Distinguished Service Awards

The enduring legacy Mark Hazlett has left on the Canadian advancement sector proves to be ever illustrious. His nomination was seeded by advancement leaders from every province, every institution type, and included a record-breaking 60+ individual recommendations. To say his career and efforts touched the minds of many, is an astounding understatement. However, if you were to ask him, in his innate modesty, he would “just be doing his job”.

Mark began in the field of advancement through various leadership roles at Queen’s University, starting in Advancement Services and finishing as the Development Liaison Officer in the Faculty of Health Sciences. He then moved to Laurentian University as Director of Development, and 2 years later was the Executive Director, Alumni & Development and the Director of Athletics.  His final move was to his alma mater the University of New Brunswick as Executive Director, Associated Alumni.

In 1993, a group of aspiring advancement leaders gathered at Queen’s University and brought together 3 organizations focussed on advancement disciplines and created an  association for advancement professionals - CCAE. Mark joined the first board of the regional group CCAE-Ontario and volunteered in many different ways until his move to UNB.  In 2008 the CCAE Board leadership made to the move to hire a full-time Executive Director to centralize all operations across Canada.  Who else was to lead this new association, the decision was unanimous, there was no better candidate than Mark Hazlett.

From 2008-2019, Mark served as the Executive Director of CCAE, and then in 2020 he became the President & CEO. His achievements, and initiatives for the sector are numerous, and there are far too many, to succinctly summarize, however his colleagues from across Canada and the USA provide a grand snapshot:

• In collaboration with board members and volunteers across the country, Mark honed and refined the vision and mission for CCAE, leading it to become the definitive hub of the Canadian advancement community, catalyzing a wide range of high value professional learning opportunities and deepening avenues for networking and connection.

“The institutions represented by CCAE, have undergone significant change in the last decade and a half: the advancement sector in particular has weathered economic recessions, a global pandemic and numerous legislative agendas that have brought unforeseen challenges, many of which require creativity and inventiveness to solve. The one constant throughout this period has been Mark’s rocksteady leadership of CCAE, which has advanced under his stewardship into a trusted source of support and guidance as we and our teams have navigated through these challenges.”
Colleagues from the Quebec Region¹

• He has mentored countless colleagues, volunteers, and new professionals. Whether they were seasoned professionals or brand new to the field, Mark’s knowledge and dedication to the sector, was always available those seeking connection, community and understanding.

“Mark has an innate talent for building a sense of team which has contributed immeasurably to a strong, welcoming and inclusive Canadian advancement community. An enduring commitment to supporting new professionals and their growth is a hallmark of Mark’s leadership, the impact of which will be felt at institutions across Canada for many years to come.”
Past Board Chairs of CCAE²

• Mark built effective partnerships with sector organizations with shared missions and goals. He deepened CCAE’s connections with Canadian organizations such as CAGP, Universities Canada, ISAP Canada, CiCan and Imagine Canada. Most impressively, Mark forged a strong and mutually beneficial relationship with CASE, resulting in a highly valuable partnership for both associations. This partnership includes the launch and implementation of the collaboratively administered CASE Insights on Philanthropy (Canada) project. This project has provided Canadian institutions with invaluable data that has been critical in enabling the measurement and benchmarking philanthropic efforts and strategies both internally, nationally and globally.

“As two organizations serving the same industry and with overlapping geographic footprints, it would be natural for there to be challenges as both associations seek to engage the same members; yet CASE and CCAE have established an environment of mutual support and collaboration thanks in no small part to Mark’s leadership.”
Sue Cunningham, President & CEO, CASE

• Mark’s focus on the value of partnerships and sponsorships has left CCAE in a tremendously strong financial shape, while raising the profile of our work, and the advancement sector as a whole, among many of the country’s leading influencers and service providers.

