A new administrator who codified a process for allocating resources for professional development at St. Lawrence College in Kingston, Ont. will receive the 2012 OCASA Emerging Leader Award.

As a new manager of Professional Development & Training, Louise Chatterton Luchuk brought together a task force from three employee groups on three campuses to review past practices in dispersing external PD funding for conferences and workshops. From the review emerged a new framework ñ a paperless process with built-in monitoring that shares learning with peers that is now in pilot implementation in preparation for final policy development.

The OCASA Emerging Leader Award, new this year, is designed to recognize administrators who have been managers for five years or less and who are influencing the college in a positive way through leadership. Evaluation is based on five areas: Initiator, Team Player, Learner, Collaborator and Community Builder.

Louise will receive the award at the OCASA Professional Development Conference June 26 at Blue Mountain Resort in Collingwood, Ont.

Beginning at the college in August 2010, Louise expanded both her mandate and staff in identifying and acting on the professional and organizational development needs that fit the strategic vision of the college. Under her guidance, the collegeís annual Learning Connections Conference designed ìto provide an opportunity for college employees to connect and collaborate by learning togetherî saw attendance grow by 54% — and more than double in administrative staff participation.

In her efforts, Louise was cited by nominators for involving staff from all three campuses and for understanding that ìyou cannot create systemic change without being a collaborator. As result, her project plans always include a consultation phase and a communication plan.î

Louiseís community building activities at St. Lawrence include participation in a variety of committees, panels, as well as a convocation volunteer, proctoring for faculty involved in distance learning graduate programs, and even as a donor.

Currently enrolled in a Masters of Arts in Educational Studies through Athabasca University, she has attended several conferences and has recently been accepted for involvement in the Association of Canadian Community College (ACCC) Leadership Development Institute.