The Magazines Canada Volunteer of the Year Award, established in 2006, honours one person per year who has made an outstanding volunteer contribution to the Canadian magazine industry.
Candidates must have contributed at least 10 years of volunteer service to the industry and a commitment to Magazines Canada. The recipient of the award is chosen by a committee of long-standing magazine professionals.
Winners of the 2017 Volunteer Awards
On behalf of Canadian magazines from coast to coast, Magazines Canada thanks these outstanding volunteers for their contributions in 2017.
Magazines Canada Volunteer of the Year
Lisa Whittington-Hill
A generous and tireless volunteer, Lisa Whittington-Hill has for many years focused on supporting Canada’s small and independent magazines. She in fact began her career at This Magazine in 2001 as a volunteer, where she did everything from fact checking to circulation management. Lisa is a mentor to magazines across the country—in addition to consulting on circulation and marketing for small magazines, she is also a fundraising consultant for Magazines Canada’s Travelling Consultants Program. She has served as a director on the Magazines Canada Board and chaired the association’s Consumer Marketing committee, and regularly lends her time and expertise to professional development like MagNet: Canada’s Magazine Conference. She currently serves on the boards of the National Magazine Awards and CWILA (Canadian Women in the Literary Arts).
“I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this recognition,” said Matthew Holmes, CEO of Magazines Canada. “In addition to her day- (and night-) job at This Magazine, Lisa for years has contributed her time as an advisor and mentor to others. She does a lot of work behind the scenes to mobilize our community and respond to industry needs and challenges. She is a constant champion of our small-but-mighty Canadian magazines.”
Lisa Whittington-Hill is the publisher of This Magazine, Canada’s leading progressive magazine of politics, arts and culture. Prior to becoming publisher in 2005, she was the small magazines project manager for Magazines Canada. Lisa works as a circulation and marketing consultant for small magazines, and teaches magazine marketing at Centennial College in the school’s Book and Magazine Publishing program. Her writing about arts, pop culture, feminism and why we should all be nicer to Courtney Love has appeared in a variety of Canadian magazines. She is currently working on a book about the Canadian band Cub to be published by Invisible Publishing in October 2019.
MagsBC Volunteer of the Year
Joanne Rajotte
Joanne Rajotte is the Manager, Records Management and Privacy at Langara College. For three years, Joanne has trained other volunteers and practicum students in records management and sorted through files every few weeks, giving MagsBC hundreds of hours of her time. Joanne has guided the association in rationalizing and tracking its files, reports and archives from the last 20+ years. Joanne has also done most of the work in paring down records to only the most essential information and documentation the organization needs, and in recommending retention policies and disposal timelines for all files. “We have been very privileged to have her,” said Sylvia Skene, Executive Director of MagsBC.
Alberta Magazine Publishers Association Volunteer of the Year
Allan Lacey
A certified accountant with a CPA, CMA designation, Allan Lacey has managed finances in Calgary for 20 years and is currently the corporate controller for RHS Canada. It takes a financial expert to oversee AMPA’s annual audit each year, and an exceptional individual to stand up at the AGM and patiently explain the results of that audit to a room full of publishing professionals. Allan Lacey did that each year from 2005 to 2017, during his term as AMPA’s volunteer treasurer. AMPA treasurer is usually a two-year term position; Lacey held the spot for a dozen years, attending board meetings, signing cheques, overseeing annual budgets, reporting, auditing and business planning. He has been instrumental in AMPA’s evolution to its current financial stability. He is a tireless supporter of the periodical industry in Alberta (and almost certainly knows more about publishing than he ever expected to), and everyone who works in magazines is better off as a result.
Magazines Ontario Volunteer of the Year
Craig Sweetman
Craig Sweetman is the owner and founder of CRS Media Consulting. Craig has been a pivotal force in the recent foundation of the Industry Action Group, which advocates for a strong presence at and enjoyment of magazines at retail. As part of this work to find creative and positive solutions for growth in today’s newsstand industry, he was also a key advisor on a new national study of shoppers and retailers conducted by BrandSpark International for Magazines Canada that makes a compelling business case for magazines at retail. Craig has over 38 years of experience in retail circulation and consumer marketing. He was Eastern Canadian Manager for Conde Nast Publications for 15 years; in 2000 Craig took over the role of Retail Sales Manager – Canada, and then moved to Coast to Coast as Director of Canadian Agency Relations. Since starting his own consultancy he has launched Canadian Traveller, Inside Fitness Women & Specials, Ignition Magazine & Specials and also re-launched Outdoor Canada in a SIP-only format.
