Sharing a vision for the next generation

Brad McAninch, BEng 97, and Mark Fazio, BEng 94, have a lot in common: both are graduates of Concordia’s Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science, both lead successful careers at the same company, and in 2019, both decided to pay it forward with a gift of $52,000 to their alma mater.

McAninch and Fazio are the chief executive officer and executive vice-president, respectively, at Modern Niagara Group Inc., a top construction company based in Ottawa with offices across Canada. Their support helped establish the yearly Modern Niagara Scholarships in Engineering, which provide two undergraduate students at the Gina Cody School with financial aid valued at $3,250.

“Scholarships enable students to focus on their work and not worry about money during their studies,” says McAninch, who was named to Concordia’s Top 50 Under 50 Shaping Business in 2019.

Fazio agrees: “Brad and I want to help provide other young students with the same opportunities and access to the great education that we had at Concordia.

“Our degree — and our time in Montreal — provided us with a diverse set of experiences and a broad knowledge base that has been the foundation of our careers. Concordia’s engineering programs are a great place for Modern Niagara to support the development of our industry’s next generation of leadership,” he adds. “And, if paying it forward exposes students to the benefits of joining our organization and increases the interest in Co-op placements and permanent positions, everybody wins.”

Another commonality McAninch and Fazio share is the influence of their fathers on their career paths. The late Paul Fazio was an esteemed professor at the Gina Cody School, and John McAninch served as Modern Niagara’s first CEO from 1997 until his retirement in 2004.

“You know, our dads took very different paths in life, but their history and values are similar,” Fazio says. “I think that above all else they would agree that life is a team sport and that if you can help people around you, you should. I hope our fathers are proud of us — I believe they are.”

“Mark and I both had great role models,” McAninch adds, “and we both benefited from a great education at Concordia. Now we are in position to pass it forward, and we’re tremendously proud to give back and help where we can.”