NTEC - Niagara Training and Employment Agency

Niagara Training & Employment Agency Inc.
120 Canby Street
P.O. Box 190
Port Robinson, ON
L0S 1K0

Donald L. Reilly Centre
3470 Sinnicks Avenue
Niagara Falls, ON
L2J 2G4

Executive:

Chair

Joe Mergl
April 25, 1996
At the invitation of the Chair of NTEC, and following a lengthy discussion of goals and services provided to NTEC clients, Joe decided that NTEC was the type of organization with which he would be proud to be affiliated. He has been a member of our Board of Trustees for ten years, and has served as chair for the past six. Joe is also a member of the Board of Directors of Niagara Employment Agency. He was a former member and chair of the board of Adolescent Support Services and served on the board of Niagara South Board of Education. He was also a member of the Board of Directors for his church. Joe served as a public school educator for a total of thirty-five years as a teacher, vice-principal, principal, superintendent of schools, and in teacher training at the Toronto Teachers’ College. Following his educational career, he worked for sixteen years selling real estate. Joe and his wife, Sylvia, have five children and twelve grandchildren.

Vice-Chair

Gerry Higenell
October 30, 1984
Gerry is a graduate of the University of Toronto. He taught in a number of secondary schools in St. Catharines and retired as principal of Kernahan Park Secondary School in 1984. Gerry joined the boards of Niagara Training & Employment Agency and Niagara Employment Agency in 1984, and has served as Secretary, Vice-Chair, and Chair (from 1994 to 1998) on the NTEC Board of Trustees. At present, he is Vice-Chair of the NTEC Board of Trustees. Over the years, Gerry has served as chair of a number of boards – Grantham Family YMCA, Luther Manor Retirement Apartments, and Haiti Lutheran Mission Society. His main interests are his ten grandchildren, curling in the winter, and gardening in the summer.

Secretary/Finance Chair

Gary Gunning*
April 28, 1993
Gary joined NTEC Board of Trustees and the Board of Directors of Niagara Employment Agency (Niagara Recycling) on April 28, 1993, and has also been on the Board of Directors of Niagara Support Services since October 28, 1998. He is currently Secretary and Finance Chair of NTEC and Niagara Recycling, and has been Secretary-Treasurer of Niagara Support Services since 2001. Gary is also a member of the Joint Board Alliance Committee of NSS and NTEC. As well, he is a charter life member, past secretary, and past president of Stamford Kiwanis, and has been a member of the business community throughout his career. His experience varies from a large petroleum company to retail businesses. Currently, Gary is also President and Treasurer of the Friends of Lundy’s Lane Battlefield.

List of Trustees:

