KAM Awards of Excellence

KAM Award Branding Mark

Since KAM’s inaugural meeting in 1980, our members have fundamentally shaped the development of KAM, but also the Kingston and area’s vibrant cultural heritage sector through their dedication, expertise, passion, and collegiality – exemplifying the principle that “we do better together.”

The Kingston & Area cultural heritage sector is as diverse and vibrant as the individuals through whom it is animated. Over the years, many community volunteers and cultural professionals have been a part of KAM, each leaving their distinctive imprint in KAM’s story.

With KAM’s 45th anniversary on the horizon, it’s even more critical to recognize the service, dedication, and expertise of our peers and colleagues, and celebrate their contributions that make KAM, this sector, and our communities great.

The KAM Awards of Excellence is a peer recognition award program, where KAM members nominate fellow members and colleagues for consideration by the Board adjudication committee. There are five categories for the KAM Awards of Recognition: Governance; Practice & Programming; Leadership & Innovation; Mentorship; and Volunteerism. The award categories are named in recognition of (former) KAM members who have notably influenced KAM and/or our regional cultural heritage sector for the better within these areas.

The KAM Awards of Excellence 2025 nomination cycle is now open.

Members or organizations can nominate one individual per category. Deadline for nominations is 28 February 2025. Please send the completed nomination form to info@kingstonmuseums.ca with “Award Nominations 2025” in the subject line. Recipients will be notified in April 2025, with award presentations at the KAM AGM in May 2025.

Nomination Guidelines:

1. Nomination Forms are available for download from the KAM website.

2. These awards recognize individuals who exemplify the attributes and capacities represented by these award categories.

3. The nominees must be current or former KAM cultural heritage staff or volunteers from a recognized KAM membership organization or hold/have held an individual membership.

4. The nominator must be a member in good standing, either through a KAM member organization or hold their own individual membership. The nominator may only submit one nominee per category per nomination cycle.

5. Current KAM staff are not eligible for nomination.

6. Current KAM Board members may be nominated for an award, but if so, can not participate in award adjudication.

7. Current KAM Board members and KAM staff can not provide letters of support for any nomination.

8. Once an individual has been awarded a KAM Award of Excellence (with the exception of Practice and Programming) they are not eligible for nomination in that same category for a period of 3 years.

9. It is understood and appreciated that the contributions of many of the individuals within Kingston’s cultural sector are well-known. However, the ultimate success of their nomination will be closely dependent on the quality and completeness of the nomination form, regardless of the nominee’s reputation.

10. Nominators must include two signatures of support for the nomination from other KAM members.

11. The nominator may submit two additional supplementary documents to support their nominee’s application as appropriate.

Download the Nomination Form

Download the Nomination Guidelines

Adjudication:

After nominations are determined to be eligible and complete, the KAM Board will meet to adjudicate the submissions. Each nomination will be considered against the awards criteria and the nomination considered to best meet the criteria will be selected as the winner for the year.
Awards will be presented at the KAM AGM.

The Awards

Paul O. Robertson Award for Leadership & Innovation

(Image with Permission: Edgar Tumak/Robertson family) Paul is remembered with equal praise and commendation for his contributions to the heritage sector, not only in Kingston but Ontario as whole. Paul spent his career working towards creating a more diverse and inclusive sector. Paul was particularly proud of his work with the Kingston and Area Indigenous leaders guiding the City of Kingston - Cultural Services towards Truth and Reconciliation efforts. Paul was also an advocate for the 2S LGBTQIA+ community in museums across Ontario. Paul contributed to many heritage organizations, in particular the Ontario Museum Association of which he served as President from 2019 to 2021. KAM held a special place in his heart as he helped it grow and thrive into the organization it is today such as through the City of Kingston Heritage Fund. Paul’s unfailing dedication and vision for cultural heritage, and his connections to friends and colleagues, persisted until his passing from cancer. Three weeks before his death, he still made a presentation to Gananoque Town Council encouraging their support for the 1000 Islands History Museum, and partook in meetings with the Museum of Health Care, OMA, and KAM. He will be missed by all those who had the privilege of knowing him, but his work and dedication will be a lasting legacy to our region.

A nominee for this award category exemplifies the following:

The ability to inspire productive action in oneself and others during times of creation, invention, uncertainty, ambiguity, and risk.
Demonstrates the ability to both think and influence others to create “new and better” ideas to move towards positive results.
Creative, collaborative, curious, courageous, resilient, and committed.

J. Ross McKenzie Award for Mentorship

J. Ross McKenzie was the first professional curator for the RMC Museum in Kingston, working in this position from 1990 to his formal retirement in 2015. Like many who work in cultural heritage, his background and experience was varied. He graduated from RMC in 1970 and served both in Canada and in Germany as a Dragoon (Armoured Corps). When he first started as Museum Curator, it was only part time, and he also worked as Liaison Officer, then eventually as Associate Registrar of RMC, until becoming the full-time Curator in 2006. Ultimately, he would spend almost 50 years either in ‘uniform’ or working as a DND Public Servant. Other than his early Regimental Service, most of his career was spent at RMC – from cadet, to officer, to civilian staff – likely a record in the history of RMC.

