Gilles (Gil) Canuel (email)
Graduating Program: 1975 Machine Shop
Profile: After graduation I got an Associates in Mechanical Engineering from Bristol Community College. I then worked at Cornell Dubilier in New Bedford having held various positions from Quality Control to Drating to Engineering. While working I attended Roger Williams University in the evenings to receive a Bachelors in Electrical Engineering. The market in the field I was in was not very good and I ended up leaving before the company eventually shipped its product to be built overseas.

I went to work for the United States Postal Service in 1986 and since I was so close to finishing my degree at that point I finished and graduated in 1990. I have been a Letter Carrier delivering mail since. I have done various jobs as trainer, teaching new Carriers in both the classroom and on the job. I have also been involved in route adjustments in and around the Southeast New England District. When I am not doing this I am delivering mail in the Eastern Ave./ North Eastern Ave. area. I do happen to be the Mailman for Diman. When I first started with the USPS I had no permanent route and delivering to various parts of the city brought me to sometimes run into former classmates. It has been very interesting.

I look back to my years at Diman and realize that the different jobs I have pursued was through my training at Diman.

My achievements to date include:

• De-Commissioning Crew: USS William M. Wood DD 715
• Crew Member of USS Holland AS-32 Winner of the 1978 Battenberg Cup for the best ship in the Atlantic Fleet for Battle Efficiency.
• Travelled the world visiting France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, US Virgin Islands, Brazil, Bermuda and Living for a time in Scotland, Australia and USA.
• In 1987 I was selected to play for the Australian Baseball Team.
• And my most recent achievement, I competed in my first Rodeo as a Team Roping Heeler.

I currently live back in Australia with my same wife, four horses, two cats, a dog and a family of Possums in the garage. Every morning I get up to the sounds of various type of parrots from Sulphur Crested to Galas. It’s not paradise, but it’s close just have to deal with an overabundance of water on occasion. I work for the local University as a Safety Officer and Logistical Supply Support in the School of Pharmacy and Molecular Sciences. It’s challenging work, however it also gives me plenty of time to train for my roping and working the horses.

While looking through the Alumni site seeing some of the names such as Mr. Ashley, Coach Pacheco, Mr Cantwell and Mr Mullaly brought back a flood of memories and a special thanks to Mr Mullaly for keeping me out of a lot of trouble. I read some of the achievements of other Alumni and was quite impressed with the calibre of people that Diman turned out. I haven’t achieved as much as some, but I’ve had an incredible first 50 years and I’m really looking forward to the second 50. If I can start Rodeoing at 52 just think of what I’m going to do at 60 (Bull Riding?).

Diman was a fantastic and challenging part of my life and I think helped me prepare for the future. People often ask me if I had it to do over, what would I change, my answer is ‘NOTHING’ as I think I’ve had a rich and wonderful life to now and it’s still going. To any future graduates that may read this, “Get out and live your life, don’t wait for life to come to you.’

After graduating I attended BCC and received an AS in 1977. From there on to SMU (aka UMass Dartmouth) with a BS in 1979 in EE. Worked at Grumman Aerospace in Long Island, NY and then moved to Seattle in 1981 going to work for Boeing. After Boeing I became an independent contractor/consultant and have been doing this for the past 10 years. Work takes me around the country, presently in San Francisco. Married for almost nine years (Anniversary is January 1) my wife Leann is also an engineer (from Rhode Island, but we met in Philadelphia - a long story). In 1999 I was President of the IEEE-USA and in 2000-2001 I was President of the IEEE Aerospace and Electronics Systems Society. In 2003 I will be the Chair of the American Assocition of Engineering Societies. Still a hacker on the golf course, also enjoy bike riding and running (first marathon is coming up).

My name is Richard Nery I graduated 1975 from the carpentry department. I attended Wentworth Institute for 4 years and have a degree in civil engineering. I am curenty employed by the state of Rhode Island as a Bridge Inspector. I have been married for 17 years to my wonderful wife Manon and currently live in North Providence Rhode Island. I have a stepdaughter Kim in Montreal and grandson Dylan who is 5 years old.