The Ontario Sunshine List for 2020, which releases the names of public-sector employees who made more than $100,000 a year, was recently announced, and George Brown College (GBC) has more than 572 individuals placed on the list. Many of them include professors, special advisors, and individuals part of the senior leadership team. 

The Sunshine List was first published in 1996 in Ontario when 4,576 names were published as a result of the Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act. In this act, organizations that received funding from the Province of Ontario had to release the names, positions, salaries and benefits of employees who were paid more than $100,000. 

Within GBC, around 26.4 per cent of individuals on the Sunshine List received earnings between $100,000 and $110,000, 69.1per cent of individuals earned between $110,001 and $150,000, 3.1per cent earned between $150,001 and $200,000, 0.87 per cent had a salary between $200,001 and $250,000, 0.2 per cent earned between $250,001 and $300,000, and only one individual, President Anne Sado, earned more than $300,000. 

Among other publicly funded colleges within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), GBC is behind Seneca College, Humber College, and Sheridan College in terms of the number of employees on the list. However, GBC has more employees than Centennial College – which has 459 employees who have landed on the Sunshine List. Out of all the colleges in the GTA, Centennial and Sheridan College’s student enrollment population is around GBC’s, with around 40,000 full-time and part-time students at each school, compared to GBCs approximately 33,000 students. 

Compared to other colleges with similar or slightly larger enrollment numbers such as Mohawk, with 30,000 students or Conestoga, with around 45,000 students, GBC has more employees on the Sunshine List. In 2020, Mohawk College reported to have 375 employees on the list, and Conestoga College reported to have 469 employees. 

Among the publicly funded colleges in Ontario, the President is always reported to be the highest-earning employee. At GBC, Sado is reported to have earned more than $350,000 in 2020, and for Seneca College, President David Agnew was paid $400,157.72. The other employees in the president position from publicly funded colleges received between $200,000 to $450,000 in terms of salary in 2020. 

Within GBC, four vice presidents were the highest-paid individuals after Sado. Rick Huijbregts, the Vice-President of Strategy and Innovation, was placed second with an annual earning of $289,999.88, followed by Cory Ross, the Vice President of Academic who received a total of $245,000.04, Chief Financial Officer Michael Herrera who made $229,480.99, and Karen Thomson, the Vice President of Corporate Services who made $229,480.99. 

Compared to the Sunshine List released in 2020, the number of employees on the list increased by 2.3 per cent and the total earnings of all employees on the list increased by 3.3 per cent. However, the number of positions decreased by 3 per cent.

For a complete list of college employees who made over $100,000 in 2020, click here.