“Mark has left CCAE, and the Canadian advancement profession as a whole, a better place, ably positioned and ready to take our sector to the next level. We are tremendously excited about what the future holds.”
Colleagues from Atlantic Canada⁵

• Mark’s leadership steered the development of a robust professional development program at CCAE, through a multitude of in-person and online sessions. This has brought members across Canada significant avenues of opportunities for all levels of advancement professionals to develop their skill sets and build their professional networks within a Canadian context and framework.

“Through his solid, steady leadership over 15 years, he built the organization into what it is today: a values-driven association where all Canadian advancement professionals – no matter the size, type, or location of their institutions – can find the support, networking, and growth opportunities they need to do their best possible work. Mark’s practical, positive, connection-focused management style has been instrumental in making it so.”
Colleagues from the Ontario Region³

• He led the way in CCAE’s commitments to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB), Anti Racism (AR) and Truth and Reconciliation, ensuring that CCAE delivers programs, resources and services that are inclusive and representative of a diversity of experiences, languages, perspectives, interests and identities.
• Mark's commitment to the national scope of CCAE has meant that he's been a champion of regional voices and for the idea that every area of the country be well represented in key decisions and conversations. He has been a strong advocate of the importance of local specificity, and that an institution's geography and history help it make a unique contribution. His belief in the need to move beyond one-size-fits-all approaches means he was also a champion for the important but different roles that universities, colleges, independent schools, and other institutions of education need to play in the development of the Advancement profession. His convictions in this area have meant that CCAE has become a "big tent" organisation that is welcoming to all.

“This commitment to ensuring that Independent Schools had access to the same  opportunities for Professional Development as our College and University Sector peers has set CCAE apart from many like-minded organizations. We wholeheartedly appreciate and applaud the effort and extraordinary contributions to the field of educational advancement that Mark Hazlett has passionately accomplished over the last 30 years.”
Colleagues from the Independent School Sector⁷

It is with tremendous pleasure that CCAE and award supporter Manulife present Mark Hazlett with the 2024 Outstanding Achievement Award. Mark Hazlett’s remarkable career, personal and professional relationships, and passion for advancement have molded the Canadian Advancement sector to what it is today. His achievements are defined by the professionals from across this great country, and with that said we will leave their words of wisdom to showcase Mark’s ever-lasting effect on this community:

“In addition to his professional accomplishments, Mark is known for his warmth, his easy laugh, and his integrity. His leadership style is marked by transparency, humility, and a genuine concern for the wellbeing and success of others. These qualities make him not only an outstanding leader but also a fantastic colleague and I know that many of us have turned to him over the years for thoughtful advice and counsel.”
Colleagues from Western Canada⁴

“His legacy is a testament to the pivotal role he has played in shaping our field. In summary, Mark epitomizes the ideal of what the Outstanding Achievement Award is meant to recognize.”
Colleagues from the British Columbia Region⁶

“In addition to his professional accomplishments, Mark has brought a personable approach to his work, marked by integrity, transparency, humility, and a genuine warmth. It has been a pleasure working alongside Mark to build a stronger advancement community here in Canada, and while his leadership of CCAE will sorely be missed, his contributions and impact will not soon be forgotten.”
Colleagues from the Quebec Region¹

¹ Paul Chesser, Vice-President, Advancement, Concordia University; Caroline Girard, Cheffe de la Direction de la philanthropie et des relations avec les diplômés, La Fondation de l'Université Laval; Michael Pecho, Vice-recteur aux relations avec les diplômés et à la philanthropie, Université de Montréal; Jacqueline Scott, Associate Vice-Principal, Alumni Relations & Philanthropy, Bishop’s University; Marc Weinstein, Vice-President, University Advancement, McGill University

² Kathy Arney, Founder & CEO (Chief Encouragement Officer), KEA Canada Ltd.; Derek Cassoff, Managing Director, Communications, University Advancement, McGill University; Frank Lockington, Philanthropy Advisor; Jason Moreton, Vice President (External), University of Guelph; Gillian Morrison, Assistant Vice President, University Development, Division of University Advancement, University of Toronto; Jeffrey S. Todd, President and CEO, The University of New Mexico Foundation, Inc.; Mary Williams, Leadership Coach, Mary J Williams Coaching & Consulting Inc.

