The Holland College Foundation has announced the recipients of its ninth annual Distinguished Alumni Awards.
Foundation Board of Directors Chair Shaun MacIsaac said that this year’s honorees are to be commended for both their professional achievements and their contributions to their communities.
“Our 2016 award recipients, Scott Annear, Patti Larsen, and David Trainor, have all contributed greatly to their communities and are wonderful examples of our graduates using their Holland College education as a springboard into interesting and diverse careers” said MacIsaac. “Each one is an inspiration to current Holland College students and alumni alike.”
Annear, Larsen, and Trainor join past recipients Wayne Stewart, Cory LeDrew, Kevin Proude, Sue LeFort, Delaney Chisholm, Norma Lee MacLeod, John Ledwell, Paul Livingston, Robert Webster, Barry Sheen, Kathy Ward Doucette, Steven Barber, Tim Banks, Louise Vessey, David Garcelon, Basil Stewart, Jeff Poirier, Eva O’Hanley, Jamie Hill, Sonya Corrigan, Alan MacLeod, Steven Collicutt, John Avery, Brent Blackmore, Alanna Jankov, and Kevin O’Brien as Holland College Distinguished Alumni. A display celebrating all alumni who have been honoured with the award is located at the college’s Prince of Wales Campus in Charlottetown.
Holland College president Dr. Brian McMillan said that alumni are part of Holland College’s ongoing success story.
“Holland College has more than 34,000 graduates worldwide who are leading and making a difference in almost every sector imaginable,” said McMillan. “The success and contributions made by each of our most recent honorees brings immeasurable pride to all of us here at Holland College.”
A reception and awards dinner will be held on Thursday, November 10 at the Tourism and Culinary Centre in Charlottetown. For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact the Holland College Office of Alumni Relations at (902) 566-9590 or alumni@hollandcollege.com.
Scott Annear graduated from the Business Administration program in 1987, and has been a driving force within the trucking industry in PEI for the past 25 years. In 1991, he joined his father in the family business, Morley Annear Ltd., and in 2002, became the general manager. Under Scott’s leadership, Morley Annear Ltd. has continued to thrive and expand. He has recently partnered in a new venture, River Run Dining Cruises, offered out of Montague and Georgetown.
Scott is very active in the Montague Rotary Club, serves as Chair of the Lower Montague Council, is president of the Montague Curling Club, and the PEI Trucking Sector Council, serves on the board for the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association, and is a member of the Masons and the Shriners service clubs.
After graduating from Holland College’s Journalism program in 1992, Patti Larsen did some work in her chosen field of journalism and then decided to take a completely different direction, returning to school to become a hairdresser. She had a very successful hair stylist career but after 15 years, realized that she was not following her passion and returned to what she loved best: writing.
She once again put to use the skills obtained in her journalism classes and authored a book. After a few unsuccessful attempts at being published in the traditional sense, she self-published her own book.
Her books were picked up by eager readers and noticed by publishers, who then approached her to publish through them. To date, she has published over 75 books in the middle grade, young adult, and adult paranormal genre, gaining worldwide recognition and success as an author.
Patti has been awarded the PEI Book Award for Fiction and placed first in the 2014 International World’s Best Story contest, garnering her a book deal and a tour.
David Trainor graduated from Holland College’s Electromechanical Technology program in 1990 and joined Allied Signal Aerospace, which later became Honeywell Engines and Systems. His skills, work ethic, and dedication served him well as he steadily climbed the ranks and, after 14 years, David moved on to positions with Honeywell in Montreal and Phoenix, Arizona before returning to PEI.
With his knowledge of the aerospace industry, David identified a gap in the Prince Edward Island market and in 2008 he opened Action Aero in Charlottetown, a company that specializes in overhauling and repairing aircraft engine accessories. Today, Action Aero employs 37 individuals, many of whom are Holland College graduates, and continues to expand.
In 2013, David, along with a group of other Island business owners, stepped up to help keep PEI’s Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team on PEI, now the Charlottetown Islanders. David serves as chairman of the board.
For more information about this release, please contact:
Jo-Ann Campbell-Boutilier, Executive Director - College Advancement and the Holland College Foundation
Tel: 902-629-4273
Date: Wednesday, October 26, 2016
