National Council on Education 2011-2012
Presiding Officer
Colleen Killingsworth, MCM, APR, ABC, FCPRS
Associate Vice-President, Strategic Communications
University Relations
University of Calgary
ckcommunications@shaw.ca
With more than 20 years' experience in communication, Colleen is a public relations executive with a strong track record in leadership, strategic planning and project management. Her experience encompasses a wide variety of assignments such as program consolidations and moves, reputation management and branding strategies, multi-stakeholder communication, product launches, collateral development, communication audits, and special event planning and execution. Colleen holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Nevada, Reno, and a Master’s of Communication Management from McMaster University. Her work has won local, national and international awards.
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Co-Deputy Presiding Officer Academic
Fran Gregory, MSc APR
Professor and Co-ordinator, Public Relations Programs
Conestoga College
fgregory@conestogac.on.ca
Fran Gregory has accumulated more than 30 years of global professional experience in the practice of public relations and communications working in the manufacturing, financial and service sectors. She is also a communications consultant to organizations as diverse as General Motors, the United Way, the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, and the Kitchener Rangers Hockey Club.
Fran is now putting her passion for communication to work at Conestoga College where she is co-ordinator and professor of both the Public Relations diploma program and the first Bachelor of Public Relations program in Ontario.
She continues her professional development by working on various committees: co-author of CPRS Pathways to the Profession (a primer and benchmark for Canadian PR education); a regular contributor to the Accreditation Exam; and co-author of the Canadian definition of PR adopted by the CPRS in 2008. Fran holds her M.Sc. degree in Communications Management from Syracuse University, and earned her APR (accreditation) from CPRS in 2007.
Co-Deputy Presiding Officer Academic
Joan Yates, APR, M.Ed
Dean, School of Business
Camosun College
yates@camosun.bc.ca
Joan joined Camosun College in 1991 as Executive Director of the Foundation & College Relations until 1999 when she left to pursue a career in the private sector. She returned in 2003 after accepting a continuing instructional appointment with the School of Business.
As a faculty member Joan served as Program Leader for Public Administration, Local Government and Marketing degree programs, as well as committee service and projects external to the School. Since 2005, Joan's service has included work with the Program Review & Renewal team (Educational Research & Development), member and Chair of the Education Council, Chair of provincial and national conferences such as ACCC, assisting senior management with recruitment selection committees and as a member of the Camosun College Board of Governors.
Appointed as Dean of the School of Business in August of 2009, Joan provided leadership to 100 faculty and staff administering over 50 programs to 2,500 students. She was also instrumental in developing western Canada's first undergraduate degree in marketing and communications management.
In August of 2011, Joan was selected as the Executive Director of Communications & Advancement where, as part of the Executive Team, she provides direction and management of internal and external communications, issues management, institutional branding, public relations and other matters related to institutional image and communications. She is also integral in the creation, implementation and management of a fully integrated fund development program including donor relations, alumni relations, and oversight of the development and implementation of fundraising initiatives to support the College's mandate, mission and education plans.
Joan holds a Master's of Education from the University of Calgary in Adult and Workplace Learning as well as a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Regina.
Deputy Presiding Officer Professional Practice
Jean Valin APR, FCPRS
Owner
Valin Strategic Communications
Chair, Program Review subcommittee
Chair, Communications subcommittee
jvalin@videotron.ca
Jean Valin founded Valin Strategic Communications after a thirty year career as a senior communication executive. He has advised senior officials and ministers of the Government of Canada on communication matters throughout his career.
He worked on several high profile national issues such as the gun control program, anti-terrorism and organized crime legislation, same sex marriage legislation, the launch of Service Canada-Canada's one-stop for all government services- as well as transportation policy for air, road and marine safety and security issues.
Jean's career began in broadcasting with Radio Canada and private radio stations in the Ottawa region.
Mr. Valin is active in his professional association, the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS). He was awarded his accreditation (APR) in 1987 and was called to the College of Fellows in 2001 becoming the youngest member to achieve the highest level of recognition. He served as national president of CPRS in 1996-97 and has received several national public relations awards throughout his career.