³ Gord Arbeau, Vice President Advancement, Niagara College Canada; Karen Bertrand, Vice-Principal (Advancement), Office of Advancement, Queen’s University; Susana Gajic Bruyea, Vice-President Advancement, York University; Jason Coolman, Vice President, Advancement & External Relations, Wilfrid Laurier University; Nenone Donaldson, Vice President, Advancement, University of Waterloo; Rivi Frankle, Interim Vice-President, University Advancement, Toronto Metropolitan University; Mike den Hann, Vice-President, External Relations, Lakehead University; Dean Hughes, Executive Director, Advancement and Alumni, Seneca College; Tracy MacLeod, Chief Advancement Officer, Office of University Advancement, Laurentian University; Rob McCulloch, Associate Vice-President, Advancement and Chief Development Officer, University of Ottawa; Karen McQuigge. Director, Alumni Engagement, McMaster University; Mark Savenkoff, Vice President, Advancement and Strategy, Algonquin College; Gillian Sneddon, Executive Director, Advancement & Alumni, Fanshawe College; Lorna Somers, Executive Director, Mohawk College Foundation; David Palmer, Vice-President, Advancement, University of Toronto; Rob Zuback, Director, Advancement and External Relations, Confederation College

⁴ James Allan, Vice-President, Advancement, University of Calgary; Derrick Turner, Vice-President, Advancement, Assiniboine community College; Melanie Rogers, Vice President, External Relations, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology; Heather Magotiaux, Vice President External Relations, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology; Jennifer Pascoe, vice-President, University Relations, Athabasca University; Danielle Dunbar, Associate Vice-President Engagement, The University of Winnipeg; Tasneem Rahim, Vice President, External, Bow Valley College; Mireille Grenier, Development Office Manager, Université Saint Boniface; Carla Eisler, Director, Advancement & Alumni Affairs, Brandon University; Kathy Greenwood, Vice-President, External Relations, University of Lethbridge; Terry Kellam, Associate vice President, Development, Mount Royal University, Vanessa Koldingnes, Vice-President, External Relations, University of Manitoba; Marc Butikofer, Executive Director, Advancement, University of Regina; Cheryl Hamelin, Vice-President, University Relations, University of Saskatchewan, Dave Harazny, Director of Development & Alumni Relations, University of Regina

⁵ Nancy Handrigan, Vice-President, Advancement, Acadia University; Sara Burke, Vice President, Development, Cape Breton University; Anna Peddle, Manager, Alumni & Advancement, College of the North Atlantic; Sheila Blair-Reid, Acting Vice-President, Advancement, Dalhousie University; Jo-Ann Campbell-Boutilier, Executive Director, College Advancement & the Holland College Foundation, Holland College CCAE Board Member (2018 - present); Penny Blackwood, Executive Director, Office of Development, Memorial University of Newfoundland; Courtney Pringle Carver, Vice-President, University Advancement, Mount Allison University; Anne Thibodeau, Manager, Philanthropy, Mount Saint Vincent University; Tom Meadus, Director of Advancement, New Brunswick Community College; Denise Green, Executive Director, Nova Scotia Community College; Kara Holm, Advancement Director, NSCAD University, CCAE Past Board Member {2005 - 2008); Erin Sargeant Greenwood, Vice-President, Advancement & External Affairs, Saint Mary's University, CCAE Board member {2018 - present); David Graham, Vice-President Advancement, St. Francis Xavier University; Jodi Misheal, Vice-President, Advancement and Alumni Relations, St. Thomas University; Jeanne Farrah, Directrice generale / Executive Director, Philanthropie et relations avec les alumni/Philanthropic and Alumni Relations, Université de Moncton; Adriane Abbott, Director, Advancement, University of King's College; Jeff Wright, Executive Director, Development and Donor Relations, University of New Brunswick; Myrtle Jenkins-Smith, Executive Director, Development and Alumni, University of Prince Edward Island