Magazines du Québec Volunteer of the Year
Michel Nivischiuk
Michel Nivischiuk is the newsstand marketing and banner partnerships manager for TVA Publications. Involved in the world of Quebec magazines since 1992, Michel is at the heart of decisions about distribution and newsstand marketing at TVA Publications. He develops strategies and advises publishers and brand directors on how to win market share through premiums, promotions, charity participation, and more—everything planned to boost newsstand sales and give TVA Publications a place in the list of the best-selling magazines in Quebec. In 2015, he actively participated in the revival of the AQEM (Quebec Association of Magazine Publishers). A volunteer within the organization, he has served as vice-chair, secretariat and more recently, the administration of the vital area of membership and membership recruitment. His passion, marketing skills and deep knowledge of the industry make Michel a key player in the association. His contribution to the industry is recognized and respected by all in Quebec.
Past Volunteer Award Winners
Magazines Canada celebrates magazine volunteers from across the country!
2016
Magazines Canada Volunteer of the Year 2016
Robert Goyette, Vice President and Editor-in-Chief, Reader’s Digest Canada
Cross-Country Volunteer Award Winners
Natasha Sanders-Kay, MABC
Joyce Byrne, AMPA
Todd Latham, Magazines Ontario
Robert Goyette, AQEM
2015
Magazines Canada Volunteer of the Year 2015
Chris Purcell, Vice President of Marketing and Circulation, and General Manager, Toronto, TVA Publications
Cross-Country Volunteer Award Winners
Jane Hope, MABC
Brnesh Berhe, AMPA
Patricia Clarke, Magazines Ontario
Jean-François Morin, AQEM
The Manitoba Magazine Publishers’ Association (MMPA) and the Atlantic Magazines Association (AMA) did not announce a Volunteer of the Year for 2015.
2013
Magazines Canada Volunteer of the Year 2013
Immee Chee Wah, Vice President, Business Planning, Rogers Publishing
Cross-Country Volunteer Award Winners
Darren Bernaerdt, MABC
Emily Ursuliak, AMPA
Deborah Morrison, MMPA
Melony Ward, Magazines Ontario
Thom Knowles, AMA
Magazines du Québec (AQEM) did not announce a Volunteer of the Year for 2013.
2012
Magazines Canada Volunteer of the Year 2012
Darlene Storey, Vice President, Consumer Marketing and Production, St. Joseph Media
Cross-Country Volunteer Award Winners
Diane Wong, MABC
Brenda Johnstone, MMPA
Alistair Cheng, Magazines Ontario
Alexa Thompson, AMA
The Alberta Magazine Publishers Association (AMPA) and Magazines du Québec (AQEM) did not announce a Volunteer of the Year for 2012.
2011
Magazines Canada Volunteer of the Year 2011
Joyce Byrne, Vice President and Associate Publisher, Venture Publishing
Cross-Country Volunteer Award Winners
Jenn Farrell, MABC
Bobbi Beatty, AMPA (co-winner)
Kayla Nash, AMPA (co-winner)
Christopher Purcell, Magazines Ontario
Sylvain Bédard, AQEM
Christine Beevis Trickett, AMA
2010
Magazines Canada Volunteer of the Year 2010
Jessica Ross, Vice President and Treasurer, the Canadian Society of Magazine Editors
Cross-Country Volunteer Award Winners
Clélie Rich, MABC
Claire Lacey, AMPA
Deborah Morrison, MMPA
Eithne McCredie, Magazines Ontario
Catherine Resch, AQEM
Sharon Resky, AMA
2009
Magazines Canada Volunteer of the Year 2009
John Milne, Business and Professional Publishing, Rogers Publishing Limited
Cross-Country Volunteer Award Winners
Tracy Stefanucci, BCAMP
Rob Tanner, AMPA
Betty Ann Watts, MMPA
Jeff Shearer, Magazines Ontario
Robert Goyette, AQEM
Dawn Chafe, AMA
2008
Magazines Canada Volunteer of the Year 2008
Patrick Walsh, Outdoor Canada
Cross-Country Volunteer Award Winners
Anicka Quin, BCAMP
Erinne Sevigny, AMPA
Penni Mitchell, MMPA
Hervé Juste, AQEM
Patty Baxter & Sheila Blair-Reid, AMA
2007
Magazines Canada Volunteer of the Year 2007
Jim and Linda Gourlay, Saltscapes
Cross-Country Volunteer Award Winners
Brian Kaufman, BCAMP
Lynn Fraser, AMPA
Linda Hazelwood, MMPA
Féliz Maltais, AQEM
Shawn Dalton, AMA
2006
Magazines Canada Volunteer of the Year 2006
Terry Sellwood, Cottage Life, explore and Magazines Canada
Cross-Country Volunteer Award Winners
Lisa Manfield, BCAMP
Derek Beaulieu, AMPA
Andris Taskans, MMPA
Suzanne Lamouche, AQEM
2005
Magazines Canada Volunteer of the Year 2005
Michael Fox, Rogers and Magazines Canada
Outstanding Volunteers
Melissa Edwards, BCAMP
Tony Fouhse, Burnt Toast
Colin Martin, dANDelion