquin College Waterfront Campus earns Energy Star Certification

Algonquin College's Pembroke Campus has earned ENERGY STAR® (ENERGY STAR Canada) certification from Environment and Natural Resources in Canada, becoming the first college in Canada to receive this respected designation for superior energy performance.

The certification recognizes buildings that meet strict energy-efficiency standards and rank in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide. This milestone underscores the Pembroke Campus’s commitment to sustainability, operational efficiency, and environmental leadership.

CEC and Turnpenney Milne LLP conducted a webinar for College HR professionals, Safety & Security and Student Rights & Responsibilities leaders, and General Counsel.

·   What is a Threshold Assessment, and how can it be used?

·   When is an external investigator the right call? Who is the right external investigator to hire?

·   How to ensure a clear and proportionate mandate, without expanding the investigation inappropriately.

Dr. Rancourt has over 30 years of experience in the Canadian Community College system. The last 18 years of her career were spent at the senior executive level with her most recent role being Senior Vice-President Academic (retired) at the Humber Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning.

Prior to that she was the President and CEO at Northern Lights College (NLC) in British Columbia.

Dr, Rancourt chaired the last two rounds of Full-time Academic Bargaining for the Colleges. The last round concluded in July 2025. In between these rounds of bargaining Dr Rancourt was the management lead for the provincial Workload Task Force. She also was the management chair for the provincial Employee/Employer Relations committee covering academic employees for years.

In the earlier years of her career, Laurie also worked at College Boreal, first as a faculty member and then in a variety of management positions such as Coordinator of Health Science Programs, Dean of Community Service Programs, Manager of Job Connect, Registrar, Vice-President Academic, and Vice-President Corporate Services.

Laurie is a college graduate holding a Diploma in Medical Radiation Technology from Cambrian College. A strong advocate and participant in lifelong learning, she has pursued several additional credentials since completing her college diploma. She now holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education from the University of Toronto, a Master of Arts Integrated Studies – Work, Organization and Leadership degree from Athabasca University, and a Baccalaureate in Liberal Science from Laurentian University.

She remains active in higher education working as an independent consultant and occasionally working as a sessional lecturer at the University of Toronto, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), and as an adjunct professor for Central Michigan University.

Dr. Ahmed Obaide was appointed Vice President Academic at Canadore College in 2019.

Ahmed earned a B.Eng. (Hons) in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, a M.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering from California State University, and a Ph.D. in Engineering (Knowledge) Management from the University of Salford, UK.

With over twenty-five years of progressive and diverse experience in post-secondary education, Ahmed has a deep understanding of what it means to be an academic leader. He taught many courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels, supervised over 170 successful Masters Dissertations and 260 Graduation Projects, and held a number of administrative leadership positions that included Head of Department, Associate Dean, Dean, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor. In these roles, he provided leadership and support to a wide array of academic matters that ranged from strategic and operational planning, policy development, quality assurance, program development and accreditation, and teaching excellence to enrolment management, admissions and registration, student affairs, and partnerships.

Ahmed’s leadership of the academic division demonstrates strong focus on programs and credentials, teaching and learning, student experience, people, research and innovation, technology, and connection to community. As an international student in four different academic institutions and with a global experience of diverse student populations and workforce teams, Ahmed truly appreciates the value of, and holistic approach to, Internationalization, particularly in the current knowledge economy. He led several successful initiatives in that arena and continues to strive for more.

Ahmed is passionate about student success and is committed to academic quality and social responsibility.

Laura Gunning is Associate Vice President, Academic and Enrolment Services at Fleming College and a senior post-secondary leader with 20 years of experience at the institution. Over that time, she has progressed through increasingly senior roles, beginning in support staff positions, holding a teaching contract, and advancing into management and executive leadership. She has developed deep expertise in academic administration, strategic enrolment management, and domestic and international recruitment, and is known for her collaborative leadership style and commitment to aligning academic and operational strategy with student needs.

Laura holds a Master of Education from Trent University, as well as a Master of Arts and a Bachelor of Arts from Queen’s University.

Don Duclos is the Associate Vice President of Students and Registrar at Confederation College in Thunder Bay, with more than two decades of experience supporting student success and institutional effectiveness. He has held leadership roles across enrolment management, marketing and communication, institutional research, continuing and online learning, international education, academic quality assurance, and student services.

Don has extensive experience in Ontario’s postsecondary quality assurance processes, having contributed to multiple program reviews and institutional audits. He has also served on many provincial and national committees and boards, supporting system-wide collaboration in areas such as admissions, international education, online learning, and research. He holds a Master of Education in Leadership in Higher Education from OISE and has an academic background in computer programming/science.

George has more than 20 years of experience in finance, institutional research, and strategic planning. At Mohawk, George oversees corporate reporting and ancillary services, combining financial insight with operational leadership to advance student success and institutional growth.

George began his career in the financial services sector, holding progressively senior positions at the Bank of Montreal and Canadian Tire Financial Services before joining Mohawk in 2011. He has also contributed to the academic community as a part-time instructor in finance and business at both Mohawk College and Brock University.

George holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics (Honours), both from McMaster University.

Rob is an HR Consultant with the College Employer Council (CEC) where he provides support to clients in the College sector on matters related to the Academic bargaining unit. As one of the CEC’s bilingual (French/English) staff, Rob is also responsible for Francophone affairs.

Rob joined the CEC with more than 10 years of human resources experience in the public sector with the federal government. Most recently he led a team of HR Advisors and Administrative Assistants with the Immigration and Refugee Board.

Rob has a B.A. in philosophy from Western University as well as a post-graduate certificate in Human Resources from the University of Toronto. He has received the Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) designation from the Human Resources Professional Association (HRPA).

Graham was appointed as the College Employer Council (CEC) CEO in 2019. Since then, he has negotiated six collective agreements and the Bill 124 benefits and retroactive pay increases with each of the unionized groups at the 24 Ontario Public Colleges.

Previously, he was employed with the Dairy Farmers of Ontario, Ontario's Milk Marketing Board, where he held several senior leadership roles, including, its CEO. Prior to that, Graham was also the General Counsel at a multi-national Insurer and, before that, was a litigator in Toronto.

As a bilingual business leader and lawyer with 30 years of experience, he brings a significant skillset in managing complex negotiations, advocacy, strategic planning, governance, communications and and issues, while regularly working with key stakeholders, government, and the media.

During his time in the dairy industry, he worked with multiple diverse stakeholders and was actively involved in negotiating complex agreements and programs.

As Director, Labour Relations, for College Employer Council (CEC), Trish provides guidance and advice to her clients in the public college sector on a wide variety of labour relations, human resources, and human rights issues. She has previously worked as a labour and employment lawyer before moving to St. Lawrence College, where she was the Associate Director, Workplace Relations.

Trish has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Calgary and a Master of Industrial Relations and Juris Doctor degrees, both from Queen's University. She has worked in Geneva at the International Labour Organization's International Organization for Employers in 2010, where she assisted with drafting a guide to the ILO's conventions. Trish is licensed by the Law Society of Ontario.

Abby is the Director of Communications at the College Employer Council (CEC). Responsibilities include communicating updates on bargaining, promoting positive labour relations at the Colleges, and creating a trusted resource hub for information on collective agreements, benefits administration, and labour relations.

She brings more than fifteen years of diverse communications experience, having worked with clients in different sectors such as education, finance, consumer goods, and health.

Before joining the CEC, she led an integrated team of digital marketers and creative designers in strategy development, content creation, video production, social media management, issues management, and internal communications.