Welcome to our new Board Chair, Helen Connell
I am very pleased to welcome Helen Connell as Western’s new Board of Governors Chair, a position she will hold until December 31 of this year.
Helen is well known as the Executive Director of the United Way of London and Middlesex, and as the former editor of the London Free Press. As a graduate of our University, a community leader and a Londoner, Helen has a deep understanding of Western’s mission to provide the best student experience at a research-intensive university, our desire to work closely with the community, and the role that post-secondary education and research play in Canada’s future health and prosperity.
As Chair of the Campaign Cabinet for the 2005 United Way of London and Middlesex campaign, I was able to see first-hand the extraordinary energy and leadership Helen brings to her work for our regional community. Indeed, I feel very fortunate to now have her bringing those qualities to bear for the good of our campus community.
Congratulations also to Hank Vander Laan, the founder of Trojan Technologies and a well-known businessman of national and international stature, upon his election as our Board Vice-Chair. Hank is a Western graduate who has served on our Board since 2002. He remains engaged as a Senior Advisor to Trojan and is also involved in other leadership roles in industry and the broader community.
