Ontario Chamber Announces Joseph Mancinelli as the 2020 OBAA Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient

(Toronto – November 17, 2020) – As part of its Ontario Business Achievement Awards (OBAAs), the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) is proud to announce Joseph Mancinelli, International Vice President and Regional Manager for Central and Eastern Canada of the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA) as the 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. Mr. Mancinelli is the first labour leader to be recognized as part of the OBAAs.

“We are extremely proud to announce that Joseph Mancinelli is the 2020 OBAA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient,” said Rocco Rossi, President and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. “This award is given to a Leader who demonstrates incredible leadership and has made a significant and positive impact for the province and beyond. Under Joseph’s leadership, LiUNA has become a new face of Labour, working together with the private sector and government to build better communities. His business acumen and ongoing service across communities has and will continue to positively impact the lives of Canadians.”

The OBAAs is the most recognized industry gala in the province with a single focus on celebrating business success. This annual awards gala celebrates the incredible innovations and achievements of a broad range of industry sectors and sizes from across the province. While the OBAAs has typically been an in-person gala event, this year, the OCC is presenting the first-ever Virtual Ontario Business Achievement Awards: Difference Maker Edition.

“I’m honoured and humbled to be recognized as the Ontario Chamber of Commerce’s OBAA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. I share this tremendous honour with the highly-skilled members of LiUNA both active and retired, employer and industry partners, community, friends and family. Though we have achieved so much, we are only getting started and we will continue to prosper and build stronger, inclusive communities across North America.” said Joseph Mancinelli. Being a part of a community means sharing in both its achievements, as well as facing its challenges. From improving infrastructure, increasing access to healthcare, and providing better lives for our members and their families, we know that good citizenship is routed in strong leadership, commitment and resolve. Now more than ever, in this time of COVID-19, it is imperative that we work collaboratively with government and industry to keep our communities safe whilst investing in and building critical infrastructure which is paramount to the economic development and recovery of the country while ensuring the safety of LiUNA Members and all workers remains at the centre of all decision making.”

Mancinelli has displayed outstanding leadership in community advocacy and fundraising initiatives including the Children’s Wish Foundation, Camp Trillium, Easter Seals, the United Way, Mt. Sinai, St. Joseph’s Healthcare, the ALS Society, Down Syndrome Research Foundation, Larger than Life Kindergarten School for children with cancer in Israel, as well as natural disaster relief and cultural inclusiveness initiatives.

He has also been the recipient of many awards, including the Paul Harris Fellow from the Rotary Club, Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal, has been inducted into Hamilton’s Gallery of Distinction, and has been bestowed an honorary Doctorate of Laws Degree from McMaster University. Mancinelli received a National Philanthropy Award as Outstanding Volunteer by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, has been named Sons of Italy Citizen of the Year and was awarded a ‘Spirit of Ontario’ award by the National Congress of Italian Canadians, to name a few.

In addition to the Lifetime Achievement Award and CEO of the Year awards, the OBAAs will put a spotlight the incredible frontline and essential workers who have truly risen to the COVID challenge: grocery workers, truckers, healthcare workers, and construction workers.

The Awards will be aired on TLN on December 27, 2020, followed by the OCC’s social media channels. Each episode will put a spotlight on unsung heroes who continue to support our communities. From the incredible frontline and essential workers who have truly risen to the COVID challenge to the unveiling of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award and CEO of the Year Award recipients – this is an event you don’t want to miss!

This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award episode is sponsored by Fengate Asset Management. This year’s OBAAs are supported by our OBAA Series Presenting Sponsor, Facedrive and Series Supporting Sponsors OMERS and TC Energy.

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About the Laborer’s International Union of North America
The Labourers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA!) is the most progressive, aggressive and fastest growing union of construction workers, waste management workers, show service workers and healthcare workers in Canada.

About the Ontario Business Achievement Award
The Ontario Business Achievement Awards (OBAAs) is the most recognized industry gala in the province with a single focus on celebrating business success. This annual awards gala celebrates the incredible innovations and achievements of a broad range of industry sectors and sizes from across the province.

About the Ontario Chamber of Commerce
For more than a century, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) has been the independent, non-partisan, indispensable partner of Ontario business. The OCC’s mission is to support economic growth in Ontario by defending business priorities at Queen’s Park on behalf of its network’s diverse 60,000 members.

For more information, please contact:
Ariel Benjamin, Specialist, Public Affairs Ontario Chamber of Commerce
647-882-9878 or arielbenjamin@occ.ca