In 2000, he became a founding member of the Global Alliance for public relations and communication management- a confederation organization of more than 70 major PR associations around the world representing over 170,000 members. He was Chairman of the Global Alliance for 2004 and 2005 and continues to serve as ambassador-at-large for the Global Alliance. In 2008, Valin received the President’s medal from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations in the UK and the Award of Attainment from the Canadian Public Relations Society in 2010.
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Bernard Dagenais APR, FCPRS
Professor, Department of information and communication
Université Laval
Program Review subcommittee
Bernard.Dagenais@com.ulaval.ca
Bernard Dagenais (APR, FCPRS) is a professor at University Laval's Department of information and communication since 1986. He owns a Master's degree and a Doctorate degree in communication from the École pratique des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris. Before teaching, he worked as a communicator for twenty years, first as a journalist, then as an information officer, a press officer and a director of communications. Also, he has developed his expertise on a municipal scale by being mayor of Sainte-Pétronille, Orleans Island for fourteen years. On a provincial scale, he has been a director of communications for various departments of the Quebec government such as the Department of Education and the Department of International Relations. On an international scale, he was, among other things, press officer during five years at the Quebec’s delegation in France. Bernard Dagenais is the author of more than thirty articles and eight books about communication.
Université Laval Profile
Kathleen Garrett, APR
Senior Communications Officer
Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO)
kathleen.m.garrett@gmail.com
Kathleen Garrett is an accredited public relations professional with 10 years of experience spanning the not-for-profit, public and private sectors. She is currently the Senior Communications Officer for the Education Quality and Accountability Office, where she has leadership for the agency's inaugural stakeholder engagement strategy for parents, as well as for research communications. She plays a fundamental role in strategic communications planning, issues management and day-to-day operations. Prior to joining EQAO, Kathleen was the Senior Communications Officer for Toronto Rehab, where she managed communications strategies to support corporate milestones and advances in patient care and education and to address issues and crises. In this role, Kathleen developed a corporate communications plan that helped the hospital secure full accreditation, a feat less than 10 per cent of hospitals achieve. Kathleen has a Master of Arts degree in strategic communication from the University of Central Lancashire and a post-graduate certificate in corporate communications from Seneca College.
Linkedin Profile
Jane McNichol
Chair - Public Relations
Mount Royal University
National Conference Educator Stream subcommittee
jmcnichol@mtroyal.ca
Jane Stoneman McNichol is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Faculty of Communication Studies at Mount Royal University. Her professional background as a speaker, author and communication strategist spans a career in journalism and consulting in the corporate and government sectors. As an educator, her academic interests include research in scholarship of teaching and learning; transformational change; and issues and ethics in academic leadership. Jane received her Bachelor's degree from the University of Toronto, an MBA specializing in Public Relations & Communication Management from Royal Roads University and is currently a doctoral student in the Faculty of Education, Simon Fraser University.
Accreditation Liaison
Derrick Pieters APR, FCPRS
Director of Communications
Department of Justice Canada
Co-Chair, Accreditation subcommittee
derrick.pieters@justice.gc.ca
Derrick Pieters APR, FCPRS, is Director of Communications, Department of Justice Canada, Prairie Region, based in Edmonton, Alberta and is a Past President of the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS). He has over 35 years of extensive experience as a communications and media relations strategist, editor, government information administrator and public relations consultant.
He is an accredited, award-winning member of the CPRS having received his APR in 1982 and in 2008 an Award of Excellence for the use of Social Media. In 2000, Derrick received the Alberta Premier's Award of Excellence for his contribution to Capital Health’s Y2K communications. In 2008, he received a Team Achievement Award from the Deputy Minister of Justice Canada for his communications contribution to a high impact litigation case.
He has held several positions of increasing responsibility within the CPRS. Derrick was elected to the National Board of Directors in 2005 and served two three-year terms. During his time on the Board he served two terms as National President from 2007 to 2009.
He is also a former President of the CPRS Edmonton in which capacity he served as an appointed National Board Member. Derrick is the former vice-president of the CPRS National Education Committee, and is a Past Presiding Officer of the CPRS National Council on Accreditation on which he served for approximately 15 years. He has been a guest lecturer at the University of Alberta, Grant MacEwan College and Mount Royal College (Grant MacEwan and Mount Royal have since become universities).
