More than 800 guests attended the 17th annual BCIT Distinguished Awards that celebrated the two recipients of our 2020 Honorary Doctorate of Technology and four recipients of our 2019 BCIT Distinguished Awards.
The evening highlighted the passion and excellence of these remarkable individuals and the BCIT values that they embody through their bold leadership. Their outstanding achievements have empowered many and created globally relevant connections that drive economic, social, and environmental prosperity. This year’s event theme was Empowering Leaders for a Complex World, a nod to both the BCIT brand statement and our Vision. Watch the video below for a recap of the evening. Video created by Tim Chung, TC Visuals.
BCIT President Kathy Kinloch took to the stage to share some of the incredible accomplishments of the BCIT community over the past year and also commended the audience for their support of the Institute Strategic Plan.
“Over the past 18 months, we created and launched a new Three-Year Strategic Plan with an eye to creating an ecosystem that continues to power our province’s future workforce and workplaces,” said Kathy. “One of the things that I think is most unique about our plan is that it was literally created through focused consultation with our students, faculty, staff and industry.”
Dr. David Podmore, BCIT INSPIRE Campaign Chair, BCIT Board of Governors member, and past Chair, BCIT Foundation, provided an update on the INSPIRE Campaign and acknowledged the extraordinary INSPIRE Campaign Cabinet. He encouraged guests to support BCIT’s bold and ambitious vision and plans for the future by helping the campaign reach its goal of raising $125 million towards a $450 million renewal plan.
2019 BCIT Outstanding Student Leadership Award recipient
The first award recipient honoured was 2019 Outstanding Student Leadership Award recipient Michelle Wan (Computer Systems Technology ’19).
Michelle graduated with distinction from the BCIT Computer Systems Technology (Cloud Computer option) diploma program in February and now works for Elastic Path software, where she interned before her final semester at BCIT. While at BCIT, Michelle was an outstanding student and an active volunteer.
Michelle shared, “BCIT means a lot to me. It is a place where you get real industry experience, not just through classroom learning, but through industry projects, and co-op opportunities. It is a school that pushes you so hard so you can succeed. It has amazing instructors with whom I have had meaningful discussions. I’m really happy I chose BCIT.”
Watch Michelle’s full acceptance speech.
2019 BCIT Faculty and Staff Association Distinguished Alumni Award recipient
The second award recipient of the evening was Jamie Finley.
Jamie is a Research Assistant with the Natural Health and Food Products Research Group (NRG) in Applied Research at BCIT. He is recognized for his contributions to BCIT and to the broader community, rooted in his commitment to BCIT’s applied model and his experience as a student and staff person who is Deaf. His approach to sharing information, educating those with whom he works, and ensuring a better environment for diversity, makes all of us better at what we do. He has made significant contributions in many roles — as a researcher, a team member, a Faculty and Staff Association (FSA) member, and an advocate.
Jamie delivered a very heartfelt acceptance speech. “The award has been a total surprise for me, it has been wonderful to see my work and advocacy being valued. How can we empower leaders for our complex world…makes me think we all need to ensure our allies have a voice and influence on our structures and processes. It is amazing to be Deaf and we’ve given you examples of how accessibility can be empowered.”
Watch Jamie’s full acceptance speech.
2019 BCIT Distinguished Alumni Award recipients
The first recipient of the 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award is Katie Klumper, Principal of Deloitte Digital and HEAT, a creative agency in Manhattan.
Since graduating from the BCIT Marketing Management program in 2004, Katie has risen to the top of her profession in New York. Her innovation with the agency model and use of technology have guided culture shifts and world-wide brands. She was also recognized by AdWeek as a Top 50 Most Indispensable Marketing, Media, and Tech Executive, among her many honours.
Katie passionately shared, “The odds were stacked against me. Did you know that 97% of Fortune 500 CEOs have university degrees; 6.6% are female; and less than 2% of the US population is Canadian. The reality is I had cards stacked against me ─ but I had an advantage that other CEOs didn’t have ─ a real life education from BCIT. One not entirely entrenched in theory but one born of practical real-world learning. One that was not all about book smarts, but one that was coupled with street smarts. One that taught me how to pivot, to be resilient, and to genuinely care about the people around you.”
Watch Katie’s full acceptance speech.
Derek Manky is the next recipient of the 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award. Derek graduated from the BCIT Computer Systems, Data Communications Systems program in 2004 and has since gone on to become a world-class leader in the global fight on cybercrime. Today, Derek is Chief, Security Insight, and Global Threats Alliances with Fortinet. He has risen to the top of his field as a trusted expert, regularly appearing in top tier media, such as Wall Street Journal, CNN, Financial Times, and more.
Derek is a believer in collaboration. He shared in his acceptance speech that there is no silver bullet to the challenges in life. “It takes hard work, openness to learn, collaborative teamwork (especially in industry), strategy, and adaptability.”
He also shared that he chose BCIT for its reputation in challenging students but also placing students into immediate jobs with a high success rate. “That is what I wanted, to get out in industry at a young age.”
Watch Derek’s full acceptance speech.
2020 BCIT Honorary Doctorate recipients
The evening also recognized our 2020 Honorary Doctorate recipients, who will receive their honours at our June 2020 Convocation Ceremony.
Carol Lee is our 2020 BCIT Honorary Doctorate recipient. She is a strategic change-maker and has demonstrated exceptional leadership in all her philanthropic and business endeavours. As President Kathy Kinloch shared, “Carol is one of the most humble and compassionate people I know, who cares deeply for her community and her family.”
Watch Carol’s full acceptance speech.
Our second 2020 Honorary Doctorate recipient is Clive Beddoe. Clive is a Founding Shareholder and Chairman of the Board of Directors at Westjet Airlines. Watch Clive’s 2019 Distinguished Awards Acceptance Speech.
“Clive helped democratize flight, which made WestJet one of the most successful airlines in recent aviation history. He also, quite intentionally, made it possible for people who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to travel by air,” shared President Kathy Kinloch.
Kathy added, “I was struck by his humility, his grace, his intellect, and his care and thoughtfulness toward others.”
Congratulations to all our honourees this year!
Have you subscribed? Sign-up to receive the latest news on BCIT.
See all photos from the 2019 Distinguished Awards below:
