DAUPHIN, Man. (March 29, 2018) – Assiniboine Community College’s Alumni Association will honour four outstanding alumni at the annual Parkland Region Alumni Celebration Dinner in Dauphin on April 26.
The dinner will be held at the Lion’s Den, Parkland Recreation Complex, beginning at 5 p.m. For more information or to purchase dinner tickets, please call 204.622.2222 ext 6590 or email [email protected].
This year’s recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award is David Mansell. The award honours alumni of the college in the Parkland Region who have distinguished themselves in both their chosen profession and the community. It recognizes the outstanding personal and professional achievements of the college’s finest graduates.
Dave is a graduate from both the Motor Vehicle Mechanics program in 1991 and the Applied Counselling program in 2006. Dave has worked for Michif Child and Family Services for the past nine years, first as the child abuse coordinator/investigator and currently as child care facilities direct service workers supervisor.
The Community Service Award recognizes an Assiniboine grad from the Parkland Region who has positively impacted the quality of people’s lives through the service of others.
This year’s recipient is Nicole Yunker, a graduate of the Human Resource Management program in Parkland in 2006. Nicole is Employment Advisor/Team Leader of Parkland Job Opportunity Centre. She co-founded the Boxes of Love Ukraine Project and is a member of CARE (Committee Advocating for the Removal of Sexual Exploitation.)
The One to Watch Award recognizes exceptional achievement and significant contribution to the recipient’s profession and/or community.
Kevin Giesbrecht, Ag/Commercial Lender at Catalyst Credit Union, is being recognized for his many hours of volunteering in the community for organizations such as the Kinsmen Business Expo and Canada’s National Ukrainian Festival parade.
The Excellence in Teaching Award honours a faculty member for extraordinary contributions to teaching and the student experience. Business Administration instructor Laura Chartrand is the recipient of this year’s award.
Laura graduated in 2000 from the program in which she now teaches. Laura was instrumental in the change from the Aboriginal Community Development program to the Social Service Worker program in 2015.
Longer bios are below. Photos of the four recipients are attached.
2018 Alumni Award Recipients - Biographies
Distinguished Alumni – David Mansell, Applied Counselling, Class of 2006; Motor Vehicle Mechanics, Class of 1999
The Parkland Region Distinguished Alumni Award honours graduates of the college in the Parkland Region who have distinguished themselves in both their chosen profession and the community. It recognizes the outstanding personal and professional achievements of the college’s finest graduates.
Despite having to overcome some challenges of his own, Dave Mansell has spent his career giving back to young people and the community.
He has a passion for the underdog, as witnessed by his work on behalf of Manitoba Corrections with inmates, youth in care of Michif Child and Family Services, and Métis people.
Dave overcame physical challenges and a learning disability to graduate from both the Motor Vehicle Mechanics program at Assiniboine in 1991 and the Applied Counselling program at Assiniboine in 2006. He then went on to graduate from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor’s of Social Work.
Dave has worked for Michif Child and Family Services for the past nine years, first as the child abuse coordinator/investigator and currently as child care facilities direct service workers supervisor.
He has been a volunteer board member of Community Futures Parkland for 14 years, and is the current board chair. Community Futures is a community-based economic renewal initiative funded by the Government of Canada and directed by local volunteer boards.
Earlier in his career, when he was a correctional officer at the Dauphin Correctional Centre, he helped start MANCOR Prison Industries, to teach offenders marketable trades that would increase their chances of post- release employment, as well as contribute to their rehabilitation and re-integration into society.
Dave is an active member of the Manitoba Métis Federation and has worked for Métis Child, Family and Community Services.
Dave is married with two children, Savanna and Douglas.
Community Service Award – Nicole Yunker, Human Resource Management program, Class of 2006 (in Parkland)
The Parkland Region Community Service Award recognizes an alumnus of ACC from the Parkland Region who has positively impacted the quality of people’s lives through the service of others. This award highlights the value placed on “community,” as in our name – Assiniboine Community College.
Nicole Yunker has a passion for the underprivileged, especially those at risk.
In early 2007, after hearing about the plight of orphans and poor people in Ukraine, she and Lindsay Rubeniuk co-founded the Boxes of Love Ukraine Project.
This organization has collected and sent more than $150,000 worth of donated items to two facilities in Nadvirna, Ukraine over the past 10 years.
Nicole works hard to organize and collect school supplies, clothing and other needed items every year for these facilities and manages a small group of dedicated volunteers who help her.
Nicole and Lindsay have visited the facilities in Ukraine that the organization supports.
