Four Holland College employees were recognized for their professional excellence in a ceremony at the Florence Simmons Performance Hall recently. Leslie Holt, Susan Ashley, Wendy Gillespie, and Allison Doughart all received commendations for their contributions to the college. 

Holland College President, Dr. Alexander (Sandy) MacDonald, thanked the award recipients for their commitment to Holland College and its students. 

“Our college is successful because of the exceptional contributions of our faculty and staff,” he said. “On behalf of the entire management team, I am delighted to acknowledge and celebrate these extraordinary individuals. They have each made a significant contribution to our success over the past year.” 

Library technician Leslie Holt received the Staff Excellence Award. This honour is awarded to a staff member who has made an exceptional impact with Holland College and the community at large. Holt has personified excellence throughout her more than 14 years of service. Her vibrancy and presence have had a significant impact on the staff and students at the college.

The Teaching Excellence Award was presented to Susan Ashley, a learning manager in the Early Childhood Care and Education program. Over her more than 30 years with Holland College, Ashley has been instrumental in the development and success of this program. Ashley’s teaching style involves a rich, relationship-centered pedagogy and her practices reflect the ideals of competency-based education and active learning.

Wendy Gillespie is this year’s Facilities Support Service Excellence Award recipient. As a service worker on the Prince of Wales Campus, Gillespie has demonstrated exemplary performance since joining the Holland College family in 2016. Her contributions during this time have been invaluable to her department and the entire college.

The Leadership Excellence Award was presented to Allison Doughart, program manager of Community Education and Language Instruction. The award celebrates a leader whose work has made a meaningful contribution to Holland College and the community. Doughart, who has been with the college since 2000, has made significant contributions to the growth and success of the department, which oversees language training for newcomers. 

In addition to the staff excellence awards, 74 members of staff were recognized for their years of service. The awards were presented in a private ceremony in the performance hall, a video of the awards is available here.

In this picture: Holland College President, Dr. Alexander (Sandy) MacDonald congratulates Wendy Gillespie, recipient of the Holland College Facilities Support Service Excellence Award, at the recent Staff Appreciation Award ceremony in the Florence Simmons Performance Hall on the Prince of Wales Campus.