This week St. Lawrence College will be awarding three Honourary Diplomas at their convocation ceremonies. The SLC Press Release is below.
St. Lawrence College Confers Three Honorary Diplomas in Kingston
13/06/2016
12:00 AM –
Each of our Honorary Diploma recipients share a common drive; while they all maintain busy working lives, they all are driven to also give back to their community. St. Lawrence College (SLC) is very proud to recognize these outstanding individuals who continue to inspire our students and graduates. SLC is pleased to announce its Honorary Diploma recipients in Kingston for 2016: Rolland Billings; Don Head; and Peng-Sang Cau.
Rolland Billings (presented at the June 16 ceremony, 6 pm)
Rolland Billings has had an impressive career at Novelis Kingston (formerly Alcan) in production which led to a position as Plant Manager, and then a global executive role in health and safety in the manufacturing setting. Outside of work, Rollie wanted to make a difference in the lives of those on the margins of our community through fundraising and sport. He became involved with the United Way of Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington, working in various positions, including roles within the Campaign Cabinet and as Board Chair. In June of 2013, Rollie was recognized by the United Way for 30 years of volunteer service. Rollie has been President of the Knights of Columbus Basketball League (now the ‘Pete’ Petersen Basketball League) at St. Pat’s School for more than 20 years, but has spent 35 years as a coach, referee, website administrator and unofficial photographer. The league provides an opportunity for more than 500 children from across the city every year to have a safe, affordable and fun place to play in a basketball league at a cost of only $10 per child.
Don Head (presented at the June 17 ceremony, 10 am) As a long-time Kingston resident, Don Head has been a supporter of St. Lawrence College for more than 30 years. His career in the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) has spanned close to four decades and, under his leadership as Commissioner, has developed several key partnerships between CSC and SLC. Don has received numerous commendations and awards throughout his career including the Governor General’s Corrections Exemplary Service Medal and Bar, the Public Service Award of Excellence for Diversity and Employment Equity, the Aboriginal HR Council’s CEO Leadership Award for Diversity and Inclusiveness, and the Federal Council of Visible Minorities Leadership Award for Diversity. Don is a proud supporter of the United Way and leads the organizational attainment of goals and its promotion within the Correctional Service of Canada and is clear in his support of the local campaign, even freeing up resources here to assist with the campaign. Another passion of Don’s is the Canadian Cancer Societies’ Daffodil Appeal.
Peng-Sang Cau (presented at the June 17 ceremony, 3 pm)
Peng-Sang Cau and her family arrived in Canada in 1980 as refugees from Cambodia. After graduating at the top of her class in high school, Peng went on to graduate from Queen’s University in 1994 with a Bachelor of Commerce degree. She then held sales and marketing posts at Quantum Information Resources and Lever Pond prior to starting Transformix. Peng founded Transformix in 1995 with three engineers and has since guided its transition from a local provider of engineering services to an international supplier of advanced automation equipment. Peng serves as a director on Kingston General Hospital’s Board and has advised the Ontario Research Council as a member of the Research Matters Panel Advisory Board. Recently Peng was invited by the Schulich School of Business to be on the Advisory Council for the Centre for Global Enterprise. Mayor Patterson has invited Peng to be on the Workforce Development and Immigration Steering Committee. Peng is also a regular speaker at conferences across Canada. This past spring, Peng joined the Honourable John McCallum, Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, and the Honourable Michael Chan, Ontario Minister of Citizenship, Immigration, and International Trade, for a conversation on immigration reform at Ryerson University.
Convocation ceremonies will be held in Kingston at the Rogers K-Rock Centre on Thursday, June 16 at 6 pm and on Friday, June 17 at 10 am and 3 pm. For complete ceremony details please see our website. For full stories on our Honorary Diploma recipients,
