John CULLEN, BA ’69, launched the Enterprise Co-op at the University of Waterloo in 1997, with the help of three University of Waterloo professors – Doug Sparks, Geoff Malleck, and Larry Smith. He was the Program Lead Business Consultant until his retirement in April 2020.
News about Alumni, Faculty, and Staff
1960's
John MORRIS, BA ’69, (Economics), LLB Western ’72, retired from Morris & Shannon Law Office, on December 31, 2019.
1970's
Mary Louise OTTMAN, nee Kobel, BA ’70, (Arts) celebrated her 50th Wedding Anniversary this past July 25th with husband John. Because of COVID-19 they could not have a big group celebration, but were able to have a Mass at St. Clement R.C. Church, St. Clements, ON with their children and grandchildren present.
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Ted MCKECHNIE – BA (Hons) ’71, (History) is a senior entrepreneurial executive with extensive Board and Senior Management Experience in the consumer goods, resource, and service industries. He is Chairman/CEO, The Davies Group, and has been Chairman/CEO for Canada’s Food Starter and Advanced Technology For Food Manufacturing; Founder/Chairman/CEO of Canada’s Technology For Food, The Davies Group (C); Founder/President/CEO of Ethnic Food Group International, Inc.; and President/COO/Owner of Humpty Dumpty Foods; President/COO of Maple Leaf Foods, Inc., and President/CEO of Menu At Home .Com. He received the Philip Morris Chairman’s Award for recognition of “extraordinary contributions having a significant and lasting impact on the Corporation.” Philip Morris is among the 100 largest companies in the world, based on market capitalization.
Tim MCKENNA, BA ’75, (English Literature) retired from The Globe and Mail in 2019, after 41 years working in newspapers as a photojournalist and photo editor at six different newspapers. Tim began at the Woodstock Sentinel Review in 1978 and worked at The Windsor Star, Toronto Sun, The National Post, Toronto Star, and The Globe and Mail.
“The timing proved fortuitous. My daughter returned to work from maternity leave in April. Since daycares were closed because of the COVID pandemic lockdown, my wife and I have become full-time babysitters. It’s hard work but the relationships we’re building with our grandson will be deep.”
1980's
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Annabel QUINN, BA ’83, (Religious Studies and Studies in Personality and Religion), MA ’07 Theological Studies and Pastoral Counselling (Wilfrid Laurier University and Waterloo Lutheran Seminary), is trained in chaplaincy through the Canadian Association of Spiritual Care and presently works as a chaplain with the Waterloo Catholic District School Board at St. David’s Catholic Secondary School, following 13 years working at St. Mary’s High School.
Helen YANCHUS, BA (Hons) ’86, (English Major/History Minor), has worked as a full time English teacher with the Durham Catholic District School Board since 2004, and tries “as often as possible to come back to St. Jerome’s for Sunday mass. She misses the area and “would love to come back to teach in Waterloo some day.”
1990's
Bonnie RUDNISKY, BA ’93, is celebrating her 50 year connection to St. Jerome’s University in 2020! Bonnie has worked as the University’s archivist for the past 24 years.
Heather BEAN, BA (Hons) ‘98, MA (McGill University ’00) is working in Waterloo, ON as a freelance writer, editor, and proofreader. She is also a contributor to this edition of Update magazine.
2010's
David THIESSEN, BA (Hons) ‘10, MA ’11, PHD ‘20, recently completed a PhD in English Literature at the University of Waterloo where he has started in a new role as Educational Developer, Curriculum and Quality Enhancement at the Centre for Teaching Excellence.
Jennifer SMITH, BA (Hons) ’17, completed her Master of Health Science in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Toronto in August. Jen’s placements while preparing to become a Speech-Language Pathologist included, providing therapy services to indigenous children in Sioux Lookout; and working in the traumatic brain injury unit at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. She is currently an independent contractor working for Speech Therapy Works, and Bowden Voice & Speech in Toronto, focusing on speech, language and social communication intervention for preschool and school-aged children.
Melissa SMITH, BA (Hons) ’17, completed her Early Childhood Education program at Sheridan College, and is now working as an Early Childhood Educator at an elementary school in Mississauga, ON.
Olivia CARVALHO, BA (Hons) ’19, (Fine Arts), was featured in a show last spring at The Museum, located in Downtown Kitchener, ON.
2020's
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Maya VENTERS, BA (Hons) ’20, (English Literature and Rhetoric) began her role as the Manager of Student Affairs at the Newman Centre at McGill University this summer, where she is managing student programming at the residences. Maya is also developing a Catholic Fellowship Program for undergraduates, graduates, and doctoral students at McGill University, which will aim to prepare young Catholic leaders for post-university life by understanding how their chosen discipline can be understood from the perspective of their Catholic faith. Maya and her fiancé, Andrew Clubine (BKI ’17) became engaged in August and are marrying in Guelph in November. The two met while working together in the University of Waterloo’s Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA). Andrew is currently in his last year of the B.C.L/J.D in the Faculty of Law at McGill University. The couple plan to move to Scotland in 2021, where Maya has been accepted at St. Andrews University to complete her MLitt in Theology and Arts. Maya plans to return to Montreal and the Newman Centre in 2022, where Andrew will write his bar exams and begin articling.