SAIT
ALUMNI AWARDS
2025 Alumni Awards recipients
Tackling the impossible. Challenging the status quo. Beating the odds. Getting back up. Blazing a new path. All of SAIT’s five 2025 Alumni Awards recipients share something in common: a series of tiny sparks that have grown into something powerful. Meet the trailblazers, mentors, teachers and leaders who are navigating life’s unexpected twists and turns, and finding ways to ignite the light in their own lives –and others.
Craig Skauge
2025 Distinguished Alumni Award
Business Administration '01
President and CEO, Olympia Trust Company
Since becoming the president and CEO of his family's modest business, Craig Skauge has grown Olympia Trust Company into one of the largest financial institutions in Canada outside the Big Six banks. While leading that meteoric rise, Skauge has also focused on advocacy in the securities industry as a whole, aiming to strike a balance between protecting investors and providing access to capital that new startups and enterprises need to thrive. His investments have also been about giving back, with the creation of a charitable foundation that, together with Olympia employees, has donated millions of dollars to local charities.
Dean Bottomley
2025 Distinguished Alumni Award
Architectural Technologies '02
President and Owner, Dean Thomas Design Group
Dean Bottomley's award-winning architectural design firm has humble roots, but the company he founded while working from a friend's dining room table has blossomed into an international powerhouse of luxury homes. Today, Dean Thomas Design Group is a 17-person studio renowned for its distinctive style — turning every site into an immersive architectural experience through artful structures that are far more than their component wood, stone, glass and steel. And, after transforming the luxury residential landscape in his hometown, Bottomley is expanding his reach — nearly half of the 30 multimillion-dollar homes his firm designs each year are for clients across North America.
- 2024 — Terrance Malkinson (Bachelor of Applied Information Systems Technology '01, Information Technology Professional '99)
- 2023 — Janice Krissa-Moore (Business Administration '98)
- 2022 — Linda Olsen (Cinema, TV, Stage and Radio '88)
- 2021 — Shelley Kuipers (Petroleum Engineering Technology '87)
- 2021 — Mike Lamacchia (Emergency Medical Technology Paramedic '90)
- 2019 — Deanna Burgart (Chemical Engineering Technology '00)
- 2019 — Trevor Lamb (Petroleum Engineering Technology '97)
- 2018 — Connie De Sousa (Professional Cooking '00)
- 2018 — Ryan Scott (Business Administration '01)
- 2017 — Victor Buffalo (Chemical Technology '64)
- 2017 — David Sartorelli (Emergency Medical Technology Paramedic '82)
- 2016 — Jennifer Carlson (Business Administration '99)
- 2016 — Lorenzo Donadeo (Welding Engineering Technology '77)
- 2015 — Tom Sampson (Emergency Medical Technology Paramedic '85)
- 2014 — Stephen Harke (Avionics Technology '89)
- 2014 — Paul Rogalski (Professional Cooking '86)
- 2013 — Joanne Johnson (Cinema, TV, Stage and Radio '82)
- 2012 — Doug Ramsay (Petroleum Engineering Technology '77)
- 2011 — Dennis Chorney (Petroleum Engineering Technology '75)
- 2011 — Norma Carroll (Honorary Distinguished Alumni)
- 2010 — Pat Morrow (Journalism '73)
- 2009 — Tom Mauro (Carpenter '77)
- 2008 — Al Browne (Hotel and Restaurant Management '72)
- 2007 — Keith MacPhail (Petroleum Engineering Technology '81)
- 2006 — Bev Longstaff (Engineering Graphics Technology '78)
- 2005 — Clayton Carroll (Automotive Service Technology '40)
- 2004 — Al Short (Bachelor of Applied Technology Petroleum Engineering '99)
- 2003 — Heather Culbert (Computer Technology '79)
- 2002 — Murray Cobbe (Petroleum Engineering Technology '70)
- 2001 — Paul Caney (Cinema, TV, Stage and Radio '89)
- 2001 — Frank Duffin (Heavy Duty Mechanic '68)
- 2001 — Bill Hartman (Petroleum Engineering Technology '66)
- 2000 — Erich Binder (Building Mechanical Systems '74)
- 2000 — Roger Jarvis (Honorary Distinguished Alumni)
- 1999 — Don Gray (Building Mechanical Systems '71)
- 1999 — David Johnson (Petroleum Engineering Technology '76)
- 1999 — Hank Swartout (Petroleum Engineering Technology '72)
- 1998 — Doug Currie (Merchandising Administration '70)
- 1998 — Doug Fraser (Industrial Instrumentation '54)
- 1998 — Jay Westman (Business Skills '84)
- 1996 — Mel Svendsen (Automotive Service Technology '68)
- 1995 — Stan Grad (Petroleum Engineering Technology '67)
