The University of Manitoba's Board of Governors welcomes new members for the start of the 2025-2026 session, including a new chair and vice-chair.
Michael Robertson [BA/98, MArch/04] is the incoming Chair of the University of Manitoba Board of Governors and a 2024 recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award for Community Service. Of Cree descent, he was the first Indigenous graduate from the Masters of Architecture program and has been a long-standing contributor to the university community. While completing his undergraduate degree, he held his first on-campus job in the student records office. He later served as Vice-Chair of the Board of Governors, a member of the President's Advisory Council, and Chair of the Faculty of Architecture's Partners Program.
Michael Robertson [BA/98, MArch/04] is the incoming chair and Diane Roussin [BSW/96] is the incoming vice-chair.
An award-winning architect and Principal of Robertson Design, Michael's work spans Manitoba, Canada, and the U.S., with notable projects on campus, including Migizii Agamik (Bald Eagle Lodge) and the Desautels Concert Hall. His career is grounded in social impact, Indigenous inclusion, and community development. He has also served on the boards of United Way Winnipeg, the Winnipeg Housing and Homelessness Initiative, and BUILD Inc., a non-profit that helps people overcome barriers to employment.
Diane Roussin [BSW/96], the incoming Vice-Chair of the Board of Governors, is also a familiar face on our campus. Indeed, she is the face of our recent marketing campaign featuring alumni at the centre of positive change. Roussin is a "Bison at the Centre of Social Innovation."
Roussin is Anishinaabe and a proud member of the Skownan First Nation who in 2018 received the Governor General's Award for Outstanding Indigenous Leadership and in 2025 the King Charles III Coronation Medal. She is the Project Director of The Winnipeg Boldness Project, championing Indigenous-led solutions for families and communities. (She will speak about this and more at a live recording of the president's award-winning podcast, What's the Big Idea? on Nov. 13, 2025.) She has also served the boards of The Winnipeg Foundation, Winnipeg Art Gallery, and Animikii, an Indigenous technology company supporting sovereignty.
Robertson and Roussin share the belief that meaningful community engagement and leading from behind drive the most positive change.
"You can't tackle complex issues without trust and connection," Roussin once said. "When we prioritize relationships, it fosters interdependence where every being and relationship matters and creates space for honest and meaningful collaboration."
The University of Manitoba is grateful to the dedicated volunteers who serve on the Board of Governors and its committees and congratulate Mr. Robertson and Ms. Roussin to these leadership role, and express appreciation to outgoing Chair and Vice-Chair Ms. Lynette Magnus and Mr. Kimber Osiowy for their tireless dedication to UM.
