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Board Portfolio
Ashley Anderson
Ashley Anderson's car caught on fire the day she won her seat as Student Representative on NSCC's Board of Governors. Talk about good following bad. It's an apt metaphor for the challenges and opportunities in Ashley's life. Married with two children at age 18, Ashley was living a life far beyond her years. When she was 22, Ashley found the courage to start a new life for her and her kids. She also fulfilled her own dream of heading back to school.
During her time at NSCC, Ashley was no ordinary student. Deeply committed to community and helping others, she initiated "Students in Style," a program that collects donated business wear and distributes it to students who may not be able to afford suitable clothes. She also graduated with honours and won three prestigious awards, in addition to her role on the Board of Governors.
As a student representative, Ashley found the Board to be an open and comfortable environment. That was after she got over the intimidation factor. "I'd walk into the room and there would be all of these professional, distinguished-looking people who were making a huge difference in so many ways and there I was, just a student, trying to find my own way." Happily, she discovered the other Board members were friendly and generous with their time and attention. "They would come over and ask me how I was doing and ask about my sons. It really made me feel connected and comfortable."
Ashley says that the most important thing she learned during her one year tenure was that she belonged at the Board of Governors table. "I gained the confidence to step outside my normal realm of security and to speak up if what I had to say might make a positive difference for someone." She advises future student representatives to just go for it. "It was the highlight of my entire college experience and has shaped my thoughts going forward. Now when something crops up that may seem out of my range, I say: 'No it's not. I can do that!'"
It's this "feel the fear and do it anyway," attitude that Ashley teaches her two sons. Her greatest reward came on the day of the NSCC Awards Ceremony when her oldest son told her he had no idea what a difference she was making. "It was a proud moment," she says. "I didn't think I'd be here ten years ago. I've come a long way."
Jim Bate
"If I'm not having fun, I'm not going to do it." That's the philosophy Jim Bate lives by. The Academic Chair for the School of Business has been at NSCC for 15 years, so he must be having a good time. His stint as the Administrative Staff Representative on the College's Board of Governors was no exception.
In his three years on the Board, Jim was part of several exciting initiatives: the $11 million facelift to his home campus in Pictou, the design of the new Metro campus, and the hiring of NSCC's President, Joan McArthur-Blair. But this former business person and entrepreneur is quick to point out that fun is only part of the equation.
There's also the importance of contributing. As an avid volunteer with children and youth, community organizations, and amateur theatre, Jim readily admits he's a happier person when giving his time. It's one of the things that most impressed him about NSCC's Board - it's completely volunteer run. "All the Board members I spoke with really admired the college and liked being on the Board. They didn't need to be paid; it was an honour for them."
Another of Jim's favourite take-aways from his time on the Board was the opportunity to see the values of consultation with stakeholders and consensus decision making being lived from the top down. "It's a true collaboration," he says. "They set the example at the highest level and lead by that example. There's no rubber stamping."
According to Jim, walking the talk is something NSCC does well. Their commitment to putting students at the forefront is demonstrated by having current students serve on the Board. "Everyone took those students and what they had to say very seriously," says Jim. "They weren't just token student representatives - they were full members and very well respected."
Although Jim has long believed that NSCC is making a difference in people's lives, his time on the Board reinforced it. "NSCC is such a wonderful way to help people. We're a helping business, a helping industry. If people get an education, then they can live the lives that they want. And that in turn helps our province."
Fred Chalmers
At his first Board of Governors meeting in 2001, Fred Chalmers read NSCC's mission statement and had a good chuckle. "When I read that they wanted to advance the economic well being of Nova Scotia, I thought: 'Where are these people coming from? What gives them the right to take on this mandate?'" But six years later, Fred says the College is bang on. "The longer I worked there the more I realized how vital the work of the NSCC is."
The fact that the government of the day recognized NSCC's potential in the form of $123 million was essential, says Fred. "Future Boards will need to make sure the political leadership of the province continues to support them."
As General Manager of Wilson Fuel Company Ltd, Fred brought an entrepreneurial perspective and solid financial skills to the Board. He served on the Finance and Audit committees for six years and had the pleasure of getting to know some "wonderful characters."
"The opportunity to network with other Board members and hear them share their thoughts and opinions was one of the best experiences," says Fred, who claims he garnered a reputation for asking lots of questions. In fact, it's a piece of advice that he offers to new Board members. "You're there, you volunteered, you said yes and now you're at your first Board meeting - it's very overwhelming. Don't be scared to ask questions."
