Celebrating alumni

Rebecca Bartley

Nomination category: Health Care and Community Well-Being
Program: Veterinary Technician (class of 2016)

Rebecca Bartley’s passion to improve healthcare for pets has taken this Veterinary Technician from simply taking a job in the field to revolutionizing the field. She overcame the challenge of starting a business during a pandemic, and fought for the right to do so, with her professional governing bodies. In the end, she won and was eventually honoured by the OAVT. She’s a change-maker and does so because pets, who cannot speak for themselves, deserve someone who will. Rebecca is building a resilient health system for furry family members and opening previously closed doors for her fellow RVTs.

Luke Bazely

Nomination category: Entrepreneurship and Economic Development
Program: Electrical Engineering in Automation (class of 2002)

Luke Bazely is the co-founder and CEO of Driverseat, a Canadian transportation company transforming how group mobility is delivered. What began in 2012 as a designated driver service has grown into a nationally recognized brand serving diverse charter needs—from corporate shuttles to rural transit. Under Luke’s leadership, Driverseat has expanded to serve 400 communities in North America, earned nine consecutive Franchisees’ Choice Designation awards, and integrated AI-powered systems to support franchisees and improve service. Guided by the belief that “we’re in the people business,” Luke is reshaping transportation through scalable innovation, community responsiveness and a relentless focus on high-equality client experience.

Dale Boyle

Nomination category: Community Advancement
Program: Business Administration, Honours Bachelor of Business Administration – Management and Leadership (class of 2013 and 2021)

Dale Boyle is the founder of Safer Spaces and Executive Director of the Gilbert Centre. What began as a student-led initiative has evolved into a nationally recognized, revenue-generating social enterprise that helps organizations create safer, more inclusive environments for 2S-LGBTQ+ individuals. Under Dale’s leadership, Safer Spaces has delivered workshops across healthcare, education, policing and more, while reinvesting in critical community supports such as youth groups and food security. A proud advocate and member of the 2S-LGBTQ+ community, Dale has advanced inclusion at every level, transforming both systems and lives through his unwavering commitment to equity, education and lasting social change.

Darryl Gratrix

Nomination category: Workforce and Skilled Trades Advancement
Program: Mechanical Technician, Tool and Die (class of 1998)

Darryl Gratrix is a leader in high-precision manufacturing and a driving force behind skilled trades advocacy in Ontario. As Production Manager at Molded Precision Components and founder of NextGenSkilledTrades, he has helped launch careers, modernize training and shift public perceptions about the trades. Darryl champions co-op programs, apprenticeship pathways, and industry-education partnerships, while utilizing social media and VR outreach to reach thousands of students, parents, and educators. Through hands-on mentorship, policy engagement and systems-level leadership, he is helping shape the next generation of trades professionals and the future of Canadian manufacturing.

Solomon King (winner)

Nomination category: Cultural and Creative Achievement
Program: Cabinetmaking Techniques (class of 2018)

Solomon King, an esteemed Indigenous artist, honours his heritage through intricate wood and stone creations. His dedication to preserving indigenous culture earns him acclaim, with works displayed across prominent venues like Nathan Phillips Square and the University of Toronto. Committed to reconciliation, he crafted a monumental turtle sculpture commemorating residential school survivors. Harnessing skills honed through the Cabinetmaking Techniques program at Georgian College, Solomon seamlessly integrates woodwork with stonemasonry, enriching his artistry and construction business. Over 18 years, he’s trained many individuals and some have received Red Seal accreditation. His vision extends to future workshops, nurturing a legacy of craftsmanship.

Steve Priestley

Nomination category: Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Innovation
Program: Environmental Engineering Technology (class of 2002)

Steve Priestley is the Chief Operating Officer and co-owner of AltoMaxx Technologies, a global leader in drone services, certification, and safety compliance. A 1999 graduate of the Environmental Engineering Technologies program, Steve credits his college education with providing the technical and problem-solving skills that launched his career. He has led AltoMaxx’s growth into 18 countries, pioneered drone-based methane detection, and developed the world’s only ISO 21384-3 certification program for unmanned flight. His work supports industries from energy to emergency response making a lasting impact on both his sector and society.

Nadia George (2021)

Nomination category: Creative Arts and Design
Program: Social Service Worker 9class of 2009)
Place of employment: Actress, Marla Mann Agency

Nadia George is an award-winning Indigenous Canadian actress, media personality, therapist and public speaker based in Toronto. Her work focuses on uplifting young voices and addressing stigma around contemporary Indigenous identity, and her volunteerism includes roles as a national ambassador, advisor and BIPOC committee member for several national organizations. She can be seen in numerous films and television series including History Erased, Along the Water’s Edge and Uncolonize, and her portrayal of Jolene in the award-winning film ‘Her Water Drum’ earned her the distinguished award of Achievement in Acting for a Leading Role at the Los Angeles Skins Film Festival.

Kevin Collins (2019)

Nomination category: Community Services
Program: Hotel and Resort Administration, and Tourism Management (class of 1984 and 1985)
Place of employment: President and CEO at Easter Seals Ontario

A two-time recipient of the Queen’s Jubilee Medal and Ontario Restaurant’s Trillium Award Newsmaker of the Year 2013, Kevin J. Collins has brought philanthropy to the forefront in the hospitality industry. As a child with Cerebral Palsy, Kevin benefited from Easter Seal’s camp programs and pledged to give back, doing so as Executive Director of Friends of We Care, the industry’s charitable arm which sends physically disabled children to camp. After successfully tripling the organization’s donor base and raising $20.5-million over his career, he was appointed to his current role as President and CEO of Easter Seals Ontario in 2017.

