After an extensive recruitment campaign, the NorQuest College Board of Governors has unanimously chosen Carolyn Campbell as the new President and CEO. Ms. Campbell joined NorQuest on July 20, 2020.
“Carolyn’s passion for education, leadership style, and strong community connections were among the many outstanding factors that stood out for the Board,” says Carla Madra, Chair of NorQuest’s Board of Governors. “We are thrilled to have Carolyn join NorQuest College as our new President and CEO and we’re confident she is the right fit at the right time for NorQuest.”
Campbell has served as a Deputy Minister with the Government of Alberta, a Deputy City Manager with the City of Edmonton, and an Associate Dean of the University of Alberta School of Business. She comes to NorQuest College having been the most recent Chair of United Way of the Alberta Capital Region and Vice Chair of the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. She has two undergraduate degrees in art and an MFA from the University of Alberta, is a practicing artist, and has considerable strategic, operational, and crisis management experience.
Campbell is no stranger to the city. Growing up in Edmonton, she has seen NorQuest grow into a comprehensive community college that is a key player in the post-secondary sector. The College now offers more than 30 programs and serves over 19,000 students across its downtown and regional campuses.
Campbell is thrilled to lead NorQuest College, and describes this as her dream role. She recalls her first time walking into NorQuest’s newest downtown building, the Singhmar Centre for Learning. “I was absolutely captivated by the energy and the sense of belonging here, and remember thinking ‘this is where I want to be.’ NorQuest is a special place where you can hear languages from every corner of the world being spoken – it represents a true global community.”
Recently, Campbell had the opportunity to meet over a hundred students from NorQuest during a United Way event, and was moved by their compassion, skills, and desire to enhance their studies with work to serve their communities. She loves the classroom and counts her teaching experiences as among the most rewarding in her career.
“Every time I enter NorQuest, I’m greeted so warmly by students, and I feel their hope and optimism,” says Campbell. “I can’t wait to get to know them better.”
Joan Hertz, who stepped in as interim President and CEO, continued the interim presidency until July 20, 2020.
“We are fortunate that the College has attracted remarkable leaders and we are extremely grateful for Joan Hertz’s leadership as interim CEO,” says Madra. “Joan has led us through unprecedented times and made a lasting impact on the College.”