Record staff
A Comox Valley accountant, and a commercial broker are among Vancouver Island’s top young business and community leaders.
Kathryn Jones and Craig Rennison both received Top 20 Under 40 awards April 8 at the 2017 Business and Community Achievement Awards in Nanaimo.
Jones has worked at Presley &Partners since 2011. Rennison has been at Waypoint Insurance in Courtenay for the past two years, since returning to the Valley from Vancouver.
Jones is a North Island College bachelor of business degree alumna, chartered accountant and NIC Foundation board treasurer.
”I’m still in shock,” she said. “There are some amazing people across the Island doing incredible things. Just to be in the room with them was an honour. There aren’t a lot of opportunities in your career to be recognized for your professional and community work; this award is one of a kind.”
Jones graduated from NIC in 2011 and receiving her chartered accountant designation in 2014. She has advocated for accessible post-secondary education through the NIC Foundation ever since.
“When I was a student, I received a scholarship from the foundation and I know what a great impact it had on my life,” she said. “To be able to help students achieve academic success, better themselves and their community through education is very important to me.”
She credits the NIC Foundation board for supporting her voice and abilities.
“Not every young person is allowed the opportunity to take on such a huge role at such an important organization. Everyone on the board and at the college has been supportive of my involvement. They recognize that as an alumni and a scholarship recipient I have a diverse voice and opinion.”
Bill Parkinson, chair of NIC’s School of Business, says Jones’s focus, intelligence and generous personality served her well during her degree and her career.
“In my decade as an instructor, Kathryn is one of the best students I’ve ever shared a classroom with,” he said. “She continues to add great value to our program as a guest speaker, alumni and community member and it was my pleasure to nominate her for this award.”
Aside from her foundation role, Jones organizes charity spin-a-thon teams, mentors co-op students at her firm and as part of the Chamber of Commerce’s Global Leaders of Tomorrow Initiative ,and is active in the Comox Valley Young Professionals.
“Kathryn is an incredibly hard-working and accomplished person whose commitment to students and education extends well past graduation,” said Robert Buckley, NIC Foundation board chair. “This award is much deserved and the NIC Foundation board is lucky to have her.”
This is the second time in as many years the Business and Community Achievement Awards have recognized an NIC business alumna. In 2016, the awards recognized Jenny Deters, owner of Design Therapy Inc. (formerly Rattan Plus Home &Patio), for her work and commitment to the community.
Full circle for Rennison
Rennison is a 35-year-old born-and-raised Comox Valley product, who spent eight years in Vancouver before moving back to the Valley two years ago.
He has been in the insurance industry for his entire adult life.
“It’s a family tradition, I guess,” he said. “My great grandpa started the first brokerage in Courtenay. Then my grandpa took over, and he eventually sold to the company that it is now.”
Rennison said coming back to Courtenay was like “coming full circle” and that he’s here to stay now.
“I’m here for the rest of my life – I’ve done the Vancouver thing.”
He said the award is flattering.
“It’s now to be recognized for being a hard-working person and giving back to the community,” he said.
As for the Top 20 Under 40 concept, he said it’s a good venue for recognition in the business world.
“I think it’s great for young people to be recognized for their accomplishments. It’s also good motivation for other young leaders, to keep going forward.”
He had a few words of advice for other young and emerging business leaders.
“Just don’t be afraid to take chances. Work hard, and enjoy what you’re doing, because if you don’t enjoy it, what’s the point?”
For a complete list of 2017 award winners, visit www.20under40.ca
–With files from NIC
