COCA Awards for Outstanding Achievement

 On June 15, 2023, COCA recognized outstanding contributions to improving the Ontario construction industry. These prestigious awards were bestowed at a June 14^th ceremony at The Crowne Plaza Hotel in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

The award recipients represent a range of disciplines, but they share a commitment to excellence and a determination to shape a positive future for our industry and our province.

COCA Construction Hard Hat Award

Conceived by our Past Chair, Gary van Bolderen, The Construction Hard Hat Award is awarded to individuals who do something remarkable to advance the construction industry’s interests.

• Ted Dreyer is a partner at the firm Madorin, Snyder LLP. He practices construction law, insurance law, and municipal liability defence. Ted is the past Chair of the Board of Directors of the Grand Valley Construction Association.  He serves as a director on the Board and Executive Committee of the Council of Ontario Construction Associations (COCA).  Ted is also the chair of COCA’s Construction Act Task Force. 

  In 2022 COCA launched a Prompt Payment awareness campaign spearheaded by Ted.  As part of the campaign, Ted put together fact sheets and advocated for and led the social media campaign.

• Glenn Ackerley is the Chair of the Construction Practice Group at WeirFoulds. His practice is focused on construction law, construction liens and construction litigation. Glenn is active in the industry, participating on boards, committees and working groups to support and improve the industry.

  Glenn sits on the National Advisory Council of the Canadian Construction Association and is a past member of its Board of Directors and a Past Chairman of the Board of the Toronto Construction Association. He sat on the Executive of the Construction Section of the Ontario Bar Association for many years and, most recently, has been a member of the Expert Panel’s Advisory Group on changes to Ontario’s Construction Lien Act.

Industry Ally Award

COCA’s Industry Ally Award is presented to individuals outside the COCA federation who have contributed significantly to the construction industry’s success or improvements to Ontario’s industry environment. The 2023 recipients are:

• Dean Dunn retired in the spring of 2023 after a 38-year construction, safety, management and stakeholder relations career.
• Joe Maloney is the founder and recently retired Executive Director of Helmets to Hardhats.

The Chair’s Award

Given at the discretion of the COCA Chair, this award recognizes those who have made extraordinary contributions to the success of our provincial federation. Chair Romeo Milano presented the award to:

• Mike Carter, Executive Director of the London and District Construction Association.
• Don Marks, Executive Director of the Ontario Industrial Roofing Contractors Association.
• Jeff Koller, Director of Government and Labour Relations for the Interior Systems Contractors Association of Ontario

The President’s Award

Presented at the discretion of the President, the President’s Award recognizes the outstanding contributions made by a member association or by a staff member of a member association to the success of COCA in any or all aspects of its business.  This year, the COCA President Ian Cunningham presented the award to:

• Tom Mackay, Director of Health and Safety for the Electrical Contractors Association of Ontario.