One of the things that Fred learned through his time on the Board was that it's the presence of great leadership that moves an organization forward. "And that's what NSCC has - great leadership at both the executive and Board levels." In fact, Fred was involved in choosing the new leadership when Past President Ray Ivany left the College. "The opportunity to hire the new President had to be the scariest thing we ever did, the best thing we ever did, and the most satisfying thing we ever did. You don't get to do that very often."
For Fred, making decisions that helped shape the future of NSCC and the province was a once in a lifetime chance. "I haven't been involved in a lot of Boards in the past, but this one has been a real pleasure. It was a great learning experience and I only hope that I contributed a little bit."
Sandy Dyke
What Sandy Dyke has always liked about NSCC is the progressive and dynamic nature of the organization. "Things are changing in a positive direction on a regular basis," says the faculty member with the School of Business at the Kingstec campus. "Just about everyone who's involved with NSCC believes in what the College is doing. There's surprisingly little dissent and when people are all moving together in the same direction, you can get a lot done."
Sandy's tenure on the Board of Governors only served to enhance this perception. "It's been wonderful and eye-opening for me to see the degree of concern, compassion, and interest that all of the Board members from outside agencies have for NSCC," he says. "As an employee of the College, to see the degree of effort that these prominent business people put into the Board has been very gratifying."
Sandy was also heartened to witness the hard work by senior management personnel. "The briefs that they would put together and the work they would do was very impressive," he says. "These are people who are willing to put in the effort to get things moving and who feel it's important that the organization continues to prosper."
The 17-year veteran of the College admits that he can be opinionated. "I like to push for things that I think are appropriate and necessary." To his surprise, he had to do very little of that at the Board level. "I generally agreed with most of the decisions that were being made and I have to admit, that was surprising to me."
Mentored by Rob Sobey, Sandy remembers his initial advice well. "He talked about the importance of maintaining a broader view and taking the discussion to a higher level." Sandy says that he returned to that recommendation many times over. "I resisted the temptation to nitpick and focused on helping to paint the overall big picture, making sure it was in the right direction and trusting that there would be other problem solvers who would take care of the details."
The highlight of his Board tenure was seeing the shift in public perception regarding NSCC. "The move from being the 'vocational' school to being a true college system that is really making an impact in a wide number of areas for Nova Scotians has been phenomenal to witness." Sandy believes that the College is producing graduates who are better educated, better trained, and more forward thinking than ever before. "These high quality tradespersons and technical professionals are going to really help the province. NSCC is leading the way."
Chuck Hartlen
When Chuck Hartlen felt he was in a position to give back to his community, he spent a long time deciding where he wanted to volunteer. "I wanted to make sure that my time would be spent doing something I could enjoy and believe in," he says. "And I also wanted the experience to be something that would help me expand and grow as a person."
As a long term Bell Aliant employee, Chuck was also cognizant of the company's role when making his decision. "Our company is a leader in the community," says the Senior Vice President of Customer Experience. "I needed my contribution to really make a difference in the province." For those reasons, when the time came to choose, Chuck picked NSCC and actively pursued a Board position. "They didn't come after me," he says. "I went after them."
Chuck rose to the position of Vice Chair and then Chair early in his tenure and was able to witness first hand the kind of impact NSCC was having on Nova Scotia's economy. "Being part of NSCC was a tangible and meaningful way to contribute to the province's prosperity."
One of the highlights of his six years on the Board was the first hand interaction with students. "When I compare what I was like at that age to some of the students we were exposed to on the Board, their maturity was just incredible," he says. "When I was in the post secondary cycle, it was all about the tests and the marks, not the actual learning experience. The focus that NSCC puts in that area makes it a very special place for learning."
Chuck's experience on NSCC's Board of Governors was everything he could have anticipated and more. His term ended in 2007, but he continues to be an advocate for NSCC and life long learning. "I've had hundreds of conversations with young people during and after my term with the Board and I always make sure that I mention the College to them, as an option, as something that that could make a difference in their lives."
He makes sure to tell them that the folks at NSCC are an "amazing bunch" - always energizing and inspirational. "NSCC prepares people for what they want to do in life."
Steffie Hawrylak
Every teacher should seek out the opportunity to learn something new and different - to once again become a learner. This is one of Steffie Hawrylak-Young's philosophies, and it served her well as Academic Staff Representative on NSCC's Board of Governors. "My learning curve was straight up," says the Communications instructor who had no previous Board experience. In retrospect, Steffie says the NSCC Board was the perfect place to learn good governance practice. "It's well run, well represented, efficient, and transparent."
