UWindsor will confer degrees on nearly 1,000 graduating students during two sessions of the University’s 98th Convocation ceremonies Saturday, October 13, at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. in the St. Denis Centre, College and California Avenues.
Donald Walker, president of Magna International, will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree and will address Convocation at the 10 .a.m. session and Jenny V. Coco, president of Coco Paving Inc., will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree and will address Convocation at the 3 p.m. session.
Donald Walker. |
As CEO and member of the board of directors for Magna International, a $29 billion global automotive supplier that designs, develops and manufactures components and systems for the world’s leading automakers, Walker oversees all aspects of the company’s global operations.
Walker graduated from the University of Waterloo with a bachelor’s of science in mechanical engineering and spent seven years at General Motors in various engineering and manufacturing positions. He is a founding member of the Yves Landry Advisory Foundation, which promotes the value of technical education and is past chair of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association and remains active in industry activities.
In July 2002, Walker became co-chair of the newly formed Canadian Automotive Partnership Council with the federal and provincial governments, in order to identify both short- and long-term priorities to help ensure the future health of Canada’s automotive industry.
Coco (MBA 1985), is CEO of Coco Paving Inc., a division of the Coco Group of Companies. She oversees the daily management of its Canadian and US operations and is largely responsible for the negotiation of acquisitions and company expansions. She is a liaison for private-public partnerships for the development of highway infrastructure in Ontario as well as the expansion of residential and commercial divisions of the company.
Coco has been a member of the University of Windsor’s Board of Governors, the Federal Business Development Bank of Canada and was a member of the Integrated Financial Planning Committee for the Diocese of London. She has served on the executive committee of the board of directors for the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, was a coordinator for the Institute of Canadian Bankers, was co-chair of the Essex Region Conservation Authority’s It’s Our Nature campaign and is an alumna of Pi Beta Phi Sorority.
The Fall Convocation schedule begins at 10 a.m., Saturday, October 13, at 10 a.m., when degrees will be conferred on the graduating classes in the Faculty of Engineering; Faculty of Nursing; Faculty of Science; and Inter-Faculty Programs.
At the 3 p.m. session, degrees will be conferred on the graduating classes in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences; Faculty of Education; Faculty of Human Kinetics; the Odette School of Business, and the Faculty of Law.