Each year, McMaster celebrates six TMG employees who have been nominated by their colleagues through the TMG Peer-to-Peer Recognition Program.
This year's honourees, from left-right: Kate Brown, T. J. Kelly, Gord de Pass, Meera Shanmuganathan, Shayla Vize, and Jessica Cook.
The program celebrates members who demonstrate McMaster's core leadership capabilities. TMG members represent a wide group of McMaster staff, including directors, managers, and employees across campus.
Six employees from McMaster's management group (TMG) were nominated by colleagues and selected by the awards committee. Learn more about each of this year's winners below.
The following are highlights from their nominations:
Kate Brown, AODA & Accessibility Consultant, Office of the Vice-Provost, Teaching & Learning
Kate is the deserving recipient of the Takes a Strategic and Inclusive Approach award a reflection of her remarkable ability to align institutional strategy, inclusive design, and meaningful community engagement to advance accessibility across McMaster University.
Kate has redefined what strategic accessibility leadership can look like in higher education. Through her vision and expertise, she has transformed accessibility from a compliance requirement into a catalyst for academic excellence and cultural change.
Throughout her decade of service, Kate has built strong and trusting relationships across diverse campus partners including the Office of the Vice-Provost, Teaching and Learning, Student Accessibility Services, the MacPherson Institute, and Faculties across the University. She excels at creating alignment in complex environments, ensuring that accessibility is thoughtfully considered in decisions that shape teaching, learning, and student experience.
Kate's strategic mindset is grounded in compassion, humility, and accountability. She ensures that disabled students, staff, and faculty are not only consulted, but included as co-creators of meaningful institutional change. This commitment to authentic collaboration has built a foundation for systemic, long-term progress and advances McMaster's vision of an equitable and accessible learning environment for all.
It is no exaggeration to say that McMaster is a more accessible, more equitable, and more future-ready institution because of her work.
Jessica Cook, Manager, Donor Relations, University Advancement, Faculty of Health Sciences
Jessica is the deserving recipient of the Champions Change and Innovation award a testament to her creativity, strategic thinking, and ability to redefine what meaningful donor engagement looks like at McMaster.
Jessica consistently seeks out new ways to elevate how we steward donors and tell the university's story. Her visionary leadership was most powerfully demonstrated through the creation of McMaster's first-ever MD Bursary Celebration, The Future of Medicine. This event represented a transformative shift: moving from traditional stewardship practices to an immersive experience connecting donors directly with the students whose lives they have changed. The result was an emotionally resonant and strategically aligned celebration that inspired renewed investment in medical education.
Jessica's courage to think beyond convention, her ability to break down silos, and her deep understanding of how change fuels progress have set a new standard for donor experiences at McMaster.
Gord de Pass, Senior IT Manager, PeopleSoft, Database & OCI Platforms, University Technology Services
Gord is the recipient of the Develops People award a reflection of his exceptional ability to empower others, cultivate inclusive team dynamics, and create environments where people can learn, grow, and succeed.
Working with Gord on McMaster's AWS Landing Zone and Control Tower initiative has been a masterclass in people-centered leadership. This project brought together individuals from different teams, backgrounds, and levels of technical expertise. From the very beginning, Gord understood that success depended on shared learning and psychological safety. Instead of guarding expertise, he opened doors widely encouraging questions, inviting curiosity, and ensuring that no one felt "behind" or "less than."
Gord excels at demystifying complex concepts, connecting technical decisions to broader institutional contexts, and building confidence in others. He celebrates small wins, offers balanced and timely feedback, and invites diverse perspectives into the room. His leadership turns uncertainty into shared ownership.
His impact extends far beyond a single project; it has strengthened relationships, expanded capabilities, and elevated the culture of collaborative learning at McMaster.
T.J. Kelly, Senior Manager, Facilities & Business Services, Athletics & Recreation
T.J. is the recipient of the Invests in Relationships award a reflection of his integrity, humility, and extraordinary commitment to building meaningful connections across McMaster and the broader community.
For more than 15 years, T.J. has been a cornerstone of Athletics & Recreation. His leadership is most visible on game days, where his team delivers some of the best hosting experiences contributing to over 40,000 varsity tickets sold last year. Yet T.J.'s impact is far deeper than any single metric. He fosters a culture where students, staff, partners, and guests feel seen, valued, and appreciated. He models the standard he expects from others rolling up his sleeves, supporting his team, and leading with quiet strength.
T.J.'s dedication enhances McMaster's brand, strengthens community connections, and enriches the student experience. He is a trusted colleague, a generous mentor, and a steady force behind many of our most successful initiatives.
Meera Shanmuganathan, Research Facility Manager, McMaster Regional Centre for Mass Spectrometry
Meera is the recipient of the Drives Results award a reflection of her extraordinary initiative, technical expertise, strategic vision, and unwavering commitment to excellence.
Since stepping into her role in May 2024, Meera has transformed the MRCMS Core Facility into a model of innovation, operational efficiency, and research impact. Under her leadership, the Facility achieved its highest annual user-fee revenue in history, fueled by new analytical methods she developed to support interdisciplinary public health and biomedical research. These innovations generated more than $90,000 in additional revenue and attracted research groups from across McMaster and neighbouring universities.
Her long-term vision includes instrumentation upgrades, enhanced turnaround times, and expanded student training opportunities. Her commitment to inclusive excellence ensures that learners from all backgrounds can access meaningful scientific training.
Meera's leadership blends rigorous analytical thinking with deep commitment to community, sustainability, and equity. She has strengthened the Facility's reputation, expanded its impact, and created pathways for continued success.
Shayla Vize, Manager, Communications & Digital Engagement, Faculty of Health Sciences Communications
Shayla is the deserving recipient of the Communicates and Collaborates award, celebrating her exceptional ability to foster trust, inclusivity, and connection through thoughtful, user-centered communication strategies.
Shayla blends strategic planning, creative storytelling, and team leadership in a way that humanizes McMaster's brand and strengthens community engagement. Her work has significantly expanded the Faculty's and University's digital footprint generating more than 3 million social media impressions and securing a landmark partnership with YouTube Health. Her content amplifies diverse voices, highlights student journeys, and elevates research breakthroughs in ways that resonate deeply with audiences across campus and beyond.
Her communication is rooted in empathy and inclusion. Shayla works closely with the Equity and Inclusion Office, the Indigenous Health Learning Lodge, and more than 20 cross-campus partners to ensure storytelling reflects diverse perspectives and cultural contexts. As co-chair of the Health Sciences EDIIR Communications Group, she has championed new forms of inclusive storytelling that foster belonging and pride. Her ability to secure and nurture partnerships from YouTube Health to academic departments reflects her strategic foresight, collaborative spirit, and deep respect for the people and communities she serves.
Learn more about the TMG Peer-to-Peer Recognition Program here.
