CONFEDERATION COLLEGE
Announcing the New Vice President, Academic - Neil Cooke

On behalf of the selection committee I am pleased to announce that Neil Cooke has accepted the position of Vice President, Academic effective August 26, 2019. 

Neil comes to us with a varied and diverse background. His educational journey began with certification as a Red Seal Heavy-Duty technician and ended with a Master of Education in Post-Secondary Administration. Along the way he completed a Diploma in Vocational Education, a Certificate in Adult Education, and a Bachelor of Science in Technical Education.

He spent 22 years at Red River College where he held the positions of Dean of Teaching Excellence, Innovation and Research; Academic Chair in the Transportation Heavy Apprenticeship division with oversight of 24 trade programs and relationships with over 700 employers; Academic Coordinator and Instructor. He has experience in applied learning and work placements, College University Bound programs, instructional design, and program and curriculum development in traditional, blended and alternative delivery options of vocational programming.

Neil is currently the Manager of Education and Training with the Manitoba Trucking Association where he has been responsible for the development of an educational strategy for the association and its 13,000 members. While in this role, Neil has also worked on projects to stimulate workplace related research in the transportation sector and most recently an initiative to incentivize the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions within the trucking industry.

Neil is serving his second term as a council member of the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and has the distinction of being the only certified journey person to have ever been appointed to the council. He has been a guest speaker and presenter on the topics of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) for the polytechnics of Canada with a focus on the need to open educational opportunities to a broader audience. He has also been part of three educational delegations that presented on trades, technology, apprenticeship and research inclusion activities currently available in Canada to industry, government and educators in Germany, Japan and Australia.

Neil is an Indigenous person who is actively involved with the off-reserve members of the Peguis First Nations, who are working towards re-establishment of the St. Peters Community and reconciliation of their Treaty Land Entitlements. He says that his involvement in the community is critical to him and he values the work he has done with the Elders and for future generations.

I look forward to welcoming Neil to Confederation College this August!

Kathleen Lynch
President