- 1994 — Ed Tickles (Electrical Engineering Technology '60)
- 1993 — Syd Loeppky (Surveying and Mapping Technology '65)
- 1992 — Dorothy Lawrence (Dental Assisting '80)
- 1991 — Gary Sawkins (Computer Technology '69)
- 1990 — Hugh Craig (Industrial Electronics Technology '30)
- 1989 — Ken King (Emergency Medical Technology Paramedic '82)
- 1988 — Art Dixon (Wireless Operator '42)
Nadine Niba
2025 Outstanding Young Alumni Award
Bachelor of Applied Business Administration — Accounting '16
Alberta Regional Risk Advisory Services Leader, BDO Canada
Numbers have always been central to Nadine Niba's life — back home in Cameroon, her parents enrolled her in a specialized accounting program at the tender age of 9 — but her decision to move to Canada hasn't always added up. Her dream of earning a Chartered Professional Accountant designation involved an incredible journey of struggle and hardship, one she used to mentor hundreds of immigrants in similar situations. Receiving a CPA Alberta Early Achievement Award for her exceptional service to the profession and the community inspired Niba to write Quarterback: An Immigrant's Guide to Corporate North America, which became an Amazon Canada bestseller within 24 hours of its launch in June 2025.
Zak Madell
2025 Outstanding Young Alumni Award
Architectural Technologies '19
Accessibility advocate and four-time Paralympian
Zak Madell was 16 years old in 2011 when he jumped into a rugby chair for the first time. Within a single year, he took home a silver medal at the London Paralympics with the Canadian National Wheelchair Rugby Team. Fourteen years, four Paralympics, and multiple medals later, Madell recently retired from the game he still loves. Today, he continues to mentor and coach young athletes, encouraging people to try adaptive sports. He's also taking what he learned while competing in more than 30 countries around the world and working toward a future focused on accessible design that makes spaces better for everyone.
- 2024 — Shelby Banera (Bachelor of Business Administration — Financial Services '21)
- 2024 — Tyler Carr (Radio, Television and Broadcast News '15)
- 2023 — Tejeshwar Grewal (Bachelor of Applied Technology Petroleum Engineering '18)
- 2023 — Danielle Murrison (Architectural Technologies '17)
- 2022 — Kyle Bukauskas (Radio, Television and Broadcast News '13)
- 2022 — Madeleine MacDonald (Hospitality Management '14)
- 2021 — Doug Braden (Mechanical Engineering Technology '11)
- 2019 — Gursh Bal (Electrician '16)
- 2019 — Kai Fahrion (Electrician '15)
- 2018 — Jenn Dalen (Radio, Television and Broadcast News '12)
- 2017 — Avree Bujaczek (Bachelor of Science in Construction Project Management '15)
- 2017 — Albert Myles Mejia (Business Administration '14, Aircraft Structures Technician '10)
- 2017 — Nicky Nash (Business Administration '08)
- 2016 — Levi Kuta (Mechanical Design Technology '12)
- 2016 — Ron Tarrant (Radio, Television and Broadcast News '08)
- 2016 — Josh Traptow (Administrative Information Management '11)
- 2015 — Sarah Erasmus (Digital Graphics Communication '10)
- 2015 — Matt Watterworth (Film and Video Production '08)
- 2014 — Rosalyn Ediger (Professional Cooking '05)
- 2014 — Adam Loria (Emergency Medical Technology Paramedic '05)
- 2014 — Catherine Oshanek (Journalism '05)
- 2013 — Cristi Adams (Geomatics Engineering Technology '10)
- 2012 — Des Nwaerondu (Business Administration '06)
- 2011 — Shiva Jahanshah (Cinema, TV, Stage and Radio '03)
- 2010 — Matt Squires (Hotel and Restaurant Management '01)
- 2009 — Smita Acharyya (Cinema, TV, Stage and Radio '00)
Lynda Holden
2025 Clarence Hollingworth Alumni Employee Award of Excellence
Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Technology '93
Dean, SAIT School of Transportation and School of Manufacturing and Automation
Lynda Holden is used to being the only woman in the room — or the hangar. A member of the Alberta Métis Nation and a pioneer in the field of aviation, she worked in industry before returning to SAIT in 2006 as an instructor. Over the next two decades, she navigated her way to becoming Dean of the School of Transportation and the School of Manufacturing and Automation, overseeing approximately 4,500 students and leading a staff of 230. Today, Holden's focus is on positioning SAIT as a leader and working with industry to ensure graduates are confident when they walk into the hangar, shop or boardroom for the first time.
