The Algonquin College Board of Governors set the stage for next semester by electing a new chair, along with the appointment of seven new members.
Vice-chair Peter Nadeau will take over as chair after incumbent Kathryn Leroux leaves office at the end of August, after her term expires. Leroux, a Lone Star marketing executive, will have served the maximum six years as a governor.
The changes were made official at the board of governors meeting June 12.
There will be fresh faces on the board and several of its committees, with three internal governors-elect and four external governors-appointee set to take office in September.
The governors-elect are:
– Naina Kansal, student representative-elect;
– Krisha Stanton, administrative staff representative-elect and senior manager in the Registrar’s Office;
– Valerie Sayah-Hoareau, support staff representative-elect and program developer in the Centre for Organizational Learning;
The student representative is elected annually. Staff representatives have a three-year term.
The external governors, who were appointed by the board in March, are:
– Steve Barkhouse, tradesman;
– Dr. Gail Beck, a doctor at Royal Ottawa;
– Audrey-Claire Lawrence, chaplain;
– Cyril McKelvie, engineer and tech executive.
They replace governors Leroux, Mark Sutcliffe and Lynne Clark, whose terms are up. A fourth governor, Michael Tremblay, resigned in March because of a conflict of interest.
“This is my last official meeting. It’s been six years, I can’t believe it,” Leroux said at the outset of the meeting.
“I’m really looking forward to (becoming a governor),” said Lawrence in an interview after the meeting, which she attended in the audience. She would look to particularly help Indigenous students as well as “make things more culturally safe for everyone,” she said.
Chair-designate Peter Nadeau said he has a big responsibility and shoes to fill.
“Kathryn (Leroux’s) legacy is certainly one of success,” he said. “I hope I can build on it.”
At the outset of the meeting, President Cheryl Jensen said Leroux will leave a lasting impact on the college as both a governor and member of the Algonquin community.
“Kathryn was always available as she could to speak at college events,” Jensen told the board.
After the meeting, Jensen told the Times that she had a very good working relationship with Leroux. “The chair and president obviously have to be close,” she said.
If she learned anything from Leroux, it’s the value of “no surprises” – to that effect she and Leroux held a call every week to update each other to make sure they are on the same page.