Executive Position:  Assistant Secretary
About Me
I supplied Information Technology support in the Life Insurance and Banking industries and as a consultant, working on large (IBM and compatible) mainframe computers in Applications Development (Programmer, Analyst, and Manager), Systems Programming (Technical Programmer, and Manager), and Performance Management and Capacity Planning (Analyst, and Manager). Organizations for which I worked included Confederation Life Ins. Co. (1965 - 1986), The Transition Consulting Group (1986 - 1988), Ætna Life Ins. Co. (1988 - 1990), Bank of Nova Scotia (1995 - 2001), and IBM (2001 - 2003). I also provided in-house training in my working-places, and instructed (1990 - 1995) at post-secondary institutions (Ryerson University, Seneca College, Humber College, Durham College, and DeVry Institute). I acted as the Chairman (9 years) and Director (2 years) of the Central Ontario Users Group, an organization whose members are companies (in the Greater Toronto Area) which use large IT equipment to support their business objectives. I represented my companies (for over 5 years) as a Project Manager and Assistant Group Manager in the Performance Management and Capacity Planning Group of the North American branch of GUIDE, a large world-wide organization of users of large IBM mainframe computers. I also presented three papers at the Computer Measurement Group, a large North American organization which focuses on improving the efficiency of use of information technology in businesses. I held the positions of Chairman of the Planning and Resources Sub-Committee, Member of the Board of Directors, and Treasurer of Executive Advancement Resource Network (EARN), a Toronto-based volunteer group which assists unemployed office workers in their efforts to re-enter the work force. While working at Confederation Life, I also held the positions of President, Secretary, and Treasurer of the Trico Tennis Club which had as its members employees from three large Canadian insurance companies with head-offices within one city block of each other. In 1994, I joined the recently-formed St. Stanislaus College Alumni Association Toronto, and was elected Vice-President (1998 - 2000), Secretary (2002 - 2003), Treasurer (2004 - 2006), Assistant Treasurer (2006 - 2007), and President (2007 - 2009).
Favourite Memories of Saints
It is with great difficulty that I try to isolate favourite memories of my time at the College. It is not because that there aren’t any; it is simply that, because I had always enjoyed (and still do enjoy) learning and obtaining new information, my sojourns at all my education institutions have all been very interesting and exciting. In fact, as I am wont to tell anyone who willing suffers to hear my personal story, my original aim in life was to become a “professional student”! I originally could not see myself working in a commercial environment as my intent was to dig deeper into “things” just to satisfy my curiosity in finding out what was behind them all. If I were forced to choose, I would have to say that the most memorable and favourite thoughts about Saints are about the teaching staff, especially the Jesuits who instilled in me not only knowledge and a love of life-long learning but also an ethical and moral code which seems to be all but abandoned in the world today. Those who attended around my time at the College will automatically remember such priests and great educators as Fr. Lynch (the Maths genius and Games-master), Fr. Gill (French), Fr. Feeney (Physics and Chemistry), Fr. Marques (the “tyrant” of the Lower Fourth for Maths, Latin, and Scripture), Fr. Earle (English and Literature), and Fr. Byrne (Latin), all led very capably by Fr. Scannell (English, Literature, and Scripture). However, they also would tend to overlook Fr. Boase (Latin and Religious Doctrine) as he probably would be considered too meek and gentle ever to have been a good teacher. Yet, if we were to look deeper within him, we would find a dedicated person who fought to overcome his natural shyness and reticence, and endured much undeserved “abuse” from his students for the sake of his vocation. We all can learn from his patience and sacrifice, and this alone makes him a good example as a teacher.
Why the Alumni Association is important to me
As I have mentioned above, I learnt a lot in every way at Saints. Without that education, I would not have had as successful and happy (reasonably so - nothing is perfect) a life as I have had. I owe it all to having attended Saints and receiving an excellent education. I owe the school “BIG”! Therefore, I need to repay in an equal amount. Regretfully, the Jesuits no longer control the school, so I look to Alumni like myself to help those following in our footsteps. This is what the Jesuits taught us….to help those in need, and there are none so needy as the present students. I see the Toronto Alumni Association as being a catalyst and an agent of change in raising the standard of education back to the level which existed in my days at the College, and I can repay my debt by being a member and working towards that goal.