Telecommunications Hall of Fame Foundation Adds New Members To Board of Governors
Canada’s Telecommunications Hall of Fame Foundation is pleased today to announce the appointment of four new members to its expanded Board of Governors. With today’s appointment of Michel Bruyère, Paul Downs, Dr. Joy McKinnon, and Dr. Veena Rawat, the Hall of Fame Foundation Board of Governors now boasts 14 senior leaders of the Canadian telecom and academic sectors within its ranks.
“We are very excited about the diversity of experience and knowledge that our new Governors bring to the Board.” said Lorne Abugov, Founder and Director of Canada’s Telecommunications Hall of Fame. “The expertise and good judgment of our Hall of Fame Foundation Board is an essential element in supporting the core programs of the Telecommunications Hall of Fame. The expansion of the Hall of Fame Foundation Board of Governors will contribute greatly in building on the past successes of the Foundation and in supporting and fundraising for new opportunities that the Hall of Fame pursues to promote and celebrate Canada’s telecommunications industry.”
Michel Bruyère, B.Eng., M. Phys., MBA, has over 15 years of international experience in the telecommunications sector, in the areas of sales & marketing, carrier relations, interconnection and finance with companies such as Teleglobe, Nortel, CompleTel, and Global TeleExchange. Michel is currently the CEO of Neotelis, assisting telecommunications organizations worldwide to face the challenges of the global competitive environment by providing a wide array of business solutions, consulting expertise and telecom training services. He is a member of the Advisory Board of the École Polytechnique de Montréal’s Engineering Physics department.
Paul Downs, B.A., M.Ed., is President/ CEO and co-owner of the Nexicom Group of Companies, which currently provide SILEC, CLEC, long distance, internet, cable TV, and cellular services, as well as home and business security systems and telecommunication supplies to customers in Central Ontario. The Downs family has been involved in providing telecommunications services in rural Ontario for more than 100 years. Paul has served on many industry committees and the boards of many corporations, community groups and associations. He has extensive experience in fundraising for student educational awards as the former President of the USA-based Foundation for Rural Education and Development. Paul has been honoured as a lifetime member of the Ontario Telecommunications Association and, along with his brother John, Paul was the recipient of the Hall of Fame’s Career Service Award in 2009.
Dr. Joy McKinnon, B.A., eMBA, DBA, has dedicated her career to post-secondary education and adult learning in industry, the community and the college sector. As Dean of Technology at George Brown College, Joy collaborated with industry to lead the development and launch of the Centre for Advanced Building Technologies and the Centre for Advanced Microelectronics. Joy has built numerous international educational and research partnerships with industry, universities and educational institutions. She has also served as a founding board member of the Centre for Microelectronics Assembly and Packaging research consortium. Currently, as VP of Business Development at Algonquin College in Ottawa, Joy has responsibility for international education, language training, workforce and personal development, institutional research and planning, applied research, corporate training and the Algonquin College Foundation.
Dr. Veena Rawat, the first woman to graduate with a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Queen’s University, was president of the Communications Research Centre (CRC) from 2004 – March 2011, one of the world’s most influential research and development laboratories. Prior to heading CRC, Dr. Rawat worked for 28 years in senior management at Industry Canada in the Spectrum, Information Technology and Telecommunications Sector, where she made significant contributions to spectrum engineering and the telecommunications industry both in Canada and on a global scale. Veena was the first woman in the history of the International Telecommunications Union to chair the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC – 03), having been elected unanimously by the international radiocommunications community. Her work in radiocommunications and R&D has garnered her much recognition, including the Canadian Women in Communications (CWC) Woman of the Year Award, the CWC Trailblazer Award, the Queen Elizabeth Golden Jubilee Commemorative Medal, Industry Canada’s Excellence in Leadership Award, and ITU’s gold and silver medals for her contributions in the international arena. Presently, Dr. Rawat serves as Vice President & Ambassador to the ITU with Research In Motion (RIM).
The newly appointed Governors will enhance the existing expertise of the Hall of Fame Foundation Board members in support of Canada’s Telecommunications Hall of Fame. Also currently serving on the Board of Governors are:
Adrian Foster, Partner, McLean Foster & Co., (Hall of Fame Foundation Chair)
Lorne Abugov, Founder & Director, Canada’s Telecommunications Hall of Fame
Michael Binder, President, CNSC (former ADM of Spectrum, Information Technologies and Telecommunications at Industry Canada)
Bernard Courtois, President/CEO, Information Technology Association of Canada
Roberta Fox, President & Senior Partner, Fox Group
Sal Iacono, former Senior VP Product Marketing, Bell Canada (retired July 2008)
Bernard Lord, CEO, Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association
Stephanie MacKendrick, President, Canadian Women in Communications
Roger Poirier, GM, Radio Advisory Board of Canada
John Reid, CEO, Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance.
