2nd Professional Development Conference and Training Seminar in Journalism 2013.
The weekend of December 6th to
December 8th brought together 300 members of the National Ethnic Press
and Media Council of Canada, from across Canada, to the beautiful Seneca
Markham Campus. With the generous support of Canadian Heritage and The
Honourable Shelly Glover, TD Bank and Seneca College, and under the
leadership of President and CEO, Thomas S. Saras, this successful
seminar allowed our members the opportunity to sit in on lectures and
plenary sessions from some of the greatest minds in Journalism, Business
and Politics. From the kick-off, which was led by
"The Queen of Networking" herself, Dr. Donna Messer, to the exemplary
plenary sessions by the Leader of the Provincial NDP, Andrea Horwath,
Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission, Barbara
Hall,and The Canadian National Defence, our members were engrossed in 3
days of enlightening words of wisdom. We were fortunate to be enriched by
the teachings of April Lindgren (Associate Professor, School of
Journalism, Ryerson Univerity) on Why Local News Matters; Dr. George
Gekas (Associate Professor of Business Administration, Ryerson
University, Ted Rogers School of Management) on The Cost-Benefits of
Quality and Time: How to Secure Business Viability and Sustainability;
Dr. Gabriel Huston (Professor, School of International Business, Seneca
College) on The 5 Pillars of Me, Inc: Your Strategic Business Roadmap;
Paula Todd (Professor, School of Media and Marketing Seneca@York) on
Editorial and Journalistic 360-Authenticity, Transparency and
Accountability; Barbara Caines (Coordinator/Professor, School of Media
and Marketing Seneca College) on Professional Writing and Interview
Skills & Best Practices; Hamza Khan (Professor, Seneca College) on 360
Degree Digital Marketing Strategies for New Audiences; Dr. Ralph Izard
(Professor Emeritus E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Ohio University-
Manship School of Mass Communication, Louisiana State University) on The
Fundamentals of News Reporting; Robin Potter (Professor, School of
English and Liberal Studies, Seneca College) on Using Wordpress.com to
Create Responsive Online Blog/Websites; Byron G. Tobar (Professor,
School of International Business, Seneca College) on Leveraging Cultural
Diversity into Effective Business Strategy and Opportunity; Sunny Yi
(Professor, School of Creative Arts and Animation, Seneca College) on
The Potential of Ethnic Youth, Poly-ethnic and Trans-ethnic Groups for
Canadian Ethnic Publishers. In the midst of all the learning, The
NEPMCC hosted a Gala Dinner at the College which was a way to unwind,
and network. We were entertained by a dynamic duo of MCs: Former MPP
Tony Ruprecht, and Roberto Hausman, the "King of Diversity". After the
opening remarks by the Chair of Seneca College's Board of Governors,
Colleen Fleming, and Mr. Saras, politicans from all stripes and levels
of government brought Season's Greetings. We were joined by The
Honourable Chris Alexander, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, MPs
Andrew Cash and Olivia Chow, MP Jim Karygiannis, The Honourable Michael
Chan, MPP, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, MPP Todd Smith, and
The Mayor of Markham, Mr. Frank Scarpitti. Members and their families
listened to fantastic live music, ate delicious food, and sipped on
Romanian Wine which was supplied by our friends at Oblio International,
with thanks to the Romanian Consulate in Toronto. This conference's success lies in the
organizers, comprised of Mr. Thomas S. Saras, Dr. Gabriel Huston,
Tatyana Fursenko, Maria Saras-Voutsinas, and our partners at Seneca
College. None of this would have been possible without the fantastic
volunteers, educators and staff that gave their all to ensure an
experience that each and every member that attended vowed to never
forget. The National Ethnic Press and Media
Council of Council is comprised of 650 ethnic media outlets from across
Canada. To learn more about our Council, and to become a member, please
visit http://www.nationalethnicpress.com/ .or www.nepmcc.ca Maria Saras-Voutsinas |