⁶ Natalie Cook Zywicki, Associate Vice-President/Executive Director, alumni UBC, The University of British Columbia; Erin Morantz, Vice-President, Advancement and Alumni Engagement, Simon Fraser University; Paul McCullough, Senior Business Advisor and Independent Director, Former Interim President and Vice-President Advancement (retired), British Columbia Institute of Technology; Lindsey Fair, Associate Vice-President, University Communications and Marketing, University of Victoria

⁷ Hallie McClelland, CFRE, Director of Advancement, Kingsway College School, President, ISAP Canada; Doug Mann, Executive Director, Philanthropy & Alumni, Trinity College School, Former Director, CCAE; Genevieve Delaquis, CFRE, Director of Philanthropy, Balmoral Hall School, Former President, ISAP Canada; Angela Dudek, CFRE, Executive Director for Advancement, St. John’s School, Former President, ISAP Canada; Nic Carhart, Senior Development Manager, Philanthropy & Community Engagement, Rothesay Netherwood School, Director, ISAP Canada; Christina Barwinsky, CFRE, Director of Advancement, St. John’s-Ravenscourt School, ISAP Canada

In the realm of educational advancement, Sabrina Pandolfo has emerged as an influential achiever, leaving an indelible mark on the advancement sector. Through her short time within the sector, she has shown remarkable drive, passion and dedication.

Sabrina’s career in advancement began at McGill University’s Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences as an Advancement Officer. In this role she fostered invaluable connections among Alumni, and strengthened the bonds between Alumni and academic staff. Sabrina organized 5 alumni events, played a pivotal role in leading the Faculty’s McGill24 campaign, and supported 8 student groups who participated in this annual fundraising day. Her efforts culminating in enormous success by exceeding the fundraising goal and the engagement of the alumni and donor communities.

“From the beginning, it became evident that she possessed a rare combination of dedication, strategic thinking, and an unwavering commitment to advancing the goals of the Faculty… One of the most impressive aspects of Sabrina's performance was her remarkable agility; she consistently balanced multiple projects and deadlines efficiently. As a small team of two managing the entire fundraising program for the Faculty, she significantly contributed to our collective success.”
David Syncox, Senior Philanthropic Advisor, University Advancement, McGill University

From the experience gained at McGill, Sabrina then pursued a role at the Independent School, West Island College (WIC). Although she has only recently started at WIC, under the role of  Advancement Officer, her exceptional contributions and transformative impact have been nothing short of remarkable.

“I have had the privilege of witnessing Sabrina's contributions to our advancement office and WIC at large. In her short time at the school, Sabrina has demonstrated great proficiency in multitasking, strategic thinking, content production, and project management. From my experience, there is usually a deep learning curve when new employees join an organization. However, in Sabrina’s case, her integration was seamless, and her capacity to absorb new information and learn quickly was impressive.”
Derek Linetsly, Executive Director, Advancement, West Island College 

At WIC Sabrina has been effective in many areas of their advancement and fundraising initiatives. She assists in supporting their annual plan, by managing fundraising campaigns and coordinating associated events. Additionally, she manages the Foundation’s donor recognition and stewardship programs, and to great effect has managed from end-to-end their gift processing operations, including imperative reports and reconciliation to ensure financial accuracy.

In all of her recent efforts, the team at WIC is extremely grateful for her phenomenal capabilities, and genuine care for her work. This extraordinary passion to keep growing and increase impact both to her colleagues and to the WIC community has set her on a path for the upmost success.

It is with great pleasure that CCAE, and Rising Star Award Supporter Blackbaud, present Sabrina with this well-deserved accolade.

It is said that the path to a career in Advancement is often marked by unique twists of fate and serendipity. Kari-Jane Roze's path is no exception, and as fortunate as she feels to have discovered her calling in Advancement, New Brunswick Community College (NBCC) is equally fortunate to have her.

