June 27th, 2024
Commissionaires is proud to announce the 2024 Commissionaire of the Year and Supervisor of the Year.
This year’s recipients have demonstrated their dedication and professionalism, setting the standard in their respective roles. Join us in congratulating Commissionaire Patricia McCallum as Commissionaire of the Year and Master Warrant Officer Alex Chisholm as the Supervisor of the Year.
Commissionaires National Board Chair, Gord Winkel, presenting Patricia McCallum with her Commissionaire of the Year silver tray and award cheque.
From L-R: LGen (Ret’d) Mike Jeffery, Board Chair, Ottawa Division; BGen (Ret’d) Linda Colwell, Immediate Past Board Chair, Ottawa Division; Gord Winkel; National Board Chair; Cmre Patricia McCallum, Ottawa Division; and Cmdre (Ret’d) Michel Charron, CEO, Ottawa Division.
Commissionaire (Cmre) Patricia McCallum: Commissionaire of the Year (COTY)
Patricia is a commissionaire with the Ottawa Division and has been with the Corps for over six years. She works in and around the City of Ottawa as a regular on-call employee. However, in addition to local work, Patricia is trusted with unique security assignments that have taken her overseas to countries such as Japan, Tunisia, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Spain.
Patricia earned her nomination for Commissionaire of the Year due to her agility to deploy whenever and wherever she is needed. With her approach to service excellence and professional decorum, Patricia has truly set herself apart.
Patricia joined Commissionaires upon returning from Germany, where her spouse, Sergeant (Ret’d) Allan (Wayne) Cunningham, was posted with the Canadian Armed Forces. Patricia has a background in healthcare and had never previously considered a job in the security industry. However, she decided to apply after hearing about an opportunity from a friend who had a positive experience working for Commissionaires.
When asked about her initial reaction to being named Commissionaire of the Year, Patricia said: “I’m just so honoured. I feel like I do my best when I do this job and it’s nice to be recognized for doing the best I can do.”
Patricia’s calm demeanour and commitment to security and safety make her a reliable team member; this is instrumental when protecting people and property. The example she sets garners a great deal of respect and admiration from her colleagues at Ottawa Division and across the entire Commissionaires Federation. We are proud to recognize her contributions with this prestigious award.
Alexander Chisholm with his son Cole, and spouse Patti, at the 2024 Annual Meeting of Divisions Gala dinner.
From L-R: MWO Alex Chisholm, Southern Alberta Division; MCpl Cole Chisholm, Alex’s son; and Patti Chisholm, Alex’s spouse.
Master Warrant Officer (MWO) Alexander Chisholm: Supervisor of the Year (SOTY)
Alex has been with the Southern Alberta Division for over nine years and currently works as a security trainer at Calgary International Airport. Before his return to the airport, where he started his Commissionaires career, Alex served as Site Supervisor at ENMAX Place, also in Calgary.
It was at ENMAX Place where Alex earned his nomination for Commissionaires Supervisor of the Year. Alex led small and large security teams in implementing new technologically conscious security strategies to protect critical infrastructure.
Alex was first exposed to Commissionaires guards while attending Cadet Program training during his youth. After aging out of the Cadet Program, he served in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Reserve. During his time in uniform, it was his positive exposure to Commissionaires that led him to consider a career in security.
When asked about achieving Supervisor of the Year, Alex shared: “It is a positive affirmation and a proud moment…It is nice to be counted among peers across our 15 Divisions.”
Alex’s passion, leadership, and commitment to service have made him an outstanding supervisor and mentor. His knowledge and experience continue to be used to train commissionaires who operate within Calgary International Airport. We are pleased to recognize his contributions with the Supervisor of the Year award.
Patricia and Alex were formally recognized for their outstanding contributions on June 14th, 2024, at the Commissionaires Annual Meeting of Divisions in Saint John, New Brunswick.
Captain (N) (Ret’d) Harry Harsch, Commissionaires Chief of Staff, stated: “Cmre McCallum and MWO Chisholm embody what it means to be a commissionaire. These exemplary individuals continually go beyond what is asked of them, setting the standard for all of us who choose to be a part of Commissionaires.”
COTY and SOTY are pictured alongside their spouses celebrating with leadership members from their respective Divisions.
From L-R: BGen (Ret’d) Linda Colwell, Immediate Past Board Chair, Ottawa Division; BGen (Ret’d) Ray Romses, Board Chair, Southern Alberta Division; Patti Chisholm, SOTY’s spouse; MWO Alex Chisholm, Southern Alberta Division; Cmre Patricia McCallum, Ottawa Division; Sgt (Ret’d) Allan (Wayne) Cunningham, COTY’s spouse; Kevin Haughton, CEO, Southern Alberta Division; and Cmdre (Ret’d) Michel Charron, CEO, Ottawa Division.