Michelle Simpson, CEO of Tamworth Community College, attended and presented at the prestigious Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) Leadership Institute for Presidents and Directors General, held in July on the provincial island of Nova Scotia. Michelle Simpson reports:
“I was honoured to attend the conference at beautiful Fox Harb’r Resort in Wallace, Nova Scotia.
“With only 22 delegates, we enjoyed an intensive program designed and delivered by Presidents and Directors General of the Canadian college system. We had the unique opportunity to share and network with peers from across Canada and around the world – including Peru, Denmark and Hong Kong – whilst building on our leadership skills. The leadership challenges faced in the community college sector are universal and we were able to examine the current and emerging leadership requirements of our roles in an interactive environment.
“The time spent at the conference was very uplifting for me personally, at the same time I learned many things that I will try to put to the service of the thousands of adult learners who study at my college, and the team of workers that accompanies me. We covered the internal and external roles, responsibilities and accountabilities of college Presidents (CEOs), the relationship between boards and management, mindfulness, self-assessment, the multiplicity of our roles and how to succeed whilst leading our teams in the ever-evolving landscape of post-secondary education.
“I now understand why college education in Canada is one of the best in the world, is in the hands of professionals and persons of the highest level and I congratulate them for the work they do with such passion, commitment and professionalism.”
Aside from her role at Tamworth Community College, Michelle Simpson is a member of the Community Colleges Australia Board of Directors, and a recipient of national awards for community involvement, including the 2013 NSW Business Chamber Regional Business Leader of the Year.
Core faculty at the CICan Institute included Denise Amyot, President & CEO, CICan, formerly one of Canada’s most senior public servants (and a recent visitor to Australia); Don Bureaux, President & CEO, Nova Scotia Community College; MaryLynn West-Moynes, President & CEO, Georgian College; and André Gobeil, Director General, Cegep de Chicoutimi, Montreal.
