A 1990 graduate from Cambrian's journalism program, and a Cambrian scholar, is this year's recipient of the Cambrian College Alumni Award. Patricia Mills, publisher of Northern Ontario Business, began her career covering various news beats for Northern Life community newspaper in Sudbury, during which time she also reported regionally and nationally for the CBC and had her work published in the Toronto Star.
Mills enjoyed a seven-year career with Northern Life, first as a student and then as a full-time employee. During this period she won numerous national and provincial newspaper writing awards. Most notable were her two, first-place newspaper awards for a series of stories from Turkey and Iraq during the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War.
She moved to Northern Life's sister publication, Northern Ontario Business, in 1995 as a reporter. A year later, she was promoted to news editor and then managing editor. In the year 2000, she was promoted to publisher, the position she holds today.
Mills has influenced and made many positive contributions professionally and personally. She was the catalyst behind NOB's successful launch of the Influential Women of Northern Ontario Awards program; is a member of the board of the Northern Ontario Business Awards; is a member of the Area Association of Business Publications; and is a member of the parent council of Carl A. Nesbitt Public School in Sudbury. As publisher of Northern Ontario Business, she is a member of the chambers of commerce for Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay, Sudbury and Thunder Bay.
Mills has maintained an association with Cambrian over the years. She taught issues in contemporary society in the journalism program at Cambrian College in 2000 and 2001, and is a member of Cambrian's journalism program advisory committee.
The award recognizes Cambrian alumni who have exhibited outstanding contributions to Cambrian College and to society through professional excellence and extraordinary service to education.
