A Journey From Sicily

Tony Manera`s memoirs begin when, as a three year old boy, he witnessed the allied invasion of his native Sicily, followed by his experience of the extreme poverty that prevailed during the post-war years. When his family was finally able to emigrate to Canada, there were some difficult adjustments to be made, as was the case for most immigrants. Dropping out of school and working helped to pay the bills, but realizing that further education would be necessary to make further progress, he moved to Los Angeles. There he worked his way through university, initially as a waiter in an Italian restaurant, than as a technician and engineer in the US aerospace industry and finally as a professor of engineering and mathematics. His time in the US had a profound influence on his philosophy of hard work, self-reliance, perseverance, risk taking and seizing opportunities as they present themselves.Upon his return to Canada, he continued his academic career, becoming the youngest college president at thirty-one. In this new role, he took over two troubled institutions, expanded enrolment, improved academic standards and championed academic freedom. He then moved on to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, where he served for many years as a senior vice president and eventually as president and CEO. In this latter role, he describes how he defended the public broadcaster`s journalistic indepedence during the difficult period preceding the 1995 referendum on secession from the Canadian federation by the province of Québec. While these memoirs provide an account of his career and personal life, the author also shares with readers his outlook on several important public policy issues. This is done from a Canadian perspective, but the issues are also pertinent in other countries. They include the value of a public broadcaster that is independent from the government of the day, striking the right balance between accommodation and integration of immigrants, and improving accessibility to and affordability of post-secondary education. He also offers constructive suggestions for how to approach the issue of Québec secession. This topic is not limited to Canada, as other countries have their own separatist movements. Also included are several anecdotes that readers may find interesting, amusing or both.
About the Author: Tony Manera, a native of Italy and a Canadian citizen, holds a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California. Now retired, he has worked as an engineer in the US aerospace industry, as a university and technical institute professor of electronics and mathematics, and as a senior executive in post secondary education and broadcasting. He is the author of books published in the US, Japan and Canada, and numerous opinion articles in leading Canadian publications. A former President and CEO of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - Radio Canada, Vancouver Community College and Niagara College, he has also done extensive consulting work in Canada, Asia and Europe in the fields of broadcasting, education, human resources, general management and governance for various organizations, including the Canadian federal government. He has served on numerous boards of directors in Canada and the US in the education, broadcasting, performing arts and health sectors.