In fact, Steffie encourages her students to attend the public Board meetings. "I teach the process of running effective meetings, and our Board meetings are an excellent example of the efficient use of Robert's Rules of Order."
Steffie brings her own industry experience and enthusiasm to her classes. She volunteers to serve as the campus valedictorian coach at convocation and has what she laughingly refers to as "attachment issues" with her students. "When it comes time for them to leave, I have a hard time letting them go."
During her three-year term, Steffie had to learn to take off the faculty hat she'd been wearing for the previous 20 years and put on her Governor hat. She admits it was challenging to change perspectives and see the big picture, but this experience helped her to understand the organization in a different way. The other challenge was feeling that she should know everything about Board practice right away. "I was encouraged by senior management to use the first year of my term to get adjusted and the remaining two years to contribute productively."
Steffie considers her time on the Board to have been an amazing experience and has some specific advice for new Board members. "Ask questions and be prepared to make mistakes." She admits to having made plenty of those herself and is grateful to her Board colleagues and others for their generosity and patience as she "learned how to learn". She will pass along these lessons to her students as they struggle through their early days at NSCC. "When a teacher becomes a learner - that's a humbling and powerful experience."
Ray Ivany
Ray Ivany came to NSCC because he felt there was a major missing piece in the post secondary education system of Nova Scotia. "At that time, simply by virtue of being born in Nova Scotia versus any other province in Canada, your choices in terms of applied post secondary education were significantly fewer - and I thought that was fundamentally wrong." He's referring to the historically low ratio of community college to university enrolment that resulted from Nova Scotia's late transition from vocational high schools to applied post-secondary education delivered through a Board-governed institution. Ray set out to change all of that. "I was drawn to the opportunity to right this wrong."
As President of NSCC, Ray knew that such a quantum leap would need to be driven by a talented and enthusiastic Board of Governors. And that's just what he got. "We were very conscious of needing to attract Board members who were both excited by and committed to the challenge the College was facing," he says. "I had to pinch myself over and over during that time. I felt so blessed by how many incredible people were willing to take on that role and make such enormous contributions."
The rate of change during Ray's tenure from 1998-2005 was rapid and significant. And through it all, he felt the Board was right with him. "When I discussed this with colleagues elsewhere, they were amazed that the Board was willing to go out on a limb and make the case for a $123 million dollar government investment to finance a major expansion - at a time when the College was just in its nascent stages."
Ray contends that it would have been entirely reasonable for the Board to slowly build a foundation over five or ten years before a big expansion. But, he says, the Board was willing to go further. "Boards that have the courage to do what is right are rare, but in our case, it was there in ample quantity."
There was never a doubt in Ray's mind that NSCC's Board of Governors was in tune with a larger vision - a better Nova Scotia. "Many times I was deeply moved because you could feel that this group of people was doing exactly what the legislation that founded the College stated - putting the needs of the province first." The other foremost consideration at the Board table were the students. Ray says that at the end of the day the Board members' willingness to go the extra mile was based on the fact that they believed their actions were going to benefit students.
"My involvement with NSCC's Board of Governors was both a confirmation and a wonderful example of something I've always believed," says Ray. "Nothing significant happens alone; it happens because a group of committed people come together."
Libby LeVatte
Libby LeVatte is a born teacher with a deep investment in her own life long learning. And at NSCC, she believes she's found the perfect environment in which to grow. "The great thing about working at NSCC is that the College environment encourages you to be a learner."
Libby's NSCC journey began 20 years ago when she was hired as a retail merchandising instructor at the Shelburne campus. "I loved teaching and seeing the light bulbs go on for students," she says. "Seeing someone get turned onto learning and begin to see possibilities they didn't see before was very powerful."
Positions as curriculum consultant and academic chair followed suit, leading to her current role as Manager of Learning Initiatives, Organizational Learning. When it came time for the staff elections to the Board of Governors in 2005, Libby jumped at the chance. "I wanted to give back to an organization that I'm passionate about," she says, adding that Board governance was always of interest to her. Upon being elected, Libby literally threw herself into the work. "The best way for me to learn is to just immerse myself and the learning curve was steep," she laughs.
As someone who is a visionary herself, Libby loved being part of the high level, future-oriented decisions that included NSCC's second strategic plan and the first ever academic plan. She also appreciated having the opportunity to see the College from a different perspective. "I now understand the commitment of our President in a way I never would have and I'm simply blown away by the dedication of our external Board members," she says. "I've also learned from these colleagues in the community that NSCC is one of the best-run organizations around."
