Colleges Ontario is pleased to announce that Glenn Vollebregt, the president and CEO of St Lawrence College, has started a two-year term as the new chair of Colleges Ontario, the association representing Ontario's 24 public colleges.
"The strength of Ontario's workforce will be pivotal to a robust economic recovery," Vollebregt said. "I welcome this opportunity to build on the colleges' tremendous record to ensure more students acquire the specialized expertise to succeed in a wide range of rewarding careers. College graduates are employed in every sector and industry of our province and are key to helping Ontario grow and thrive."
The chair of Colleges Ontario oversees the college sector's committee of presidents, which is comprised of the presidents from all 24 colleges. The committee is responsible for a wide range of decisions affecting the overall college sector.
Vollebregt will help lead the development of new career-focused three-year degree programs at colleges to run alongside the existing diploma programs and four-year degree programs. Other priorities will include advocating for new measures to promote the long-term financial health of colleges.
Under Vollebregts' leadership, St. Lawrence has undergone the largest expansion in the Kingston-based college's history. This has included the completion of a $42-million student centre at its Kingston campus. He also led the largest and most successful fundraising campaign in the college's history.
Vollebregt succeeds previous chair John Tibbits, the president and CEO of Conestoga College.
"We're incredibly grateful for the leadership John provided throughout the pandemic and for helping colleges achieve some historic breakthroughs," said Linda Franklin, the president and CEO of Colleges Ontario. "The recently announced approval to develop new three-year degree programs and expand our four-year degree programs will make an enormous difference to students and employers and promote greater prosperity throughout the province."
About Colleges Ontario
Colleges Ontario is the advocacy organization for the province's 24 public colleges. The organization advances policies and awareness campaigns to ensure Ontario produces the highly skilled workforce that is essential to Ontario's prosperity. For more information, visit CollegesOntario.org.