Carolynne Canham*
November 24, 2005
Carolynne has been a member of the NTEC Board of Trustees since November 24, 2005. She also serves as President on the Board of Directors of Niagara Support Services, is a member of the Board of Directors of Niagara Employment Agency, and of the Joint Board Alliance Committee of NSS and NTEC. Carolynne is a former teacher and principal with the District School Board of Niagara. She taught for two years at Bedford Park School, and for three years Carolynne was the resource teacher for the existing programs for students with a developmental disability, where she facilitated the integration process in a variety of schools within the board. Carolynne was principal of King George V public school, where they began a very successful integration program, and then moved to Princess Margaret. Carolynne’s experience in education is a valuable asset to our board.
Maureen Connolly*
May 31, 2001
Maureen joined our Board of Trustees on May 31, 2001. Maureen is a university professor with over 30 years in the field of physical education as a teacher, researcher, trainer, and disability advocate on campus for students and faculty. Her involvement in disability issues and programs in the Niagara Region is well-known, and includes placement components in university classes, children’s movement program, movement education camps for children and youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder, movement programming workshops for parents, integration programs at Niagara Falls Boys & Girls Club summer program and Brock sports school, and more. In 2002, Maureen was presented with the Brock Award for Distinguished Teaching, was awarded the 3M Teaching Fellowship Award in 2003, and in 2005 was awarded a YWCA Woman of Distinction Award. Currently, Maureen has the role of Director of the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Educational Technologies and Director of the Institute for the Study of Exceptional Development (ISED) at Brock University. Maureen also serves on the Board of Directors of Niagara Support Services and the Board of Directors of Niagara Employment Agency.
Rob Culliton
June 20, 1984
Rob has been in private practice since his call to the bar in 1984, and has been a partner with the firm of Sullivan, Mahoney LLP since 1994, specializing in Business Taxation Law. He is a member of the Lincoln County Law Association, Law Society of Upper Canada, Canadian Bar Association, and the Canadian Tax Foundation; is a director of Niagara Canada Community Investment Program, Canadian Association of Family Enterprise (Niagara Chapter), and honorary counsel of the St. Catharines Chamber of Commerce. He frequently speaks and presents papers on tax and estate planning. He has been on NTEC’s Board of Trustees since 1984, and has served as Secretary and Finance Chair.
Peter Hayes
April 25, 1996
Peter was a member of NTEC’s founding committee in 1969, and served as Chairman of the Board of Management of NTEC in the 1970’s. He is active in his community in service club and church organizations, and is a member and past director of the Kiwanis Club of Stamford, Past President of the Council of Catholic Men, and Member of the Canadian Industrial Advertisers. Mr. Hayes joined Renown Printing shortly after graduating from Niagara University with a B.Sc. in Economics, eventually becoming co-owner and general manager. He obtained a variety of experience in the field of graphic arts while dealing with clients ranging from one-man stores to the largest multinational corporations. Throughout his many years of service on the board, he has served as Chair, Vice-Chair, and Secretary, and is also on the Board of Directors of Niagara Employment Agency.
Henry Hedges
July 10, 1978
Dr. Henry (Hank) Hedges has been on the NTEC Board of Trustees for 30 years. He was a teacher for 40 years in elementary school, as College Master, Teachers’ College principal, and full-time Professor (emeritus) University of Toronto. He is the author of 35 books, and a hundred magazine articles, mostly on science. In the 1960’s, he was the coordinator of the provincial Committee on Education. For five years, he was co-host of CBC’s Junior Magazine television program and wrote and performed numerous educational television programs, winning the International Ohio State Award in 1965 for science programming. In 1966, he was the first organizer of ETVO, now TVO. For 25 years, Hank served as nature advisor to the National Film Board. An avid gardener, he founded the Joseph Smith Lily Garden in St. George, now noted the best public lily garden in Ontario. Among Hank’s many honours are the Centennial Medal, Ontario Teacher of the Year in 1983, Ontario Horticulturist of the year, and NTEC’s Bill Wales Friend of NTEC Award.
William McMullan
April 28, 1994
Bill retired in 1996 after 40 years in the procurement, merchandising, and management of consumer-related products, including CEO and operating partner of Sierra Canada Ltd., which was sold to Coleman Canada Ltd. in 1995. He joined the Board of Trustees of NTEC and the Board of Directors of Niagara Employment Agency (NEA) on May 26, 1994, and assumed the role of Chair of the Board of Directors of NEA in 1995. Bill was appointed to the Joint Board Alliance Committee of NSS and NTEC in l998, and currently serves as member-at-large on this committee. In 2001-02, Bill also served on the Board of Directors of Niagara Support Services. Bill resides in St. Catharines with his wife Marjorie and has three married children, two of whom live in Vancouver, and one in St. Catharines. Bill has played an active role in the development of the glass grinding operation at Niagara Recycling, and has worked closely with our regional government on this project.
Bert Murphy
March 27, 1997
Bert has been on the boards of Niagara Training & Employment Agency and Niagara Employment Agency for the past ten years. He is a former program consultant with the Niagara South Board of Education and is presently a lecturer at Brock Faculty of Education. Bert is also a Project WILD facilitator with the Canadian Wildlife Federation, and a member of the Friends of Short Hills Park and the Friends of Leslie M. Frost Centre. He is very interested in environmental issues and offers workshops to seniors groups and school classes. He lives in Fort Erie with his wife, Colleen.
Colleen Murphy
February 27, 1991
Colleen has been involved with Niagara Training & Employment Agency since its inception. The daughter of the late John Brennan, the driving force behind NTEC, Colleen has spent more than fifteen years as a board member. As well, she has been involved in many fundraising ventures for the organization. The Niagara South Board of Education employed Colleen for over thirty years before her retirement. She is also a member of the Fort Erie Palliative Care Association. Colleen lives in Fort Erie with her husband, Bert, and spends much of her free time with her two grandchildren.
Judy Reid*
November 30, 2000
Judy joined the NTEC Board of Trustees on November 30, 2000. She has served as Chair of the Joint Board Alliance Committee of NSS and NTEC since May 2001, and has been a member of the Board of Directors of Niagara Support Services since June 16, 1999. Judy was also recently elected to the Board of Directors of OASIS (Ontario Agencies Supporting Individuals with Special Needs) as director-at-large, and will represent the two organizations, as well as the issues of Niagara while on this board. Presently residing in Fonthill, Ontario, Judy is a lifelong resident of the Niagara Peninsula. Judy retired in 1998 following a 30-year career as an educator with the District School Board of Niagara. A number of these years were spent in Special Education at the secondary level, and as a project coordinator for adult daytime, evening, and project-based training programs. Judy continues her interest in education working with the Business Education Council of Niagara as the Manager, Labour Force Development and Early Years Niagara. Judy’s community participation also includes the position of President of Adolescent’s Family and Support Services of Niagara, and as a member of the Board of Directors of Niagara Employment Agency.
Al Shynal
February 4, 1988
Al has been a member of the NTEC Board of Trustees since February 4, 1988, and is also a member of the Board of Directors of Niagara Employment Agency (Niagara Recycling).
Doug Thomas
November 25, 1993
Doug has been a member of the NTEC Board of Trustees since November 25, 1993, and is also a member of the Board of Directors of Niagara Employment Agency (Niagara Recycling).