Collège Boréal renews Daniel Giroux’s mandate as president and celebrates staff excellence

Today, Collège Boréal staff across Ontario gathered to celebrate the achievements of the 2024–2025 academic year. During the event, which included the annual Awards of Excellence in four staff categories, Board of Governors Chair Linda Dugas announced that Daniel Giroux’s mandate as president of the Franco-Ontarian post-secondary institution has been renewed.

Daniel Giroux begins third term as president

Following a unanimous decision by the Collège Boréal Board of Governors, Daniel Giroux will begin his third term as president in September. Since his reappointment in 2020, Giroux has successfully led the institution through a global health crisis and ongoing financial uncertainty in the post-secondary sector.

Thanks to his forward-looking vision and efforts to diversify Boréal’s activities in areas such as employment, immigration services, and research, the College’s budget has more than doubled during his tenure—reaching approximately $152 million in 2025. Boréal’s eight campuses across Ontario have also grown, particularly in Ottawa, Toronto, West Nipissing, Timmins, Kapuskasing, and Windsor, where they now offer programs at the bachelor’s level and have strengthened their services, notably in the areas of equity, diversity, inclusion, and Indigenous relations.

In January, Giroux was awarded the highest distinction from the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario: FCPA, FCGA.

Collège Boréal Awards of Excellence

Support staff: Alain Larabie

A member of the Marketing and Advertising team, Alain Larabie applies his wide-ranging expertise to one of Collège Boréal’s most important tools for visibility and operations: its website. Known across the institution but often working behind the scenes, he juggles the needs of all sectors across Boréal’s 34 sites in 27 communities. He also teaches part-time and supports the digital literacy of staff through numerous tutorials he has developed.

Academic staff: Kristy Beadman and Mimoza Tulina

A full-time professor since 2010, Kristy Beadman has played a key role in the evolution of English language instruction at Collège Boréal. To better support international students, she has worked with several teams to develop innovative tools and courses that make English learning more accessible. A board member of the College Association for Language and Literacy (CALL), she also coordinates the Pre-Health Sciences program, where she oversees more than 100 students each year.

As a mental health and accessibility counsellor at the Toronto campus, Mimoza Tulina is known for her empathy, professionalism, and dedication to student well-being. Providing respectful, personalized support to each student, she listens with compassion and has a lasting impact on those she helps. Committed to staying current in her field, she has served on numerous provincial and national committees, including the Réseau des cégeps et des collèges francophones du Canada (Canada’s network of Francophone colleges and CEGEPs).

Administrative staff: Danne Lafontaine

As Project Officer for Research and Innovation Boréal, the College’s research office, Danne Lafontaine embodies the values of Boréal’s 2025–2030 strategic plan. Attuned to the ethical considerations and rigour required for the projects she manages, she consistently demonstrates collaboration, commitment, passion, accountability, respect, and openness. Skilled at managing complex files and seeing them through, Danne is a cheerful ambassador of the Boréal spirit.

Temporary staff: Valérie Breen

Known for launching a wide range of student-focused initiatives, Valérie Breen continues to raise Collège Boréal’s profile and reinforce its reputation as an innovative institution. She developed leadership camps now integrated into the Fitness and Health Promotion (SPOR) program and was a pioneer of the “Run to Remember” initiative in support of first responders living with post-traumatic stress disorder. A graduate of the Paramedic and SPOR programs, she has been teaching in both for over ten years.

Years of service recognition

Each year, Collège Boréal honours staff members who reach service milestones in five-year increments. Between July 1, 2024, and December 31, 2025, the following individuals will be marking service anniversaries:

5 years of service

10 years of service

15 years of service

20 years of service

25 years of service

30 years of service

Retirements

As they head into a well-earned retirement, Collège Boréal extends its heartfelt thanks to Karine Boucquillon, Andréa Boyce, Marcel Bradley, Claudette Goulard, Marc Hébert, Kim Lagacé, Helen Lamontagne, Michel Mainville, Gisèle Mayer, Lise Timony and Francine Turcotte-Boucher for their dedication and many years of service.