Algonquin celebrates big group of retiring employees

Smiles were all around as a multitude of college staff members who decided to retire through the Voluntary Retirement Incentive program attended a special reception at the college on March 29.

Aubrey Rosa, one of the retirees, acted as a counsellor at the college for several years.

When asked why she thought it was time to move on, Rosa chuckled before saying it was time for her to fully enjoy life.

“You know, I just don’t want to give too much of my life to my work; I just want to make sure I have enough life for my real life,” Rosa said with a grin.

For police foundations professor Judy Manherz, the VRI program will allow her to spend more time on her other interests.

“For me, I love what I’m doing, the job here has been wonderful and I’ve loved the students over the years, but I just think it’s time for me to expand on other things,” Manherz said.

After giving a speech at the start of the reception, Algonquin’s vice-president of human resources, Diane McCutcheon, told the Times that the opportunity to bring everyone together was important since retirement dates differ from person to person.

“People [are retiring] anywhere from the end of March right up through the end of June, so it was an opportunity to bring people together to have a celebration of their service and commitment to the college,” McCutcheon said.

Algonquin’s president, Cheryl Jensen – who’s also retiring at the end of the semester – echoed that same sentiment while adding that she hopes everyone feels appreciated.

“I was so happy to be able to give that package to our long-standing employees, I hope it makes them feel appreciated for everything they’ve done for the college for a long time,” Jensen said.

For more information on the VRI package, refer to this previous Algonquin Times article.