Formerly an Executive Assistant to the President and CEO, at NBCC, Kari-Jane brought a unique skill set that proved invaluable in her new position of Advancement Support at the college. Despite the initial perception of a disconnect between executive support and Advancement, Kari-Jane demonstrated the transferable competencies of organizational prowess, diplomacy, professionalism, and senior-level relationship management.

“It became immediately clear that Kari-Jane was embracing the advancement discipline. She has foresight and an ability to see through a donor lens rarely seen in professionals with similar tenure. She has what is best described as constructive dissatisfaction. At a time of significant growth and success, it is easy to rest on that, but Kari-Jane is focused on looking deeper for continuous improvement. She has a keen sense of potential pitfalls. While the department was focusing on fundraising, her focus went to stewardship and donor retention.”
Tom Meadus, Director of Advancement, New Brunswick Community College

Her remarkable achievements and contributions since joining the Advancement team have exceeded expectation. As the team prepared for the College's inaugural fundraising campaign, Kari-Jane's talents shone through. Amid the challenges of an inaugural campaign and a small team, she took on a diverse array of responsibilities, from pledge fulfillment to establishing new student awards and ensuring seamless collaboration between the college and the foundation office.

Highlighting her instrumental role in NBCC's first capital campaign success, Jenny Forestell, Senior Executive Assistant to the Board of Governors, commends Kari's commitment:

“At our recent campaign kick-off event, I remember thinking Kari had found her niche at NBCC as the work she is doing with our Advancement Team speaks to her strengths. I can see she is a valuable member of the team and I believe she has played an integral role in the success of NBCC’s first capital campaign - I am proud of her accomplishments. Kari is a committed team player and is motivated by supporting NBCC students for success as well as understanding the importance of maintaining authentic donor relations.”

Kari-Jane's impact extended to donor engagement, where her keen insights led to the development of effective methods for capturing student testimonies and expressions of gratitude. The result was a significant increase in donor engagement. Thank-you cards for bursaries, which were initially at 35%, rose to an impressive 90% of awards. Incorporating photo and video messages further elevated the engagement, resulting in an additional $250,000 in bursary funds from inspired donors.

Valérie Roy, Executive Director, provides further insight into Kari-Jane's impact on the Advancement Department:

“As I see it, Kari-Jane is a no nonsense, get the job done type in the best way possible, and let’s help as many students as possible, kind of person. Which is exactly what is needed as we continue to mould the Foundation and our relationship with the NBCC Advancement team. To top that off, she also fully supports my philosophy that to help the students, the young and older adults about to enter or return to the workforce, they need to do their part and apply to the bursary program, filling the form correctly and on time. This translates into finding ways to educate, inform and guide the students so they can in turn step up and do the necessary. Now imagine, with the student demographic as vast as it is, it means different strategies are needed to reach them. Creating these strategies, generating those ideas, calls for creativity, teamwork, assessment abilities, the humility to try and adjust, a comprehension of ALL the nuances and a level-headed approach. Those are necessary attributes that she displays.”

Beyond her professional achievements, Kari-Jane's commitment to student success is evident in her willingness to check in and address student inquiries during evenings and weekends. Her passion for the advancement field propelled her to seek stretch assignments, testing her fundraising talents. Remarkably, she successfully closed several gifts, generating over $100,000 in contributions last year - a testament to her flourishing potential.

Kari-Jane's dedication to self-development and personal growth is noteworthy. In addition to completing multiple external courses in fundraising and donor relations, she enrolled in NBCC's Management Academy Program for emerging leaders. Outside of NBCC, she is the proud mother of two children, and is an active community volunteer for Meals-on-Wheels and previously volunteered with the Fredericton Youth Hockey Association.

It is evident that Kari-Jane is a shining example of excellence in the Advancement field. Her impact on the success of NBCC's first fundraising campaign, coupled with her dedication to personal and professional growth, positions her as a standout recipient of the 2024 CCAE Rising Star Award. CCAE and award supporter Blackbaud are proud to provide this accomplishment to Kari-Jane, and what will undoubtably be a very bright and long-standing advancement career.

