Dave Samalea

Dave Samalea, Centennial's Professor/Coordinator of the Automotive and Motorcycle programs in the School of Transportation, is being honoured as one of this year's inductees into the Klaus Woerner Hall of Fame by Skills Canada - Ontario. Dave is one of nine recipients of the honour for 2010, all of whom made significant contributions to the advancement of skilled trades and technologies in the province.

Dave has toiled relentlessly to ensure both college and high-school students gain the necessary education to excel in competition and in their future trade. He has been a regular volunteer in the Skills Canada - Ontario contests in Kitchener every year, and remains a sterling ambassador for the automotive trades.

Dave has led a team of faculty and students to put together the TADA Skills Competition at the Canadian International AutoShow for the past 11 years. The hands-on competition, with the generous support of Volkswagen Canada and General Motors of Canada, is designed to showcase the motive-power skilled trades to a new generation of young people. Dave will be accompanying the Canadian student contingent to New York City in April to take on the Americans in a similar competition there.

Dave possesses 20 years of rich teaching experience complemented by 15 years of automotive trade experience garnered at a major GM dealership and several aftermarket service outlets. He has extensive experience in developing and initiating many technical skills programs, as well as assessing college curriculum. Dave is a founding member of the CITI Motive Power Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program Steering Committee.

The induction ceremony for Dave Samalea, along with the other eight honourees, will take place at the Skills Canada - Ontario "Building Futures, One Dream at a Time" fundraising gala on March 5 at Bingeman's in Kitchener. Congratulations to Dave for his wonderful award and for his outstanding contributions to the skilled-trades training he champions both here at Centennial and in the community.