As a Board member, Libby was also given the chance to address NSCC graduates at convocation and bring greetings from the Board. "I found that very emotional because convocation is the celebration of why we exist. To be able to stand up on that stage and speak to that group of graduates has been an awesome experience for me." Additionally, she's mentored two student governors in her tenure and considers it a privilege to help these outstanding students. "I've gotten just as much out of it as I've given."
Libby is quick to say that being on the Board of Governors was one of the most phenomenal learning experiences of her career and her life. She highly recommends it to other NSCC staff. "It will be an opportunity to continue in your learning, give back, and grow a real appreciation for the impact we're making across the province. No longer are we Nova Scotia's best kept secret."
Tiffany Mockford
When Tiffany Mockford decided to go back to school at age 30, her daughter was just entering grade primary. Coincidentally, they actually started school on the same day. "She was very excited for me," laughs the Business Administration Accounting graduate. "But as a single mom, I knew I was asking her to give up a lot in order for me to go back to school full time." Tiffany also knew that five-year-old Aunaka would be watching her and learning. "I wanted her to see that I valued education and that life is about continuously growing and improving."
It's been said that when you go back to school as a mature student, you go back with a vengeance and this was certainly true of Tiffany. She excelled academically while working part time and being heavily involved in campus and community activities. It was her work as a Student Information Officer at the Kingstec campus which led Tiffany to become interested in the overall governance of the College and to run for a student representative position on NSCC's Board of Governors. But she couldn't have been prepared for how much she would learn or how the Board embraces its Student Governors. "The students aren't there just to make the College look good. We are very involved and are often asked our opinions. It's true mentoring."
Tiffany learned about the importance of communication and collaboration through her time on the Board. "They actively listen to what people are saying and positively collaborate among all the different committees." She adds that while there may be some healthy disagreement, discussions never get heated and there is a shared respect among Board members. "That was a great thing to witness and a wonderful learning opportunity."
The highlight of her experience though was being asked to bring greetings from the Board to the graduating students of another campus. "Sitting onstage and looking out at all the graduates was powerful," she says. "I could see their excitement and I could share it because I had just walked across the stage a few days before."
On her graduation day, Tiffany's mother - a long time NSCC employee - handed her the diploma while her daughter Aunaka jumped up and down in the audience and yelled "Yeah, Mommy!" And the cherry on her graduation cake? Being presented with the Board of Governors Award recognizing strong academic achievement and community involvement. "Two years ago if someone had told me what I would do at NSCC and that I would win an award such as this at the end, I would have never believed them," says Tiffany. "What an honour."
Kelly Nelson
In the year that Kelly Nelson was Chair of NSCC's Board of Governors, he helped choose and mentor a new President, watched the Metro campus rise from the Dartmouth waterfront, and saw the implementation of a strategic plan that will carry the College through the next five or ten years. In his own words: "It was a very busy time."
As the Vice President, Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer at High Liner Foods, Kelly is no stranger to busy. He's also no stranger to money; part of the reason he was chosen to head the Finance Committee for a portion of his six-year tenure. But his time in the corporate world didn't prepare him for NSCC's style of inclusive decision making. When he first came on the Board in 2000, he was convinced that collaborating with so many people when making major decisions just slowed everything down. But then he saw the results.
"If you look at the massive changes NSCC has gone through over the last ten years, it's absolutely amazing to think they've accomplished this much and at the same time, kept nearly everyone happy," he says. "It's because they included everybody. Every person felt that their views were valued, that they were an integral part of the whole process, and that they could make a difference. It was powerful."
In fact, one of the highlights of his time as a Board member was the opportunity to meet the people of NSCC. "It didn't matter who you talked to, whether it was maintenance staff in Yarmouth or a faculty member or a corporate Board member, there was a real enthusiasm for the College and where it was going. There was a shared vision and it was fun to be part of that."
In a province chock full of universities, Kelly says that NSCC stands out, in large part because of their complete and utter focus on the student. "Universities are about universities. They are about tradition and professors acheiving success by writing papers. But community college is all about the student and how we can make things easier for people to get an education."
Being a part of an organization that impacts so many lives was inspiring. "I really felt I was making a difference and that what we were doing was extremely important to the province of Nova Scotia." And while he recognizes his own unique contributions, Kelly knows he learned a lot too. "When you put your heart and soul into something, you always get something back."
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