Premier Names New President of College of the North Atlantic

The Honourable Kathy Dunderdale, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, today announced the appointment of Ann Marie Vaughan as President and CEO of College of the North Atlantic.

“Ms. Vaughan has worked in the post-secondary education field for more than two decades, most recently as Director of Distance Education, Learning and Teaching Support at Memorial University,” said Premier Dunderdale. “Her demonstrated leadership skills, combined with her extensive knowledge of our post-secondary education system, will ensure the college continues to grow, and to offer our students quality programs which are fully responsive to industry and provincial needs.”

Premier Dunderdale also took the opportunity to extend sincere thanks to Bruce Hollett, who was named interim president in June 2010, for agreeing to take over leadership of the college until a permanent president was appointed.

“Mr. Hollett has made a very positive contribution to ensuring a seamless transition to the new president,” Premier Dunderdale said. “Under his leadership, the college has seen increased growth in its enrolment and in the demand for its world-class programs.”

College of the North Atlantic is one of the largest post-secondary educational and skills training centres in Atlantic Canada. The college has 17 campuses throughout the province and one in the Middle East State of Qatar.

“As the province’s only public college, finding a strong, innovative leader was of prime importance to the search committee,” said Terry Styles, Chair of College of the North Atlantic’s Board of Governors. “On behalf of all board members, I extend a warm welcome to Ms. Vaughan, and look forward to working with her, in the interests of our students, to further the college’s excellent reputation in this province and around the world.”

Ms. Vaughan’s appointment will be effective August 1.

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Biographical Information

Ann Marie Vaughan is currently the Director of Distance Education, Learning and Teaching Support (DELTS) at Memorial University. Prior to that, she served as Associate Director of the School of Continuing Education at the university.

She has held the positions of senior planner at the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University; planning advisor with the Industrial Research Assistance Program at the National Research Council in Vancouver, British Columbia; strategic planner at the Marine Institute; account manager with the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency; and labour market information researcher with the provincial Department of Human Resources, Labour and Employment.

Ms. Vaughan has a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Education (secondary) from Memorial University; certificates in public administration and business from Memorial; a Master of Arts in higher education from the University of British Columbia; a Masters certificate in project management from York University/Memorial University; and, is currently an education doctoral candidate in higher education leadership at the University of Calgary.

Her community leadership includes many years of volunteer service to regional social and economic development boards in this province, and she has a keen interest in regional and rural development.

She has received numerous recognition awards over the years. In 2010 alone, she was personally awarded Memorial University’s President’s Award for Exemplary Service and a Nofflet Williams International Service Award, granted by the National University Technology Network, for her contribution to the field of distance education. She also led her unit to receive awards from: the Commonwealth of Learning in Institutional Achievement Award; a Distinction in Innovation Award from the Department of Innovation Trade and Rural Development; a public sector leadership award from the Institute for Public Administration in Canada. Ms. Vaughan is also an alumnus of the prestigious Governor General’s Leadership Conference.

2011 05 12                                                                                       3:05 p.m.