Heather Pullen, MCM, APR
Manager, Public Relations and Communications
Hamilton Health Sciences
Public Relations Knowledge Exam subcommittee
pullenh@hhsc.ca
Heather Pullen is Manager of the Public Relations & Communications Department at Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS). In that capacity, she plays a key role in developing and executing multi-faceted communication programs related to activities and services at six hospitals and a cancer centre, all located in Hamilton, Ontario.
Heather joined HHS in 2002 after working for 10 years as a public relations consultant specializing in health care communications. Prior to that she was a member of the public relations department at The Toronto Hospital (Toronto General and Toronto Western) and, before that, a producer, editor and reporter at CBC Radio (Ottawa and Toronto).
Heather has a degree in journalism and political science from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, and recently completed the Master of Communications Management program in the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.
Over the years Heather has won numerous awards from public relations associations. In 2009, she was the grand prize winner of an international case study competition sponsored by the Arthur W. Page Society and the Institute for Public Relations (the first Canadian to earn this honour.) She also placed first in the 2011 Public Relations Society of America/Institute for Public Relations Health Academy Paper Competition.
Heather teaches crisis communications in the post graduate public relations diploma/certificate program at McMaster University. She has also mentored public relations students and new PR practitioners for many years and received the 2009 Mentorship Award presented by the Hamilton Chapter of CPRS.
Chitra P. Reddin, PhD
Educator (Humber College), PR Executive, Consultant
chitra.reddin@humber.ca
Chitra P. Reddin has 25+ years of award-winning PR professional experience in corporate, non-profit and consulting in leading national and international organizations such as PWC, KPMG, CIBC, CICA and Towers Watson. As Vice-President, Public Affairs at the CICA, she launched a major national image advertising campaign and a national public opinion research project that had long-term positive results. Currently teaching Public Relations at Humber College, she has co-ordinated and redesigned Humber's PR Advanced Diploma and PR Graduate Certificate programs and led the design of Humber's brand new Bachelor of Public Relations program, successfully launched in September 2011.
She holds a published PhD in English from Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia and has also taught PR and Management Communications in undergraduate honours programs (BPR at Mount Saint Vincent University) as well as HBA and MBA programs (the Ivey Business School at the University of Western Ontario). She has been active in both CPRS and IABC, helping design the APR Accreditation Examination and doubling the membership of IABC Atlantic Canada during two terms as president. She has also served on the Council of Public Affairs Executives and the boards of the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce and the Canadian Communication Association. She has researched and published case studies in both Public Relations and Management Communications.
Chitra P. Reddin also runs her own consulting practice, with a special focus on Leadership Communications and Change Management.
Alex Sévigny, PhD
Associate Professor & Program Director
Master of Communications Management
McMaster University
sevigny@mcmaster.ca
Alex Sévigny is Director of the Master of Communications Management program, and an associate professor of communication studies and communication management at McMaster University. He co-founded the communication studies program in 2001. He is co-founder and executive director of the COMM-LAB: McMaster Communication Metrics Lab. He is also the co-founder and editor-in-chief of the new Journal of Professional Communication, and the co-founder of the international graduate journal, The McMaster Journal of Communication, of which he has been faculty editor for eight years. His specialties are media content measurement, social media strategy, community building & fundraising, communications management and political communication. He maintains an active consulting practice outside the university alongside his academic work and is a sought-after public speaker.
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Amy Thurlow APR, PhD
Chair, Department of Communication Studies
Mount Saint Vincent University
Chair, National Conference Educator Stream subcommittee
amy.thurlow@msvu.ca
Amy Thurlow has been teaching public relations and business communication for the past nine years. Before joining the Mount's faculty in 2005, she taught communications at the Fred C. Manning School of Business at Acadia University. Prior to that, she was the program co-ordinator for the Advanced Diploma in Public Relations at the Nova Scotia Community College where she was responsible for program delivery and development.
Amy has a PhD in management. Her research is in the area of organizational communication and change. She holds an MA in International Development Studies from Saint Mary's University in Halifax, and a Bachelor of Public Relations degree from Mount Saint Vincent University. She is an accredited public relations practitioner (APR) and a member of the Canadian Public Relations Society.