- 2024 — Janis Rapchuk (Library Information Technology '95)
- 2023 — Cindy Humphries (Medical Radiologic Technology '05)
- 2019 — Richard Stroobant (Cinema, Television, Stage & Radio)
- 2024 — Matko Papic (Mechanical Engineering Technology '99)
- 2023 — Roger Haddad (Automotive Service Technical '07)
About the Alumni Awards
Introduced in 1988, the Alumni Awards are presented annually by SAIT and recognize the outstanding achievements of SAIT graduates.
SAIT is proud to recognize graduates - community builders, innovators and leaders in their industries - who are making an impact in the community, on the national stage and worldwide.
Awards categories and criteria
Established in 1988, the Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes a SAIT graduate who demonstrates:
- proven leadership skills
- exceptional achievements in business or industry
- outstanding contributions to the community
- a history of support for SAIT.
Established in 2009, the Outstanding Young Alumni Award recognizes a SAIT graduate who:
- has graduated from SAIT in the last ten years and is 35 years or younger
- has proven leadership skills
- exhibits exceptional achievements in their field of endeavour
- demonstrates outstanding contributions to the community.
Introduced in 2023, the International Impact Alumni Award recognizes a SAIT graduate who:
- has demonstrated a positive impact on SAIT’s reputation as a global education leader
- has exhibited exceptional achievements internationally and/or
- has demonstrated outstanding contributions in bringing positive global perspectives to SAIT and its surrounding community.
Established in 2019, the Clarence Hollingworth Alumni Employee Award of Excellence is awarded to a SAIT graduate who:
- is a SAIT staff or faculty member at the time of nomination
- has made a demonstrative and positive impact in the SAIT community through their work
- exemplifies a high level of excellence, professionalism and personal commitment to SAIT’s mission and core values, and
- embodies a spirit of enthusiasm and pride in being a graduate working at SAIT.
Please review the following exclusions before completing your nomination:
- self-nominations will not be considered in any award category
- current SAIT faculty and staff will not be considered for the SAIT Distinguished Alumni, International Impact Alumni or Outstanding Young Alumni Awards; however, Staff and faculty will be considered for the Clarence Hollingworth Alumni Employee Award of Excellence
- current serving Members of the Board of Governors or serving politicians at any level of government will not be considered for the SAIT Alumni Awards.
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Contact us
SAIT Alumni
AA305, Heritage Hall, SAIT Main Campus
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Phone - 403.284.7010
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Phone - 1.888.284.8399
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Email - alumni@sait.ca
Oki, Âba wathtech, Danit'ada, Tawnshi, Hello.
SAIT is located on the traditional territories of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) and the people of Treaty 7 which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina and the Îyârhe Nakoda of Bearspaw, Chiniki and Goodstoney.
We are situated in an area the Blackfoot tribes traditionally called Moh’kinsstis, where the Bow River meets the Elbow River. We now call it the city of Calgary, which is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta.