Morris Flewwelling (centre), now former chair of the Red Deer College board of governors, is shown here receiving an honourary degree from RDC in 2014. (rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

former mayor reacts

Flewwelling disappointed, but optimistic after removal from RDC board

Sep 14, 2019 | 4:59 PM

The former mayor of Red Deer isn’t entirely content with how he was ousted this past week from his role as chair of the Red Deer College Board of Governors.

Morris Flewwelling, who was installed in the role in March 2017, says he feels somewhat disrespected by the move announced on Wednesday.

Flewwelling received a call on Monday from Assistant Deputy Minister Dan Rizzoli at the Ministry of Advanced Education informing him that his time was running out and that he would hear more soon. He ended up calling the ministry on Wednesday for an update because the board at RDC was scheduled for a number of activities including a meeting on Thursday.

“I would’ve preferred it had come from the minister. I’ve worked with Dan over the past two and a half years, so I respect him, and we certainly got along well. I felt bad that he was the person that got dinged with giving me the news,” Flewwelling laments.

“I felt a bit disrespected. I had six months left in my term and I felt that I should have been allowed to run that out.”

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Flewwelling acknowledges the NDP also installed their own people after coming into power in 2015, but they at least waited until ongoing terms expired.

“To be fair to government — and maybe I’m being too generous — we had 70 years where there was no change in government, so there’s been no real protocol developed for how to deal with this,” he says. “This is a bit of a new game for Alberta.”

RELATED: Guy Pelletier named RDC board chair

During Flewwelling’s time as board chair, the college hit several noteworthy milestones, including gaining approval to transition into a university, opening three new buildings, one of those being the $88 million Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre, and they hired a new president.

Flewwelling believes the changeover comes at a very inopportune time.

During Flewwelling’s time as board chair, the college hit several noteworthy milestones, including gaining approval to transition into a university, opening three new buildings including the $88 million Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre, and the hiring of a new president.

Flewwelling believes the changeover comes at a very inopportune time.

“It’s a matter of disappointment because I was heavily invested in what the college has just completed and where we were going with the new president only a week in the chair, and with the transition to a university well under way,” he says. “I knew these were going to be really interesting times and I was looking forward to building on what we’d already done. I’m also not building a resume; this is a volunteer position.”

At the end of the day, however, Flewwelling describes his replacement, Guy Pelletier, as a good friend, saying the only good news that could come out of this was his appointment.

“We had already been recommending his name going forward, and they did have the good sense to appoint him. He’s familiar with the college having been on the foundation board before, and he is chairman of the president’s transition team,” points out Flewwelling, who served as Red Deer, mayor from 2004-2013.

“I think what we’re headed for though, with fiscal policies that have been predicted, is a reduction in funding to post-secondary education and the raising of student fees. This is going to cause some unrest amongst the institutions, the faculty and the students. I think the new chairman is going to face some rocky times.”

Along with Flewwelling, Dianne Macaulay and Karin Melnyk were also removed from the board. They will be replaced by Kristen Korhonen and Julie Oliver, who along with Pelletier were appointed for three-year terms ending in 2022.

Pelletier, a former trustee and board chair with Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools, is currently chair of the RDC President’s Transition Team and Vice-President, Red Deer Region, for Melcor Developments.

Korhonen is Regional Vice President, Alberta Central, at BMO Financial Group, and Oliver is a Business Advisor for MNP in Red Deer.