Steve Hudson, senior vice president, Academic and Learner Services, will be retiring at the end of the summer.
I am writing to announce that Steve Hudson, senior vice president, Academic and Learner Services, has conveyed to me his intention to retire at the end of the summer. While our college community will miss Steve’s leadership and significant contributions to all areas of our organization, I know that we can all join together in celebration of a remarkable 20-year career at Niagara College.
Over two decades and across various divisions, Steve has overseen almost all areas of the college, and served a 10-month secondment as College president in 2011. Most recently he has been responsible for one of the largest portfolios in Ontario’s college system.
Steve’s tenure at Niagara College has been marked by an unwavering focus on our students, a keen intellect, and strong leadership that was admired by colleagues, the community and his peers across Ontario’s college system.
Steve came to Niagara College in the summer of 2000 from a local school board, where he had been superintendent of business. He was hired as NC’s vice president, Corporate Services, taking responsibility for Financial Services, Human Resources, Facilities Management Services and IT.
In 2008, Steve moved from corporate services to Academic, playing a pivotal role in both portfolios in planning the largest campus expansion and renewal in our college’s history, including new and renovated learning environments and student spaces. Steve also played an integral part in securing $40 million in government funding for the Applied Health Institute, a centrepiece of this significant expansion.
Overseeing the Academic and Learner Services portfolio, Steve has been instrumental in leading a re-organization of the College’s academic structure, the establishment of the Centre for Academic Excellence, as well as initiatives such as academic logistics and implementation of an integrated student services model. In addition, as the College’s academic leader, Steve has overseen the development of some of the most trailblazing postsecondary programs in North America, including Commercial Beekeeping, Artisan Distilling, Commercial Cannabis Production and more.
Steve’s leadership and expertise has also extended beyond our campuses to Ontario’s College sector and our community. Steve is a member of the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology Pension Plan – Sponsors’ Committee and a member and past chair of the Colleges Coordinating Committee of Vice Presidents Academic (CCVPA). He is a member of the Colleges Coordinating Committee of Vice Presidents of Student Services (CCVPSS), and he has lent his expertise to other system-wide task forces, always advocating for our sector – especially in the areas of innovation and quality assurance. In the community, Steve has served on the boards of Niagara Health, Youth Resources Niagara, and the United Way.
Like my predecessor, Dan Patterson, I have greatly valued Steve’s sage advice, his deep understanding and insight on complex issues, and his sense of teamwork.
On a personal note, it has been a privilege to work closely with Steve on the Executive Team for nearly 14 years. I continue to be impressed by his leadership, sound advice, calm and reasoned approach, and his extensive corporate memory and expertise in the Ontario postsecondary sector. Steve has been a passionate advocate for Niagara College over the past two decades, and I know he will remain a steadfast supporter of NC as he begins this next chapter. I feel exceptionally fortunate that Steve and I have been colleagues for so long, and I’m grateful for his friendship.
While he had originally intended to embark on his well-deserved retirement at the end of June, I’m thankful that Steve has agreed to stay on until August 31, so that he can lend his skills and expertise to important college initiatives, including strategic capital projects as we prepare for the potential of a request for “shovel-ready” projects from the federal government. In the weeks ahead, I will share additional information on organizational changes, as we plan for Steve’s departure.
I know you will join me in wishing Steve well as he completes his tenure at NC and in thanking him for the incredible contributions he has made to our community. I hope at some point in the months ahead that there will be an opportunity for an in-person celebration of Steve’s career at Niagara College.