Aylan Couchie (2016)

Nomination category: Recent Graduate
Program: Art and Design Fundamentals (class of 2015)
Job title: Anishinaabe artist, community organizer and aspiring writer
Place of employment: Freelance artist, currently pursuing MFA at OCAD University

Just a year out of college, Aylan has built an impressive list of career achievements. In August 2015, she was chosen from among more than 950 entries worldwide to receive the Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award from the U.S.-based International Sculpture Center. Less than a month later, Aylan was honoured with the inaugural Native Women in the Arts Barbara Laronde Award, which celebrates the career of one outstanding, emerging Northern Ontario-based  Indigenous female artist. Her artwork has also been featured in Sculpture magazine, an international publication that is distributed in more than 70 countries and has a readership of more than 37,000.

Aylan was also the winner of the Pratt Homes Sculpture competition that hand-selected four artists to design a sculpture to sit atop their new condominium in Barrie, as well as a rooftop patio piece and select works throughout the interior. Her work was chosen by the public against three seasoned and highly esteemed sculptors. Once built, the piece, (H.I.O. Big Chiefs) will be seen from Highway 400 as it looks out over Kempenfelt Bay in tribute to the Wendat, Haudenosaunee and Anishinabek nations.

Aylan has also made an indelible impact on the community. In 2014, she organized and launched Barrie’s first downtown art crawl, which featured local artists, fostered new relationships within the downtown merchant core, and led to partnerships that continue today.

Aylan says she is inspired by her grandfather, a residential school survivor whose passed-down teachings greatly influenced her work and encouraged her to return to college as a mature student and single mother of three teenage boys.

Despite the many accolades, Aylan feels the most important part of her work is being part of the larger conversation about First Nations realities, including murdered and missing Indigenous women, current actualities facing First Nations communities across Canada, and residential school legacies.

Dianne Martin (2016)

Nomination category: Health Sciences
Program: Nursing (class of 1998)
Place of employment: Chief Executive Officer at Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario

As the Chief Executive Officer of the Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario, Dianne provides leadership and advocates for the province’s thousands of registered practical nurses. She also works hard to make a difference in the lives of patients and nursing students through policies, reforms and education.

Dianne is currently working to refocus healthcare decisions on the needs of patients, which will help them take control of their own wellness. She’s also spent a good portion of her career addressing the workplace bullying she says is prevalent in the industry and providing support to nurses suffering from work-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Dianne hopesp the resources she and her team have created will assist employers, re-engage nurses in the profession, and help reduce or eradicate bullying and PTSD.

In addition to overseeing day-to-day operations and managing the RPNAO’s budget, Dianne visits healthcare organizations across the country to consult on nursing and how to improve patient outcomes and workplace satisfaction and retention.

Dianne also consults with many hospitals and helps administrators understand and expand the nurses’ role and implement positive change. She speaks regularly at conferences across the province on issues related to health and wellness education, and nursing issues in particular.

In addition to her leadership role, Dianne sits on nursing advisory committees at several colleges – including Georgian – and still finds time to teach in the classroom.

Dale George (2012)

Program: Industrial Design (class of 1985)
Job title: Chief Technology Officer
Place of employment: Buoyant Aircraft Systems International (BASI)

Dale George has established a niche in the world of design for improving operations, defining innovation, and creating industry standards for a number of products and services. Now he is again at the leading edge as the chief technical officer of Buoyant Airship Services International. George’s remarkable journey began in the Industrial Design program at college. Throughout his evolution from the early days of designing the now-famous “little yellow” plastic slide that can be found in backyards across North America, to developing the first high-altitude wind turbine, to his aviation work with lighter-than-air airships with NASA and transport to remote areas, George has remained a trailblazer in his field.

Geoffrey Stephens (2011)

Program: Business Administration (class of 1984)
Place of employment: President at Capital Paving Inc.

Geoffrey Stephens became president and controlling owner of Capital Paving Inc. at age 35 and has grown its revenue from $18 million to $80 million in just over 10 years. He and his partners recently made a major ownership investment in Fowler Construction. In 2010, Capital was named one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies and is an unprecedented three-time winner of the Ministry of Transportation’s Paver of the Year Award. Stephens was one of 40 Canadian entrepreneurs chosen for the 2010 Quantum Shift at Richard Ivey School of Business. He is active in the community, serving on numerous industry association boards.

Stephen Flowers (2005)

Program: Business (class of 1983)
Place of employment: President at UPS Americas Region

Stephen Flowers, President of the UPS Americas Region, is responsible for all UPS package operations in Canada and more than 50 countries and territories across Latin America and the Caribbean. Prior to taking on the region’s highest post, Flowers was UPS’s West Europe District Manager, where he oversaw the company’s operations in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Switzerland. Stephen began his career with UPS in 1981 as a loader/unloader while at Georgian College. Stephen has served on the board of directors for the United Way of Long Island, New York and the American Chamber of Commerce in Paris.

Rose Adams

Program: Office Administration (class of 1984)

Rose overcame a difficult childhood to get where she is today. Growing up in foster homes, she financed her college education by cleaning houses and checking coats at a local bar. In 1991, she was crowned Miss Black Ontario and entered law school as a mature student. Rose has taught business courses at Georgian College and Ontario Business College and volunteers for non-profit community groups such as the Out of the Cold program. She served on the board of Big Brothers and the Simcoe Literacy Network.