November 10, 2009
UNB News Release: 09-151

Leaders in academia, business and engineering are among eight new members to join the University of New Brunswick’s Board of Governors.

The new members are: H.E.A. (Eddy) Campbell, UNB president; Janet Holder, president of Enbridge Gas Distribution; Adrienne O’Pray, independent consultant; Kevin Ferguson, past president of UNB’s Associated Alumni; Mary McKenna, kinesiology professor; Debra Lindsay, history professor; Jon O’Kane, UNB Fredericton student union president; and Melissa Colwell, Student Representative Council president at UNB Saint John.

David Stevenson, founding partner with Stevenson & Partners LLP, and Roxanne Fairweather, CEO of Innovatia, are returning as Board chair and vice-chair, respectively. Brian Baxter, CEO and Chair of Botsford Investments Inc., and Roxanne Fairweather have had their appointments renewed for another three years. Stacey Wilson-Forsberg, PhD candidate at UNB, has been re-elected for another one-year term.

“Our Board members come from varied academic and professional backgrounds, but what they all have in common is their strong ties to the university,” said David Stevenson, Board chair. “Everyone who serves on the Board brings valuable insight and has a strong commitment to the future well-being of UNB. I am pleased to welcome the new members and look forward to working with all of the members of the Board to make UNB the best it can be.”

In accepting appointments, Board members assume substantial responsibilities. The Board assesses the performance of the president, and approves, on the recommendation of the Fredericton and Saint John Senates, educational programs and conferral of degrees. Board members are responsible for approving policies, plans and priorities. The Board sets fees, allocates financial resources, and ensures strong financial oversight. It is also responsible for safeguarding the university’s lands and buildings.

“It’s important to have new and old faces around the table as we move into a period of transition,” said Eddy Campbell, UNB president. “As the university goes through the strategic planning process, I think it’s wonderful to have the fresh ideas of new Board members and the experience and wisdom of those who have already been around the Board table.”

The UNB community wishes to thank the members of the Board of Governors who recently completed their terms: Michael Bradley, Gary Donahee, George Estey, John McLaughlin, Sharon Rich, Bethany Vail, John Wallace and Nigel Wyles. Their commitment to the University of New Brunswick and its evolution as an institution of higher education has contributed to UNB’s status as a national university.

The Board of Governors meets five times throughout the year. It is composed of 42 members.

Established in 1785, UNB is one of the oldest public universities in North America. One of the top five comprehensive universities in Canada, according to Maclean’s, UNB has more than 12,500 students from more than 100 countries. As the largest research institution in New Brunswick, UNB conducts more than 75 per cent of the province’s university research. The university has more than 3,500 faculty and staff, and an annual operating budget of more than $160 million. UNB’s two main campuses are located in Fredericton and Saint John, N.B.

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About the Board Members

H.E.A. (Eddy) Campbell

Before coming to UNB, Eddy Campbell was acting president and vice-chancellor at Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN). In 2004, he was appointed MUN’s vice-president (academic), following 21 years at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont.

A mathematician, Dr. Campbell’s main research interest is the invariant theory of finite groups. He has maintained an active research career and holds an NSERC Discovery Grant, which was renewed in 2008 for five years. He has been involved in a variety of fundraising activities on behalf of universities, the Canadian Mathematical Society, and the United Way. He is the recipient of the first T. Geoffrey Flynn Award at Queen’s for his work championing the cause of university advancement.

Janet Holder

As president of Enbridge Gas Distribution, Janet Holder is responsible for the overall leadership and operations of the company and provides oversight for utility and non-regulated businesses in Eastern Canada and the United States. She is also a member of Calgary-based Enbridge Inc.’s corporate leadership team. Prior to her appointment as president, Ms. Holder was vice-president, Enbridge Pipelines Inc. in Edmonton.

Ms. Holder serves on the boards of the Canadian Gas Association, the Ontario Energy Association, Saint Elizabeth Health Care, Saint Elizabeth Health Care Foundation, the West Park Healthcare Centre Foundation, and the Natural Resource Division United Way Toronto Campaign Cabinet. She has a bachelor of science in chemical engineering degree from UNB and a MBA from McMaster University.

Adrienne O’Pray

Adrienne O’Pray is a business consultant. Prior to this, she was chief operating officer at the Atlantic Lottery Corporation, where she worked for six years. During this time, she brought ALC to a new level with a focus on customer centricity, innovation and process improvement.

Ms. O’Pray began her career at NB Tel where she quickly moved through the ranks, propelled, in part by her ability to recognize corporate and consumer trends and institute change.

Her achievements were recognized on the national level in 2008 when she was named one of Canada’s Top 40 under 40.

Ms. O’Pray is actively involved in her community, lending her experience as a board member to organizations such as the Friends of The Moncton Hospital Foundation, a group that raises funds for The Moncton Hospital. She has her MBA from UNB.

Kevin Ferguson

Kevin Ferguson is a practice director with Accreon, a Fredericton-based management and information technology consulting firm. With more than 15 years of consulting and operational experience, his core areas of expertise are organizational change leadership, strategic planning, and business process optimization.

He teaches a seminar on Leading Successful Change at UNB’s College of Extended Learning and serves as co-chair of Accreon’s Business Leadership Council, an internal group of senior leaders in the firm.

Prior to joining Accreon, Mr. Ferguson spent nearly 10 years with EMC Corporation, the world leader in information infrastructure solutions, where he held the leadership role for strategic change in the professional services division.

Mr. Ferguson has a bachelor of business administration and a bachelor of arts degree from UNB and is the immediate Past President of the Associated Alumni.

Mary McKenna Mary McKenna is a professor in the faculty of kinesiology at UNB and a registered dietitian. She teaches courses in nutrition and wellness, conducts research on school nutrition policies, and advocates for healthy eating in Canadian schools and other settings.

She is part of a Canadian Institutes of Health Research-funded project team that is evaluating school nutrition policy in PEI. Recently, she completed a technical review paper for the World Health Organization on school nutrition policies. She also worked for several years at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

Dr. McKenna is a member of UNB’s Senate, the Wellness Committee and the Chronic Illness Research Institute. She is also part of the School District 18 Health Advisory Committee and the NB Minister of Agriculture’s Roundtable. She is a member of the scientific advisory board of Centre for Science in the Public Interest (Canada) and is chair of the Nutrition Community of Practice of the Canadian Association of School Health.

Debra Lindsay

Debra Lindsay has been a member of the department of history and politics at UNB Saint John since 1997. She teaches courses in US history. Her area of specialization is 19th- century science and her research focuses on gender and science and paleobotany. She is the director of the Lorenzo Art Series. This is her second term on the Board of Governors.

Dr. Lindsay has served as a senator on the Saint John Senate for eight years and this is her second term on the Board.

Jon O’Kane

Jon O’Kane is a fourth-year science student at UNB Fredericton and Richard J. Currie Scholarship recipient. He is the president of the Student Union, representing all full-time undergraduate students on the Fredericton campus. His past work with the Student Union has included the role of vice-president, external; and volunteer work as an election official. His involvement in student government has been focused on student advocacy.

Outside of UNB, Mr. O’Kane has served on the Board of Directors of the New Brunswick Student Alliance and is the Eastern Regional Coordinator for the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations.

Melissa Colwell

Melissa Colwell is a third-year student at UNB Saint John, majoring in psychology and minoring in criminal justice. She is president of UNB Saint John’s Student Representative Council. This is her first time in student government. She is a member of the UNB Student Volunteer Unit, whose mission it is to assist with community initiatives and enhance student life at UNB Saint John.

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