Tourism Calgary has been paying tribute to outstanding customer service professionals since 1962 with the Calgary White Hat Awards. The awards recognize the quiet champions of the tourism and hospitality industry who go above and beyond in their field and earn Calgary its legendary hosting reputation. With over 700 semi-finalists, these individuals prove that exceptional service is not just a goal, it's a way of life. Congrats to this year's award recipients.
Kassaundra Baal | White Hat Award Winner
Ten years ago, Kassaundra Baal was a student at SAIT's School of Hospitality and Tourism.
Category: Exceptional Service Leader
Winner: Kassaundra Baal
Employer: School of Hospitality and Tourism SAIT
Sponsor: Calgary Stampede
Today, she's back, not just as a leader, but as living proof of what this industry can build. As Hospitality Operations and Event Lead, Kassaundra mentors the next generation with the same standard she holds for herself: that great hospitality isn't just about a wow factor. It's about how you show up every single day. When a 200-person industry event hit a weather snag, she didn't flinch. She helped her students pivot with calm and confidence. The event earned rave reviews, and the students walked away knowing exactly what they're capable of. Congratulations, Kassaundra. We are so proud of you and present you with this White Hat Award.
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Niko Widiasih | White Hat Award Winner
Niko Widiasih remembers your name and your coffee order, and probably has it ready before you reach the counter.
Category: Exceptional Server: North
Winner: Niko Widiasih
Employer: DISTRICT 48 Kitchen + Bar at Courtyard Calgary Airport
Sponsor: School of Hospitality and Tourism SAIT
At DISTRICT 48 Kitchen and Bar at Courtyard Calgary Airport, she receives more guest survey comments than any other server, and it is not hard to see why. When an Italian flight engineer mentioned he would be returning to Calgary with friends, Niko put together a full itinerary for them. When a guest told her she brought a home-like environment to their visit, they meant it as the highest possible compliment. She will also happily hold your baby while you eat. Twenty years in hospitality has not made her routine. It has made her exceptional. Congratulations, Niko. You are very deserving of this White Hat Award.
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Don Sheriff | White Hat Award Winner
At 4:30 a.m. on a dark January morning, while most of Calgary is still asleep, Don Sheriff is already on the tarmac at the Calgary Airport.
Category: Exceptional Service: Airport | Airline
Winner: Don Sheriff
Employer: WestJet
Sponsor: Calgary Airports
He's there in a white WestJet pickup truck, coffee in the cup holder and a smile on his face. Gate by gate, he checks the cabin temperature of every aircraft that spent the night on the ramp, sometimes more than 30 planes, so that the first person to step on board finds a comfortable, welcoming space. It is quiet, unglamorous work. Don prefers it that way. When a guest arrived with an electric wheelchair and a broken braking system, Don fixed it on the spot. That is what humble, behind-the-scenes hospitality looks like. Congratulations, Don. It is our pleasure to present you with this White Hat Award.
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Lorenzo Jimenez Pons | White Hat Award Winner
Lorenzo Jimenez is not the kind of person who watches a problem get worse.
Category: Exceptional Service: Heart of House
Winner: Lorenzo Jimenez Pons
Employer: Toonie Tours Calgary
Sponsor: Marriott
At Toonie Tours Calgary, when a bike blows a tire mid-tour, he closes the shop and rides out to save the day. When he notices guests struggling with seat heights and navigation, he proposes the fix and installs it himself. By innovating with his guests in mind, mixed with his passion for the city and travel, the improvements he has made are now standard across the nine Toonie Tours locations in Canada! His enthusiasm is impossible to miss, and that is just how he operates, every single day. Congratulations, Lorenzo. We are proud to present you with this White Hat Award.
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Ken McGregor | White Hat Award Winner
Ken McGregor believes airports are like time portals.
Category: Exceptional Service: Tourism Volunteer
Winner: Ken McGregor
Employer: Calgary Airports
Sponsor: Tourism Calgary
Places where stress and excitement arrive together, and where a single kind gesture can change the entire tone of a journey. As a volunteer team lead at the Calgary Airport, Ken has made it his mission to be that gesture. Last year alone, he reunited six passengers with lost documents. In one instance, he combed an entire concourse tracking down a traveller who had left her passport, green card and driver's license in a washroom, eventually finding her at an airport lounge with minutes to spare before her flight to Seattle. She did not even know they were missing. That is the thing about Ken. He solves the problems people haven't even found yet. Congratulations on your White Hat Award win.
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Rosalina Dytianquin | White Hat Award Winner
At the Calgary Marriott Downtown, they call Rosalina Dytianquin the Queen of Housekeeping.
Category: Exceptional Service: Housekeeping
Winner: Rosalina Dytianquin
Employer: Calgary Marriott Downtown
Sponsor: RedPoint Media Group
It is not just about spotless rooms. When a family from Australia checked out and left their passports behind, Rosalina tracked down their contact details, arranged a cab and had the passports delivered and waiting before they ever reached the terminal. They made their flight without a second thought. Rosalina moves through her work the same way, with purpose and decisiveness and always being one step ahead of her guests' needs. The crown is well earned. Congratulations, Rosalina. It is an honour to present you with a White Hat Award.
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Hardeep Singh Toor | White Hat Award Winner
On a cold November night, with a β40ΛC wind chill and snow blowing across icy roads, Hardeep Singh Toor took a call.
Category: Exceptional Service: Driver
Winner: Hardeep Singh Toor
Employer: Checker Cabs
Sponsor: Calgary TELUS Convention Centre
The woman who came out of the house was pregnant, her water had already broken, and no ambulance was coming. He helped her into the cab and drove, calmly and steadily, for 22 minutes through the storm, until a baby girl was born just three blocks from Peter Lougheed Hospital. The new parents were visitors from Germany with no support system in Calgary. In that moment, Hardeep was all they had. As a father himself, he understood the weight of that. When they finally arrived at the hospital, he parked in the ambulance bay and ran inside for help. The story spread internationally, from Canada to the Times of India. Hardeep will tell you he just drove. Calgary knows better. Congratulations, Hardeep. There is no one more deserving of this White Hat Award.
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Anna Pogorzelec | White Hat Award Winner
When a mother from Scotland reached out ahead of her visit to let them know her son was autistic and was looking for resources, Anna Pogorzelec did not simply note it on file.
Category: Exceptional Service: Guest Relations
Winner: Anna Pogorzelec
Employer: BMO Centre at Stampede Park
Sponsor: Fairmont Palliser
She reviewed the family's itinerary, identified pressure points, collected their tickets and passes, met them personally at the gate and mapped out safe spaces throughout the grounds. That is Anna's instinct: find a way. As Guest Experience Manager at the Stampede and BMO Centre, she has reshaped what world-class hospitality looks like for visitors arriving from every corner of the globe, which means introducing international service standards and building relationships with hospitality networks worldwide, so her team is always learning and growing. Congratulations, Anna. This White Hat Award belongs to you.
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Sara Drabinsky | White Hat Award Winner
Sara Drabinsky does not just share Calgary's history. She makes people fall in love with it.
Category: Exceptional Service: Attraction
Winner: Sara Drabinsky
Employer: Heritage Park Historical Village
Sponsor: Marriott
Born and raised in this city, she has worked every corner of Heritage Park Historical Village, and her enthusiasm for the stories held within it has never worn thin. When a guest arrives, convinced history is not for them, Sara finds the thread. A hand-drawn map. A candy store. A detail from Calgary's past that suddenly makes it personal. Sara is proud to say that she has been nominated three times for a White Hat Award. She is always a champion for nominating her fellow colleagues, too. Congratulations, Sara. We are proud to present you with your White Hat.
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Melissa MacKenzie | White Hat Award Winner
Melissa MacKenzie has a gift for noticing the people others may walk past.
Category: Exceptional Service: Administration
Winner: Melissa MacKenzie
Employer: Century Downs Racetrack and Casino
Sponsor: Heritage Park Historical Village
At Century Downs Racetrack and Casino, when an Oktoberfest guest reached out because his parents had mobility issues, she had a reserved spot waiting before they arrived. When deaf guests worried they would miss a cash draw announced over the intercom, she texted them the results. It was the kind of gesture they did not forget. That instinct for people runs through everything she does, from checking in with her team each morning to coordinating the Libations Festival, which brought over 1,500 Calgarians together to celebrate local craft breweries and distilleries. Melissa simply cares, and everyone around her feels it. Congratulations, Melissa. That care is exactly what this White Hat Award is for.
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Dan Pederson | White Hat Award Winner
This award goes to someone who has spent nearly two decades at one of Calgary's most beloved venues.
Category: Mayor's White Hat Award
Winner: Dan Pederson
Employer: Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation
Sponsor: City of Calgary
In that time, he has become as much a part of the experience as the game itself. If you have met them once (even 10 years ago), chances are they will remember your name when you walk back through those doors. The regulars lovingly call him Wheelz.
He has been nominated for a White Hat Award four times before in his regular category. But what sets him apart goes well beyond any single building or any single role. Recently, ahead of the upcoming opening of Scotia Place, he has visited 12 NHL arenas across North America, assessing building accessibility. He has worked with Independent Living to make festival spaces more welcoming across Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. He has sat in front of local news cameras and spoken openly about what it means to navigate this city with a disability, because he lives that experience every day, and because he believes we can do better.
His colleagues say he is the loudest cheerleader for other people's success, and that he can take the grumpiest person in the building and have them smiling before puck drop. They say he does not just do his job, but makes every experience better for the people around him.
His goal is not a small one. He wants Calgary to be the most accessible tourist destination in the world. And we can all agree that is the kind of ambition this city was built for, and achieving it needs advocates like Dan.
It is an honour to present the 2026 Mayor's White Hat Award to Dan Pederson. Congratulations, Dan. We are so very proud to recognize you for this award.
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Keely McMillan | White Hat Award Winner
Keely McMillan does not hand guests a brochure. She hands them a plan.
Category: Exceptional Service: Reception | Reservations
Winner: Keely McMillan
Employer: Hotel Arts
Sponsor: Calgary Hotel Association
As the 2025 Employee of the Year at Hotel Arts, Keely has built customized itineraries for volleyball teams, art lovers and bachelorette groups, translating one entirely into French for a visiting group. When a guest with special needs came in for their very first Flames game, she got permission to comp their room, then bought them a Flames scarf and their favourite snacks. She also championed bringing a Calgary-based skincare brand into Hotel Arts rooms, elevating the guest experience with a local touch. Keely has a way of making Calgary feel personal, whoever you are and wherever you are from. Congratulations, Keely. That is exactly the spirit this White Hat Award was made for.
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Kevin Morrison | White Hat Award Winner
Get it now! Get it cold! That is Kevin Morrison's call, and once you hear it, you never forget it.
Category: Exceptional Service: Non-Server
Winner: Kevin Morrison
Employer: Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation
Sponsor: Century Downs Racetrack and Casino
For more than 20 years, Kevin has worked the concourse at Calgary Sports and Entertainment events with the kind of energy that makes a beer vendor feel like part of the show. Fans recognize him outside the building and even outside the country! But Kevin's real gift is knowing when to go further. When he spotted a family wearing Sheffield Steelers (UK) hockey jerseys, he did not just sell them a beer. He got them a puck, a spot at warm-up, a chat with the players and seats behind the Flames bench. They called it the best hockey experience of their lives. Kevin calls it a regular Calgary Flames game day. Congratulations, Kevin. We tip our White Hat to you!
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Jerwin Miranda | White Hat Award Winner
At the poolside bar at Hotel Arts, Jerwin Miranda makes his guests feel like they have been invited into his own home.
Category: Exceptional Service: Beverage Specialist
Winner: Jerwin Miranda
Employer: Hotel Arts
Sponsor: OneWest Events Design & Production
During Stampede, a couple from the States sat down at his bar on their anniversary. He took care of them the way he takes care of everyone, with full attention and genuine warmth. Jerwin then invited the couple back to the poolside for breakfast. They showed up at nine. As they were leaving, the woman told Jerwin he reminded her of their son, who had passed away from cancer three years earlier. They grieved together, hugged and then checked out. Jerwin will never forget them. They will never forget Calgary. Congratulations, Jerwin. We are proud to present you with your White Hat Award.
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Steve Louwe | White Hat Award Winner
Steve Louwe has been serving guests at Flower and Wolf in the Sheraton Suites Calgary Eau Claire since August 2001.
Category: Exceptional Server: South
Winner: Steve Louwe
Employer: Sheraton Suites Calgary Eau Claire
Sponsor: Sheraton Suites Calgary Eau Claire
In that time, he has collected seven White Hat nominations, two finalist nods and one win. But the number that matters most is the one you cannot count. It is the cold morning a guest came in and quietly mentioned he could not afford both breakfast and coffee. Steve bought both for him without a second thought and never made it a moment. That is who Steve is. A connector, a celebrator of this city and the kind of server guests write home about. Congratulations, Steve. We are proud to present you with your SECOND White Hat Award!
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Jillian Cote | White Hat Award Winner
At Heritage Park Historical Village, Jillian Cote is the kind of person who will walk into a storm, so others don't have to.
Category: Exceptional Server: Banquets | Events
Winner: Jillian Cote
Employer: Heritage Park Historical Village
Sponsor: Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation
Whether she is delivering water to volunteers on a scorching summer afternoon, sitting outside in the cold so a volunteer can go warm up or personally guiding a family from Ukraine through the park's Ukrainian heritage aspects so they could connect with a piece of home, Jillian shows up with the same energy every time. She makes the people around her better, and she makes every guest feel like Heritage Park was made just for them. Congratulations, Jillian. That warmth is what this White Hat Award is all about.
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Katie Qin | White Hat Award Winner
Before leading a tour group down Stephen Avenue, Katie Qin does her homework.
Category: Exceptional Service: Tour Escort | Guide
Winner: Katie Qin
Employer: Heritage Calgary
Sponsor: WestJet
When visitors from Tulsa, Oklahoma, signed up one morning, she researched their city, discovered a shared history of early oil booms and wove it into the walk. They were so moved, they tried to tip her. She told them to spend it at a local restaurant instead. That is Katie in a nutshell. A recent University of Calgary history graduate, Katie joined Heritage Calgary as a program assistant and promptly grew summer tour attendance by over 300 per cent. She also co-authored a book on how culture and community shaped Calgary's food scene. History, in her hands, never feels like a lecture. Congratulations, Katie. We are proud to present you with your White Hat Award.
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Joey Bachinsky | White Hat Award Winner
Joey Bachinsky goes above and beyond to ensure guests are always at ease.
Category: Exceptional Service: Culinary
Winner: Joey Bachinsky
Employer: Calgary Marriott Downtown
Sponsor: Avenue Magazine
For someone with celiac disease, eating at a large event can be a source of real anxiety. When a guest approached Joey Bachinsky's pasta station at the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre and asked carefully about her options, he did not just point her to the gluten-free pasta he already had. He photographed the ingredient list so she could see it herself, changed out every pan, utensil, and pair of gloves, and then walked her through every other option on the floor. By the time she left his station, she did not just have some great pasta, she was at ease. Joey says he wanted her to enjoy her time in Calgary. Congratulations, Joey. We are proud to present you with your White Hat Award.
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Gord Franson | White Hat Award Winner
This award is named after Doug Johnson, the first head of the Calgary Tourism and Convention Bureau and one of the people who helped lay the foundation for the tourism industry.
Category: Doug Johnson Service Award
Winner: Gord Franson
Employer: Calgary Stampede
Sponsor: Tourism Calgary
This year's recipient has the unique privilege of remembering him personally, and in his own words, "it is exciting company to be considered for."
For more than 60 years, this Calgarian has dedicated his life to sharing this city with the world, and chances are you already know him. He has volunteered with close to 30 local causes and organizations in this time and has been nominated for a White Hat Award four times before.
At the Calgary Stampede, he has spent 15 years serving on the Historical Committee, the Oral History Committee and more recently at the SAM Centre, working to preserve and pass on the stories of the people who built this event. At the SAM Centre, he enhances the guest experience to such a degree that visitors request photos with him before they leave.
In addition, he also delivers groceries every week to two seniors in their 90's, volunteers at 12 casino days a year to raise funds for community groups and still finds a way to give more tomorrow. Friends, colleagues and visitors describe him as a mentor to all, and a masterful storyteller who brings history to life with gentle humour and deep research. His gift to this city has never been measured in dollars, but in days, in stories and in the way he shows up.
On behalf of everyone at Tourism Calgary, it is an honour to say that we are the ones who are excited to be in your company.
The 2026 Doug Johnson Service Award goes to Gord Franson. Congratulations, Gord. We are proud to present you with your White Hat.
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