New President & CEO announced for Red Deer College

From 2007-2011, Dr. Nunoda was the Dean of Faculty of Health at the University College of the North. Before that position, he served as the Director of Access Programs and Program Director for Aboriginal Focus Programs at the University of Manitoba. Dr. Nunoda was also an instructor in the Departments of History and Native Studies for 12 years at the University of Manitoba, where he conducted research projects on various topics, including Aboriginal health education and Aboriginal student retention. His subject matter expertise in Aboriginal health also led him to a position with the Indigenous Health Unit at James Cook University in Australia.

Now however, Dr. Nunoda says he’s excited to help lead RDC’s transition into a university.

“We will become a teaching university, not a research university like U of A or U of C,” he explains. “That will mean our mission to students is first and foremost but at the same time, want to give students the opportunity to begin and finish their post-secondary education here at the university. I can imagine it’s going to take us the better part of two years to accomplish the first parts of that transition.”

Dr. Nunoda feels it’s important the institution position its brand uniquely.

“I think we have programs that will allow us to do that,” he exclaims. “I would say that we want to rely on the applied learning that is the hallmark of Red Deer College and translate that to our degrees. But at the same time, we want to be able to offer pathways through baccalaureate degrees for our students to continue on into graduate programs at other institutions.”

Once established, Dr. Nunoda anticipates working closely with the new Alberta government to help keep university transition plans on track.

“I’ve asked about getting time with the deputy minister at this point but I think the new government here will take a different approach perhaps to post-secondary education,” he contemplates. “I look forward to that opportunity for fresh conversations. I’d say that’s one of the things I bring with me from British Columbia, is that I have a very strong reputation in government relations and I think that’s going to be critical in our transition process.”

College officials say the Board of Governors thanks Leaders International, an executive search firm, for their assistance in hiring Dr. Nunoda.

“We were looking for a good fit for our college-university transition,” explains Morris Flewwelling, Board of Governors Chair. “We wanted somebody who could lead us through that transition who had experience both in college and university administration. We looked at somebody who shared the same values as we have at the College and in this community and who would become a member of this community that the community would embrace.”

Flewwelling says they weren’t looking for someone who was exotic or difficult to work with.

“Once we interviewed Dr. Nunoda, we knew we had the right person.”

Dr. Nunoda and his wife, Joanne, have three children, Erin, Emily and Ethan, who all attend post-secondary institutions in Canada.

He is an avid golfer and a dedicated hockey fan.

(With files from RDC)

by Sheldon Spackman

New President & CEO announced for Red Deer College

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