King’s University College Alumni Award of Distinction
King’s University College Alumni Award of Distinction 2011
The King’s University College Alumni Association is pleased to honour two very accomplished alumni with this year’s Alumni Award of Distinction. Congratulations to Roger Yachetti ’61 and John Howard ’71 on being named this year’s winners.
Perhaps the best measure of a school’s calibre is the accomplishments of its alumni. For more than 10 years King’s has been celebrating notable alumni with the Alumni Award of Distinction. The Awards Committee has been overwhelmed by the number and quality of nominations over the years and has the challenge of selecting a winner. This year was no exception, and we are doubly pleased to be celebrating not one, but two alumni who have demonstrated the King’s University College spirit in their professional achievements, leadership and contributions to their communities.
Roger Yachetti always knew he wanted to become a lawyer. When he was only 6 months old, Roger’s mother contracted Trichinosis from contaminated meat. His parents launched a lawsuit against the meat vendor and supplier, which the judge promptly dismissed. The legal system of the time made it very costly for a plaintiff to appeal a decision. From that time on Roger’s father encouraged him to become a lawyer so that he might be an advocate for good, improving the system for individuals such as themselves. Roger certainly did not disappoint.
In fact, the dedication and service Roger has provided to the field of law earned him the Hamilton Law Association’s “Emilius Irving Award,” in 2004, which is only awarded periodically to an individual who shows outstanding leadership within the legal profession.
Roger’s dedication to his profession is undisputable when considering the many professional associations he has devoted his time to. These include:
- The Law Clerk’s Association, of which he was the first President in 1969
- Hamilton Criminal Lawyers Association, of which he was the founding President from 1978 – 1981
- Hamilton Law Association, as both a trustee and member of the Judicial Process Committee
- Hamilton Lawyer’s Club
- Law Foundation of Ontario
- Federation of Law Societies of Canada
- The American Association for Justice, among many others.
As well as dedicating countless hours to these and other legal organizations, Roger has also supported the legal field in an academic capacity. Not only has he been an instructor in the Bar Admission Course offered at Osgoode Hall, Roger has also offered his services as a guest lecturer for the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Hamilton Law Association and The Advocate’s Society.
Apart from the outstanding dedication he has shown for his profession, Roger is an active volunteer and supporter of the community. He has been involved with the Ontario Educational Communication Authority, which oversees educational communications, particularly on TV. He was Director of the Catholic Youth Organization for the Diocese of Hamilton, an organization which attends to the social and recreational needs of thousands of children and young people in the region. From 1992 – 1995 he was Chair of the Board of Directors for the Hamilton Tiger-Cat Football Club and was a governor of the Canadian Football League. In 2009 Roger was elected President of the Board of Directors of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra.
Despite his tremendous dedication to the legal profession and the community, there is one membership Roger values above all others – that is within his family. He and his wife, Cleda, have been married 47 years. They have been blessed with three children and two grandchildren, and they are Roger’s proudest accomplishments.
Americo and Annatina Yachetti may have lost their case back in 1943, but the repercussions of Yachetti v. Duff and Paolini continue to have a positive impact in the Hamilton area today.
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Ever the entrepreneur, John Howard bought his first property in the Niagara region with the money he’d earned flipping houses as a King’s student. Though he couldn’t have known it then, it was a decision that would significantly shape his future. After completing his undergraduate degree in Fine Arts and French, John went to work for Xerox as a photocopier salesman making $18,000 a year. This later led to the development of his company, O.E. Canada Inc., an office equipment dealership. The venture was very successful and was scooped up by Canon after a few years. Rather than let his talents go with the purchase of the company, Canon asked John to stay on, first as corporate vice-president and later as executive vice-president of the company. Wishing to move on from corporate executive jobs, John decided to buy a little vineyard that was for sale down the road from his Niagara-area home.
In the time that John owned Vineland Estates Winery, it went from a small farm operation, selling 6000 cases per year, to a picturesque and much-acclaimed boutique winery, selling roughly 65 000 cases annually. Vineland Estates enjoyed tremendous success and many awards under John’s leadership, but eventually there came a time for John to retire. He sold the winery, intending to split his time between fishing, volunteering, and running his 110-acre hobby vineyard.
The “hobby” vineyard now produces the popular brand, Megalomaniac Wines, which John admits, cuts in to his fishing time a bit. The brand has won many awards, both for the quality of the wine produced and the clever marketing behind it. Most notably, in 2008 John received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Niagara Entrepreneur Awards.
John’s success has not interfered with his intention to devote his time to worthwhile causes. He has served on countless boards over the years, including the Board of Trustees for Niagara University, the Advisory Board for CHTV Canwest, Art Park, the Canadian Sportsmen’s Shows, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Brock University, the Canada/US Business Association, the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, Opera Hamilton, the Rotary Club of Hamilton, the Lincoln Public Library, and others.
John is a devoted philanthropist, raising money over the years for The Kids’ Health Link Foundation, various student scholarships, and others. He has taken a hand-on approach to a number of charitable organizations, including travelling to Mozambique to work with Doctor’s Without Borders. John also works with the Rick Hansen Foundation to put on a fishing trip to the Queen Charlotte for young men with paraplegia.
Despite the work involved with running his vineyard and other ventures, the many charitable and community organizations he supports, and the volunteering he does, John still considers himself retired. Still, he may need to schedule a break from retirement to fit in a bit more time for fishing.
