COTR board of governors announces appointments

The Board of Governors of College of the Rockies (COTR) is pleased to announce the appointment of one new board member and the reappointment of three members effective July 31, 2011.

Appointed to the college board through Provincial Order in Council is James (Jim) Abbott of Wasa for a three-year term ending July 31, 2014.

Mr. Abbott is a former Member of Parliament for Kootenay-Columbia and former Parliamentary Secretary for the federal Minister of International Co-operation. In 2007, Mr. Abbott was called by The Right Honourable Prime Minister Stephen Harper to serve on the Privy Council to her Majesty the Queen. He sat on the Foreign Affairs and International Development Standing Committee, and the Special Committee on the Canadian Mission in Afghanistan. He also served as the Parliamentary Secretary for the Minister of Canadian Heritage. Earlier in his career, Mr. Abbott held senior roles at Ricoh Canada and Panasonic Office Automation Canada. Mr. Abbott is the former Chair of Wasa Lake Land Improvement District and he holds an Executive Diploma from Vancouver Community College.

Reappointed to the board for three-year terms ending July 31, 2014 are Richard Reinders of Cranbrook and Ktunaxa Nation citizen Joseph Pierre of Cranbrook. Reappointed to the board for a two-year term ending July 31, 2013 is David Handy of Creston.

These board members join previously reappointed members Alex Jensen, Orest Federko, and Rob Ondrik of Cranbrook; COTR elected faculty representative member Grant Unger of Kimberley; and Jim Bailey, COTR Education Council Chair.

Not returning to the Board having fulfilled their full mandates are Andy Cohen of Kimberley and Marko Maryniak of Fernie. Also not returning having fulfilled their mandates are COTR student representatives Adam MacDonald and David Wiebe. Not standing for re-election having fulfilled her mandate is Heather Jackson, COTR support staff representative.

Elections for one COTR support staff representative, a three-year term, and two COTR student representatives, both one-year terms, will be held on September 22, 2011.

“I’m pleased to welcome Jim to the college’s board of governors and congratulate Richard, Joe and David on their reappointments,” said COTR President and CEO Dr. Nick Rubidge.  “I look forward to working with each of them and with Alex, Orest, Rob, Grant, Jim and those members yet to be elected in the year ahead.”

“I would like to sincerely thank Andy, Marko, Adam, David and Heather for their contributions to the board and excellent service to the college,” said Dr. Rubidge. “I wish them well in their future endeavours.”