Nicole is also working tirelessly to inform residents of the Parkland area about human trafficking and how it affects Manitoba.
As a member of CARE (Committee Advocating for the Removal of Sexual Exploitation), Nicole has helped to organize several events to raise awareness among professionals and the general public about human trafficking.
In the last year, the group held a screening of Nefarious, a documentary on international human trafficking and Human Trafficking: Canada's Secret Shame, which looks at Canada’s role in the sex trade.
The group also welcomed former Conservative MP Joy Smith, founder of the Joy Smith Foundation, to Dauphin for a presentation about the issue.
“It’s really important that we keep having the conversation. Silence helps human trafficking grow. Awareness stops it,” Nicole told the Dauphin Herald in January.
Nicole obtained her Human Resource Management certificate from Assiniboine in 2006. She says she uses and hones the skills she learned in that program every day in her current role as Employment Advisor/Team Leader of Parkland Job Opportunity Centre.
Nicole is married to Darrell Yunker of Dauphin.
One to Watch Award – Kevin Giesbrecht, Agribusiness, Class of 2012; Land and Water Management, Class of 2010
The Parkland Region One to Watch Award honours graduates in the Parkland Region who are 30 years of age or younger at the time of nomination. The award recognizes exceptional achievement and significant contribution to the recipient’s profession and/or community.
Kevin Giesbrecht made a strong first impression on Steve Ganczar as the two of them worked together preparing a float for Canada’s National Ukrainian Festival parade in 2015.
“At the time, he was working at Swan Valley Credit Union and was helping alongside his girlfriend. I quickly noticed his skill set. He was very personable, creative, willing to provide feedback, and was genuinely a pleasant person to work with,” recalled Ganczar, senior lender at the rival Catalyst Credit Union.
When Catalyst later expanded its lending department, “Kevin was a natural fit for our team. We needed a fastidious person with strong communication and credit writing skills to handle some of our larger accounts and Kevin displayed these traits,” said Ganczar, who became Kevin’s supervisor.
Kevin hangs his Assiniboine Community College diplomas proudly in his office. He recommends the college and the Agribusiness Program to many of his members, as a good place for practical and meaningful post-secondary education.
Last year, Kevin volunteered for 60 hours at various events throughout the community, including:
• The Kinsmen Business Expo
• Canada’s National Ukrainian Festival parade
• Dauphin Ag Society Fair parade
• Countryfest
• Knights of Columbus Parade of Lights
• Bartending at Coop Appreciation Night
• Catalyst Credit Union Sponsor Night at the Dauphin Kings Game
In nominating him for this award, Ganczar concluded: “Kevin is an excellent example of what Assiniboine Community College and the Agribusiness program stand for and is definitely one of its best success stories. I challenge you to find anyone more deserving.”
Excellence in Teaching Award – Laura Chartrand, Business Administration (Parkland), Class of 2000; Instructor in School of Business, Agriculture and Environment, Parkland campus
The Parkland Region Excellence in Teaching Award honours faculty in the Parkland Region for extraordinary contributions to teaching and the student experience.
The student has become the teacher.
Laura Chartrand was a student in Business Administration at the Parkland campus, obtaining her diploma in 2000.
Now she is a teacher in the same program on the same campus.
The Accounting major graduated with distinction, with a 4.14 Grade Point Average, and received high achievement awards, such as the CGA Award for Academic Excellence in Accounting, the Bank of Nova Scotia Award for Academic Excellence and the Millennium Scholarship for Academic Excellence.
She also served as treasurer of the Parkland Campus Students' Association.
After working in the Treasury Division of the Province of Manitoba, Laura started her career as an educator in March of 2008 as an Instructor for the Aboriginal Community Development Program at Assiniboine’s Victoria Avenue East campus.
Laura was instrumental in the change from the Aboriginal Community Development program to the Social Service Worker program in 2015.
Laura worked with colleague Val Frape to develop 22 of the 30 new courses that would comprise the Social Service Worker diploma. Although social work was not their area of expertise, they conducted extensive research and redeveloped all 30 of the course outlines, identified the required learning resources and developed course maps for each.
Laura then applied successfully to become the Business Instructor at the Parkland Campus, where she has taught for the past seven months.
“I truly believe that Laura developed the student-first attitude because she attended Assiniboine Community College’s Parkland campus,” said Norm Swain, senior human resources advisor, who nominated her.
“I cannot think of a more deserving candidate for the Parkland Regions Teaching Excellence award than Laura Chartrand, an Indigenous woman born, raised and educated in Parkland,” he said.
