The Municipal Information Systems Association of Ontario (MISA Ontario) announced the addition of the MISA Ontario Luminary Award, a new distinction recognizing exceptional achievement in municipal technology and digital transformation.

Award purpose and eligibility

The Luminary Award celebrates outstanding contributions across technology infrastructure, cybersecurity, systems design, data architecture, automation, and digital transformation. Eligible nominees must be MISA Ontario members or part of a supporting organization and may be nominated by peers or MISA committees.

Recipients are chosen by a panel of municipal representatives who evaluate nominations against established criteria, including measurable impact on municipal operations or services, innovation, long-term sustainability and scalability of solutions, and demonstrated collaboration across municipalities.

What the award recognizes

The Luminary Award highlights individuals who:

• Deliver clear, measurable improvements to municipal services and operations
• Introduce innovative technical approaches with sustainable, scalable designs
• Actively collaborate with MISA Ontario initiatives and share expertise to accelerate other organizations' technical goals

2025 inaugural recipients and special recognition

The inaugural Luminary Award winners were honoured at the MISA Ontario InfoSec Awards Dinner on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, during the 2025 MISA Ontario InfoSec Conference and Trade Show at the Hamilton Convention Centre in Hamilton.

• Brian Whitelaw, MISA Ontario Alumni; Entrepreneur/Consultant, IT6 Management Consulting Services; Senior Consultant, Perry Group Consulting Ltd. - 2025 Luminary Award recipient
• Brad Hearn, Information Technology Manager, Corporation of the City of Temiskaming Shores - 2025 Luminary Award recipient
• A Special Recognition award was also presented to Phil Walpole, Senior Manager of Business Solutions for the Government of Ontario.

2025 MISA Ontario Luminary Winners:

Brian Whitelaw , MISA Ontario Alumni, Entrepreneur/Consultant, IT6 Management Consulting Services, Senior Consultant at Perry Group Consulting Ltd.

The Inductor Luminary Award honors individuals with exceptional technical contributions to MISA Ontario in technology infrastructure, cybersecurity, systems design, and digital transformation. This year, we celebrate a visionary who has significantly impacted the municipal IT landscape in Ontario.

Our honouree dedicated nearly two decades to the City of London's IT Services Division, culminating as Associate IT Director. His credentials CISM, CRISC, CGEIT, PMP, SFIA reflect his expertise, particularly in cybersecurity and governance. He provided clarity and strategy for complex systems, aiding municipalities in navigating the digital world.

From 2010 to 2014, he served on the MISA Ontario Board, advocating for strong IT governance and cybersecurity. He received the John Cushing Award of Merit in 2014 for his outstanding service.

Currently with The Perry Group, he utilizes his skills in IT governance, cybersecurity, policy development, and organizational assessment, helping municipalities enhance their digital foundations. A generous mentor and collaborator, he inspires others and strengthens the community through shared knowledge.

Brad Hearn, Information Technology Manager, Corporation of the City of Temiskaming Shores

Since 1999, more than 50 Ontario municipalities have connected a physical server to the provincial ICON system using an aging solution that now runs on unsupported operating systems and presents a serious security risk. MISA Ontario formed this special interest group as a project to coordinate members, share information, and serve as the liaison with provincial partners to support a move to a newer virtual solution. 

The initiative requires no central funding only time for collaboration though individual municipalities may face costs to migrate their environments.

In the Icon Special Interest Group, Brad has played a crucial role in helping many achieve the provincially mandated goal of migrating from outdated and insecure hardware to supported virtual systems. The impact he has had across the province and the collaboration he has fostered will be appreciated for years to come. For these reasons, congratulations to Brad as one of the first recipients of the MISA Ontario Luminary Award.

Special Recognition Award

Phil Walpole. Senior Manager, Business Solutions (Acting)

Phil Walpole, Senior Manager of Business Solutions for the Government of Ontario, was recognized with the Special Recognition Award in his absence.

In the Icon Special Interest Group, Phil has served as our provincial liaison. He has played a crucial role in the migration of all POA court municipalities across Ontario. Phil has consistently attended our meetings, addressed our questions, and actively participated in our group.  MISA Ontario would like to acknowledge Phil for his invaluable support and participation in this technology transformation. This milestone couldn't have achieved this without him.

Learn more

Details about MISA Ontario's awards program and past winners are available on the MISA Ontario Awards page.