Ross passed away in 2019 but is remembered not only for his passion and expertise in local and military history, but for his mentoring and coaching of the many students, RMC cadets, emerging sector professionals and colleagues that crossed his path over the years. He valued kindness, personal integrity and responsibility, was generous in sharing his expertise and interests, and recognized that everyone has a story to tell. He imbued these values in his work, and both KAM and Kingston & Area cultural heritage is the richer for it.

A nominee for this award category exemplifies the following:

Demonstrate an exemplary commitment to the cultural heritage sector by enthusiastically and respectfully sharing their expertise, skillset, and knowledge in a mentorship capacity
Eagerness to invest in others, willing to be a sponsor/ally, to share and create opportunities for success and growth both personal and professional
Gives honest and productive feedback
Supporting and mentoring others with challenges or issues that they may be experiencing
Values reflective listening and empathy.

Bill Visser Award for Governance

This award recognizes the highest degree of integrity, ethical conduct, and best practice that can be shown by a member of a Board. This award is named for Bill Visser, who, while a self-described non-sector professional and “amateur enthusiast in things that tell us where we came from and why things the way they are,” volunteered on the KAM Board of Directors for over 10 years, offering perspective as a community member and cultural heritage visitor and always using his experience and knowledge to help the KAM board pursue and implement good governance standards, as well as always being responsive to staff and supportive of daily operations, for the overall betterment of KAM as an organization.

A nominee for this award category exemplifies the following:

Is a current or former Board member of a recognized KAM member organization or group
Has left a legacy through governance efforts of which the positive effects on the organization continues to be visible
Exemplifies strong leadership, good management, effective partnerships and creative thinking

Tabitha Renaud Award for Volunteerism

Tabitha Renaud has left an unforgettable legacy in the Kingston heritage community, transforming many organizations—including the Murney Tower Museum, KAM, Kingston Regional Heritage Fair, and KHS—into more modern, professional, and vibrant entities. Since 2011, she has volunteered with various cultural and heritage organizations in and around Kingston, leaving a remarkable volunteer legacy and exemplifying hard work, dedication, and devotion to the community. From serving on the boards of KAM, KHS, and Beyond Classrooms Kingston to taking on executive, administrative, and leadership roles at the Murney Tower Museum and the Kingston Regional Fair, Tabitha has played a crucial role in shaping Kingston's museums, heritage sites, and organizations. As a volunteer, she consistently went above and beyond her duties, dedicating her time and resources to support the Kingston heritage sector with enthusiasm and generosity, sharing her knowledge, skills, and expertise to assist her colleagues.

A nominee for this award category exemplifies the following:

Devotes an abundance of their time and resources, and is passionate about helping others
Sets the example for how just one individual can make an enormous impact in their community
Vision for the community, strives to bring people together, believes in the value and importance of contributing to their communities
Is a true role model for other volunteers in their organization or in the community

Award Recipients

2023 - Dr. Tabitha Renaud (Administrator, Cumberland Heritage Village Museum)

Nominated by Simge Erdogan-O'Connor in recognition for her longstanding and dedicated work to revitalize Murney Tower Museum as its volunteer Director and her longstanding dedication to cultural heritage through her role of KAM Board Member (2014-2022).

Ann Blake Award for Practice & Programming

Ann Blake’s distinguished career spans nearly three decades in the areas of programming and museum education. In 2014, Ann was instrumental in establishing the charity Beyond Classrooms Kingston as a way to engage teachers and students by immersing them in cultural heritage sites for a week of learning. Her mentorship and support inspired countless colleagues, volunteers, educators, and students within our community over the years. Ann especially shone when working with students in museums who gravitated to her assurance that we all had stories to uncover and tell and every question had value. Ann’s belief that it takes a community to make a museum successful propelled her, throughout her career, to pioneer many partnerships between museums and the community. Her work continues to have a lasting impact. (Photo with permission: Ann Blake & Beyond Classrooms Kingston)

A nominee for this award category exemplifies the following:

Contributes exemplary professional practice and/or programming within Cultural Heritage provision
Establishes and shapes professional standards, ethics and opportunities that evolves cultural heritage in productive and impactful ways.
Generates new cultural heritage provision – either in terms of product or improving accessibility and relevancy to diverse audiences

Award Recipients

2023 - Mathew Thivierge (Museums Manager & Curator, Frontenac County Schools Museum)

Nominated by the 1000 Islands History Museum for his leadership in developing the Gananoque Heritage Walking Tour App (2022)