Seven Fleming College Alumni Nominated for Prestigious Premier’s Awards

Fleming College announced on Thursday that seven Fleming alumni have been nominated for the 2021 Premier’s Awards among 125 Ontario college graduates.

Deputy Chief Tim Farquharson. File Photo.

The annual event, presented by Colleges Ontario, honours the important social and economic contributions that graduates make in the province and throughout the world. Colleges can nominate their alumni in seven categories: Apprenticeship, Business, Community Services, Creative Arts and Design, Health Sciences, Recent Graduate, and Technology.

The 2021 Premier’s Awards nominees representing Fleming College include:

APPRENTICESHIP
Tyler Scott, Co-op Diploma Apprenticeship, Culinary, 2011
Tyler Scott is the owner and executive chef of Rare Restaurant located in Peterborough, Ontario. During a time that has been especially challenging for the restaurant industry due to the pandemic, Tyler and his team have defied the odds. They have found success by pivoting the restaurant’s take-out offerings, creating a ready-to-eat freezer meal program and recreating the parking lot into a whimsical European backlot patio. Tyler’s dedication to local ingredients in creating a hyper local menu is setting Rare apart while building a collaborative community in the region.

BUSINESS
Fred Clifford, Business Administration – Accounting, 1981
Fred Clifford recently retired from his role as Senior Partner with Ernst & Young LLP after 33 years. He is a Chartered Accountant, a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Financial Planner. During his career, Fred focused on employee success and promoting a welcoming environment. Fred demonstrates community commitment, serving as the Rouge Valley Health System’s Foundation Board Chair and Chair of the hospital’s Board of Governors. As a Fleming graduate, Fred’s current role as Chair of Fleming’s Board of Governors is most satisfying for him, as he takes pride in the positive changes that have transpired, while preserving the warm and welcoming culture at Fleming.

COMMUNITY SERVICES
Deputy Chief Tim Farquharson, Law & Security Administration – Police Education, 1984
A member of the Peterborough Police Service with 35 years of experience, Deputy Chief Farquharson is a leader, community builder and advocate for marginalized communities. His passion for opioid response reforms and community-first strategies has supported the proposed Consumption and Treatment Services site and creation of the Peterborough Drug Strategy. Tim was recognized as a Member of the Order of Merit of the Police Services, a highly prestigious award presented by the Governor General, for his role in creating the Peterborough Drug Strategy Task Force and for his tireless support for the most vulnerable in our community.

CREATIVE ARTS & DESIGN
Mark Campbell, Mechanical Engineering Technician, Tool and Die, 1975
Mark Campbell is the Senior Vice President, Corporate Marketing and Design for Global Furniture Group, one of Canada’s largest manufacturers, distributors and marketers of workplace, education and healthcare furnishings. With over 3,500 employees globally, Mark oversees the direction of new product development, branding and communication strategies. As a designer, Mark has been awarded and published internationally, including in Graphis, ID Magazine and AZURE. He was recognized by the Government of Canada as a National Design Council Scholar. Mark was also an associate professor at Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) University where he taught for 35 years.

HEALTH SCIENCES
Leah Levesque, Nursing, 1984
Leah Levesque is the Chief Executive Officer for Arnprior Regional Health and previously was the Vice President Patient Care and Chief Nursing Executive at the Queensway Carleton Hospital. In the VP role, Leah provided professional leadership to over 1,400 nurses and other regulated health professionals across the organization and oversaw seven hospital units, including the Emergency Department and Intensive Care Unit. Leah’s leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic was crucial to the region’s ability to handle rising cases and stress on hospitals. She worked with community partners to develop ground-breaking initiatives, including setting up a 56-bed inpatient transitional care unit and a Covid care and assessment centre.

RECENT GRADUATE
Ryan Tidman, Environmental Visual Communication, 2018
Ryan Tidman is a conservation photojournalist, videographer, filmmaker and biologist who is passionate about storytelling though photography. He is currently working on projects with Netflix, Disney+ and National Geographic. He has worked with world-renowned photographers Paul Nicklen and Cristina Mittermeier for their ocean conservation non-profit SeaLegacy, where he photographed whale sharks in Mexico and navigated through untouched islands. With a large online presence and social media following, Ryan’s work focuses on environmental issues and highlighting the conservation efforts needed to restore the planet for future generations. He was recently accepted as an Associate Fellow to the International League of Conservation Photographers, a global community made up of top-tier photographers and filmmakers using solution-based media as a catalyst for conservation efforts.

TECHNOLOGY
Lynn Cooke, Business Administration – Accounting, 1985
As a Certified Public Accountant, Certified General Accountant and a Certified Management Consultant, Lynn Cooke has achieved extensive career success working in the male-dominated technology sector. Lynn is the President of 360 Visibility Inc., which was founded to provide technology solutions to mid-sized companies, while offering the big company service that clients expect. Lynn was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Women Entrepreneurs (W100) by Profit Magazine, now Canadian Business magazine, for six years. Ranked based on the annual revenue of their firms, Profit W100 profiles the country’s most successful female business owners.

The Premier’s Award nominees will be recognized and winners announced at a virtual gala event on November 18, 2021. To nominate a deserving Fleming graduate for a 2022 Premier’s Award, please contact the Advancement and Alumni Relations Office at 705-749-5530 ext. 1390 or e-mail alumni@flemingcollege.ca.

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