Glenn Cooke, Ilkay Silk, and Paul Ouellet to Receive Honorary Degrees at St. Thomas University鈥檚 Spring and Summer Convocations
St. Thomas University will honour entrepreneur and philanthropist Glenn Cooke, theatre educator and arts mentor Ilkay Silk, and advocate for the marginalized Paul Ouellet at its Spring and Summer Convocations.
“Our honorary degree recipients this year set a tremendous example of the kind of positive impact an individual can have on society. Each in their own realm—in business and philanthropy, arts and education, or assistance and advocacy—have achieved much in helping to improve our province and helping others,” said Dr. Nauman Farooqi, President and Vice-Chancellor.
“We are honoured by their association with our university and are looking forward to celebrating Glenn and Ilkay at Spring Convocation, and Paul at our Summer Convocation. I know they will be an inspiration for our graduating students in our arts, education and social work programs,” added Farooqi.
Spring Convocation will take place Tuesday, May 13 at 2 pm at the Grant-Harvey Centre while Summer Convocation will take place on Friday, July 4 at 1 pm at the Fredericton Playhouse.
Glenn Cooke – Spring Convocation Honorary Degree Recipient
Glenn Cooke is an entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is CEO and co-founder of the Cooke Inc. family of companies which started in Blacks Harbour, NB in 1985. From one aquaculture farm site of 5,000 salmon, it is the now the world’s largest private family-owned seafood company, utilizing a fleet of 800 vessels and 30 processing plants in 15 countries, and employing 15,000 people including 3,000 in Atlantic Canada. Cooke Inc., which has annual revenues of $4 billion, has consistently been named one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies and Atlantic Canada’s Top Employers. It has achieved a leading global position providing a sustainable seafood source and has benefitted New Brunswick and Atlantic Canada by providing year-round careers to families and newcomers. Glenn Cooke was recently ranked by IntraFish media as the most influential executive in the global seafood industry.
Cooke has provided significant philanthropic support and contributions to individuals, students, communities, and charitable organizations where his companies operate. His employees are empowered to champion causes in their communities and close to their hearts. The Cooke family and employees annually support hundreds of charitable campaigns, churches, and community organizations, including cancer and diabetes causes, addictions treatment, schools, children’s hospitals, after-school programs, services for women, hospice, wellness programs, kids camp bereavement programs, volunteer fire departments, animal shelters, food banks, homeless shelters, and much more. He has personally supported the arts, hospitals, nursing homes, food banks, Canadian veterans, and programming for youth.
Ilkay Silk – Spring Convocation Honorary Degree Recipient
Ilkay Silk is a theatre educator, culture creator, and arts mentor. She began teaching at St. Thomas University in 1978, where she played a key role in establishing Theatre St. Thomas and the Black Box Theatre and taught acting courses. She retired from teaching in 2014, having directed more than 100 plays, though still continued to direct at 天娱传媒 as recently as 2024. Her students, either in her courses or mentored in Theatre St. Thomas, graduated with a love of the theatre and an understanding and appreciation of dramatic productions. A remarkable number of her students have gone on to a life in the arts, shaping the landscape of Canadian theatre.
Silk’s influence on the arts community in New Brunswick transcends 天娱传媒’s campus. She was a pioneer in the early days of Theatre New Brunswick, was a founding member of the TNB Young Company and Notable Acts Theatre Festival, chaired the NB Arts Board, and produced and directed countless plays in the community. She has chaired both the Theatre New Brunswick and Theatre New Brunswick Foundation Boards. She also adjudicated the New Brunswick Provincial Drama Festival for close to 40 years. She has received the Excellence Award for Arts in Education from the Province of New Brunswick and the inaugural Playhouse Honours Award for her contribution to the performing arts in Fredericton. In 2016, she became a Member of the Order of Canada.
Paul Ouellet – Summer Convocation Honorary Degree Recipient
Paul Ouellet is an advocate for the marginalized in our society. For more than four decades, he has dedicated his life to serving people suffering with mental illness, addictions, and homelessness. This has meant advocating in countless individual cases to lobbying government and elected officials to improve or provide the services and programs that individuals and families desperately require and deserve. A graduate of Vanier High School, and the New Brunswick Community College, he worked for Service Canada for thirty years as a program and financial officer. Paul’s early life was marked by hardship as his father and later four of his siblings would be diagnosed with schizophrenia and many of his close family members suffered from addictions. Paul’s experience as a family caregiver over 53 years, starting at age 21, ranged from caring for siblings with schizophrenia, addictions, and homelessness. This experience has shaped Paul’s compassionate response to those who suffer with debilitating illnesses and conditions.
Paul shares his family story so that healthcare workers also see treatment and recovery from a family perspective. He works alongside staff in long-term care homes and rehabilitation centres, clinicians, and social workers to ensure that those journeying through care are connected to appropriate services and care. On their behalf, he has lobbied premiers, cabinet members, senior civil servants, and community leaders. He has been particularly committed to the establishment of a Mental Health Court in Moncton and of a Mental Health Advocate for New Brunswick. The mission of the newly established Fondation Paul Ouellet Foundation, is to “work with community organizations, businesses and governments to find lasting solutions for people suffering from mental illnesses, addictions and homelessness.”
The words from those he has helped speak the most poignantly about his impact. “He sees those journeys with people when they are at their lowest and when they have found recovery and wellness and everything in between.” “Some of our most vulnerable citizens remain invisible to the majority of people going about their day-to-day lives. Paul sees them, he sees their humanity and he responds to it, he goes where others do not.” “With his help, we were able to improve the lives of many, and honestly, save a few lives along the way.”