Zabudsky to Leave Red River College

On December 7, Dr. Jeff Zabudsky informed the Board of Governors of Red River College that he will be stepping down as President and CEO, effective January 31, 2010.

Zabudsky will be relocating to Ontario to become the President and CEO of the Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, which operates campuses in Brampton and Oakville. The move is a homecoming of sorts for Zabudsky, who is a native of Southern Ontario with several family members still in the area.

"I'd like to thank the Board and staff of Red River College, and our partners within government and industry for their tremendous support over the past five years," said Dr. Zabudsky. "Through their efforts RRC has established itself as an engine of growth for Manitoba, and a first-choice education option for students."

For a quick overview of highlights and accomplishments from Dr. Zabudsky's time at RRC, visit the RED blog.

Alumni Profile - Michael Dacquisto

1986 Red River College Culinary Arts Grad

Michael Dacquisto enrolled in the Culinary Arts program at Red River College in the mid-80s with a passion for cooking. With no restaurant experience before entering the program, Dacquisto soon became a natural in the kitchen.

After graduating in 1986, Chef Dacquisto worked in the dining room at the Sheraton hotel in Winnipeg under Chef Jeff Gill, now an RRC Culinary Arts instructor. It was here that he was able to hone his skills and develop the confidence he needed to succeed in the industry.

After the Sheraton, Chef Dacquisto worked at several Winnipeg restaurants including the Sandpiper, Between Friends, Pasta la Vista and then spent eight years as the head chef at 529 Wellington. A theme started to develop as each restaurant he went to received five-star reviews.

Then in September 2008, Chef Dacquisto helped open a new restaurant bearing his own name - Dacquisto. An authentic Italian food restaurant, Dacquisto earned yet another five-star review for the celebrated chef and part owner.

Chef Dacquisto emphasizes the importance of his instructors at RRC who helped him on his way to becoming a highly successful chef. "I felt very comfortable with the instructors because they all were professionals from the industry," says Dacquisto. "I asked a lot of questions and picked their brains because I knew they would have the answers."

Today, Chef Dacquisto employs several RRC grads at his restaurant with full confidence that they received the same great training he did.

To find out more about Dacquisto and to see their menu, visit their website today!

If you are interested in being profiled in the RED alumni e-newsletter, e-mail Dale Oughton, Alumni Coordinator, at alumni@rrc.mb.ca

2009 Alumni Dinner Recap

2009 Distinguished Alumni award winners Dawna Friesen and Mervyn Gunter

On Friday, November 20, Red River College hosted its annual Alumni Dinner and honoured Dawna Friesen and Mervyn Gunter, recipients of the 2009 Distinguished Alumni Awards. It was another sold-out dinner as RRC alumni and industry paid tribute to the award winners. Joshua Stolar was also honoured with the RRC Student Spirit award.

Visit the RED blog to watch video montages of both Distinguished Alumni award winners.

1983 Teacher Education reunion

On Saturday, October 31, the RRC 1983 graduating class of Business Teacher Education reunited for the first time in over 25 years. It was a celebration of memories, stories and reminiscing that was long overdue. Graduates that attended were Margret Beeching, Donna Kolbuck-Street, Catherine Hogberg, Christine Smith, Yvette Michaud, Debbie Cousin, Janice Schwartz and Cynthia Zelenewich. A big thanks to Dacquistos for providing us with a fabulous meal and reunion atmosphere, and to RRC for the memories and the friendships we have made.

Have you had a class reunion recently? If so, we'd love to hear about it! E-mail alumni@rrc.mb.ca

Stay Connected

Make sure we have your most up-to-date contact information so you can stay current with College news, learn about exclusive Alumni events and find out about the latest job opportunities.

To update your information, visit the Address Update webpage at www.rrc.ca/alumni or
call (204) 632-2359.

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