Athabasca University announces Interim President
A message on behalf of Nancy Laird, BA(Hons), MBA, ICD.D, Chair, Board of Governors and Chair, Advisory Search Committee for President.
Today, the Board of Governors of Athabasca University announced the appointment of Deborah Meyers as AU’s Interim President effective April 1, 2021.
Ms. Meyers will be a familiar name and face for our community as she currently serves in the role of Vice President Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer.
Since joining AU over two and a half years ago, Ms. Meyers has brought her strategic leadership experience to support transformational changes in her portfolio and more broadly across the university.
Ms. Meyers is no stranger to senior executive leadership in the public sector. She has been engaged in change leadership, financial oversight, and administration in higher education, K-12 education, government—where she served as Assistant Deputy Minister of Corporate Services in BC—and crown corporations across three Canadian provinces since the late 1980s. Her strong background coupled with her experience at AU will ensure that, through this interim period, AU maintains momentum on the path to achieving Imagine. AU is excited to welcome Ms. Meyers as interim president, with the full breadth of authority bestowed upon the President under the Post-secondary Learning Act and with the complete confidence of the Board.
“AU is an exceptional organization in Canada’s post-secondary landscape, founded on the core principles of accessibility, flexibility, and openness. I am honoured to work alongside my AU colleagues who are deeply committed to working in service of those principles, our learners, and our Imagine plan. Together, we will continue to advance Imagine and give learners control over their studies to transform their lives and their communities,” said Deborah Meyers.
Over the coming weeks, President Fassina will work closely with Ms. Meyers to ensure a smooth transition of leadership.
With our interim leadership secured, the search for AU’s next president continues. A 13-member Advisory Search Committee has been struck, with members from across the university, to guide this search for an outstanding leader who is passionate about our learners, and the strategic opportunities ahead for AU.
