Classes

1975

EGGERTSON, BILL (BA Political Science)

After an early career in radio and newspaper journalism, Bill transitioned to management for a number of renewable energy groups in Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. During his career, he has worked on many advisory committees centred on renewable energy and environmental sustainability at local, provincial, national and international levels, including the planning, environmental and energy advisory committees with the City of Ottawa. In 2019, he founded NetZeroPlus, a green energy supplier in Almonte, Ont.

1976

SPENCER, GOLDIE (BA Glendon)

Goldie has been a storyteller for over 20 years, performing at schools, community centres and festivals in Canada and Australia with a repertoire that includes folk tales, myths and legends. She is a member of Storytellers of Canada (SC-CC) and is a co-ordinator of 1001 Friday Nights of Storytelling. In 1993, she co-founded the York Storytelling Guild, a collection of storytellers with different specialties and interests who aim to share storytelling as an art that can entertain, teach, heal and bring diverse people together. 

1986

ROSS, KARYN (BFA ’86, MFA Visual Arts ’90)

Karyn is the founder of Women in Lean – Our Table, an organization that supports, mentors and guides members from around the world while providing opportunities for personal and professional development. In 2019, she launched the Love and Kindness Project Foundation, which fosters projects like free coaching and micro-grants to programs that “create love and kindness around the world.” Her book, The Kind Leader: A Practical Guide to Eliminating Fear, Creating Trust, and Leading with Kindness, is scheduled to come out this September.

1990

HOCHU, CAROL (MBA Schulich)

Armed with decades of experience leading Canadian associations and non-profit organizations, Carol helmed the Canadian Plastics Industry Association as president and CEO for eight years. She also served as executive director of Ontario Electronic Stewardship, a program that ended in December 2020. In September, she was named president and CEO of the Tire and Rubber Association of Canada, a national trade association that represents the interests of manufacturers and importers of tires and other rubber goods in Canada. A passionate industry advocate, Carol continues to further her company’s profile while advancing important industry issues with key stakeholders, influencers and government. 

1991

ZAFAR, MOHAMED (BA Political Science)

After passing the bar examination with the Bar Association of Guyana in 2004, Mohamed served as the legal officer with the Ethnic Relations Commission. He became a family law panellist practising criminal law in 2004, and a family law panellist with Legal Aid Ontario in 2017. Prior to his career in law, Mohamed was an artillery surveyor in the Canadian Armed Forces, part of the Royal Canadian Artillery Regiment based in West Germany from 1985 to 1995.

1998

NOMDARKHON, CHERYL (BA Sociology)

A certified personal stylist, Cheryl created Uncover Your Style, an image consultancy business based in Toronto that aims to help women and men dress with ease and confidence while discovering their style sensibility.

1999

KIRCHMAIR, CAREY (MBA Schulich)

In January 2021, Carey launched the educational consulting company Pathways to Campus, an Aurora-based company with services that help high school students and parents navigate the path to post-secondary education. The organization helps students identify their post-secondary study interests and career paths, and guides students and their parents throughout the post-secondary application and admissions process.

MOUNSEY, JOSEPHINE (MA Political Science)

Building on her studies at York and creative writing courses at the Humber School for Writers, Josie published her first novel, The Weak Against the Strong, in September 2020. Set in the Soviet Union, it has as its backdrop the tumultuous events of the demise of the USSR in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

2001

METIVIER, ANTHONY (BA ’01, MA ’02, PhD English ’09)

Anthony is CEO of Advanced Education Methodologies, a publishing company with science-based memory-improvement training books and courses. With close to two decades of experience writing about and teaching memory and study skills, he delivers presentations internationally. In February 2020, Anthony delivered a TEDx talk in Melbourne, Australia, on new applications of memory to meditation.

2003

BUECKERT, NATHAN (BA Philosophy)

Nathan’s education in philosophy inspired him to become a writer. In 2019, he published the fantasy novel Blood and Gods: Books 1 & 2 of the Creator’s Quatrain, for which he was awarded the 2020 Next Generation Indie Book Award – an awards program based in the U.S. – in the paranormal fantasy category.

2004

SADDLER GRAY, MINERVA (BA Sociology)

Co-founder of Kuinua Consulting Group, Minerva provides grant writing and resource enrichment strategies to not-for-profits, public agencies and selected businesses throughout Ontario. She is a board member with Youth Without Shelter in Toronto, a charity founded in 1986 that offers shelter and support for youth facing homelessness in the GTA.

2006

JACKSON, KELLY (MA Political Science)

Kelly has been associate vice-president of government relations, marketing and communications at Humber College since July 2017, and is currently on the boards of the Empire Club of Canada and the North York Harvest Food Bank. Kelly is a co-author of Our Canada: A Year With Canuck Kids, a book published in January 2021 with the goal of helping children learn about Canada as a country and its identity at home and around the world.

2007

SUTHERLAND, JAMIE (MBA Schulich)

Among the youngest executives at accounting software company Sage Canada, Jamie led its small business unit and worked as vice-president and general manager from 2008 to 2011. In 2010, he co-founded the Canadian taxi-hailing app TaxiNow, and in 2017, Sonix, a company providing automated speech-to-text software using artificial intelligence and natural language processing.

2011

SORICHETTI, ALEXANDRA FRANCESCA (BA Psychology)

Since 2013, Alexandra has worked in human resources, with experience in policy and procedure development, talent acquisition and other HR administration systems for GMR Marketing and the City of Toronto, among other organizations. In 2016, she obtained a certificate in labour law from York University’s Osgoode Professional Development program. Alexandra currently works as a training specialist for the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).

2015

HAFEEZ, OSMAN (MBA Business Administration)

Having worked in an advisory capacity to energy, government and health-care clients in Calgary since 2008, Osman founded SmartHealth Management Consultants, whose primary focus is to provide management advisory services for health-care clients to improve quality and efficiency of care.

IN MEMORIAM

BICKERSTETH, SEYI (MA Economics ’75)

Seyi Bickersteth started his career at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), where he worked as a research economist before moving to Management Systems Nigeria as a consultant. He next worked at Arthur Andersen, rising to the position of partner and head of the firm’s tax division. After 20 years, Seyi left to join KPMG professional services as the national senior partner. He died suddenly in Nigeria on March 3, 2021.

LYONS, SALLIE (BA Dance ’75)

Born in Saskatoon, Sask., Sallie danced in the Judy Jarvis Dance and Theatre Co. and Toronto Independent Dance Enterprise (TIDE) companies before becoming a choreographer for the likes of Canadian composer R. Murray Schafer. As a movement instructor, she gave classes in dance and theatre at the University College Drama Program, University of Toronto and York University’s Theatre program. Founder of the Lyonfish Yoga Studio, Sallie passed away in Toronto, age 71, on February 15, 2021.

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