With initial beginnings in advancement through student recruitment, admissions & advising at the University of King’s College, Emma Sutro has sky-rocketed with exceptional trajectory at Dalhousie University’s Office of Advancement. Her career at Dalhousie began as a Donor Relations Coordinator, followed by being quickly promoted to Donor Relations Officer, and most recently in 2023, she took on the role of Donor Relations Manager. Her leadership, and performance speaks volumes about her commitment to excellence and the advancement profession.

One of Emma's most significant achievements at Dalhousie centers around a cross-campus donor relations initiative that touched every Faculty within the institution. Conducting a thorough audit of all Faculty-based stewardship activities, Emma meticulously documented each department's efforts in donor acknowledgments, recognition, events, publications, storytelling, and student award thank-you processes. The resulting comprehensive report has become an invaluable resource for the central Donor Relations team, enhancing their ability to serve diverse partners across campus.

Although suited with a plethora of strengths, the one that stands out most is in her innovative, digital-first approach to stewardship. Collaborating with content creators across the Dal campus, Emma played a pivotal role in creating impact-driven stewardship videos. These videos, viewed by thousands of donors, consistently surpassed industry standards in open and click-through rates. Emma's expertise in platforms like ThankView and Wibbitz has elevated donor engagement, with one campaign boasting an impressive 98% open rate and a 46.9% click-through rate.

Feedback yielded from this initiative was outstanding, with one donor responding: “This has to be one of the nicest ‘thank yous’ we have received for this award. [The student’s] message was very heartfelt and sincere. So great.”

Within all of her roles, Emma's relationship-building skills are extraordinary, and she utilises these assets to further the culture of philanthropy within the university. In her previous connections with faculty she provided steady leadership and positive influence, to ensure Faculty partners had the necessary tools and expertise to steward donors. Her diplomacy and tact facilitated a smooth transition during recent changes in titles and job descriptions for these partners, placing greater emphasis on Faculty-based donor relations. Emma used her management skills to ensure a smooth transition for those serving in these roles.

“It is a challenging circumstance to serve as a leader and positive influence for a subset of colleagues who do not report to you, but Emma has overcome this challenge with diplomacy and tact – a credit to her relationship-building abilities.”
Carrie Flood, Director, Donor Relations & Jon Bruhm, Manager, Donor Relation, Dalhousie University

“Collaborating with her many Faculty partners, Emma has helped to reinforce a culture of philanthropy, with an emphasis on the importance of donor stewardship. She is resourceful, respectful, and her positive energy helps to bring out the best in her colleagues.”
Victoria Hamilton, Senior Director of Development, & Cheryl Bell, Communications Manager, Faculty of Dentistry, Dalhousie University

Outside of her career, Emma’s commitment extends whole-heartedly within volunteer roles. She has served as a judge for CCAE’s Prix d’Excellence award program, and since 2018 she has served as an English Language tutor for a new Canadians learning program that is facilitated through the Halifax Public Library. This community dedication both within the advancement sector and externally showcases her enthusiastic and altruistic nature.

Within the Dalhousie community, Emma serves on the Training and Development subcommittee of the Anti-Black Racism Working Group - Where she works to identify opportunities to equip colleagues with tools and strategies to identify and prevent racial discrimination, microaggressions and exclusions. The group also provides training to colleagues on the historical context of race and racism in Nova Scotia and its ongoing impact. From 2020 – 2022, Emma also served as a member of the Sexualized Violence Committee, which has a goal of creating a safer work environment for colleagues and addressing sexualized harassment and violence in the fundraising sector.

These contributions to EDIB, and more, exemplifies Emma’s passion for actively contributing to fostering respect, and addressing critical issues within the educational sector.

The attributes and passion summarised above don’t come naturally to everyone - especially at such an early stage in their career. For Emma’s aptitude, leadership, and outstanding commitment, it is the honour of CCAE and Rising Star Award supporter Blackbaud, to provide her with this prestigious accolade in recognition of her accomplishments.