On behalf of the Niagara College Board of Governors, it gives me great pleasure to announce that Sean Kennedy has been appointed the sixth president of Niagara College.
Sean is very familiar to our College community, and is currently senior vice president, International. He has been a member of Niagara College’s senior leadership team since 2006 and, over the course of 20 years, has held leadership positions in several areas of higher education.
Sean is student-focused, and embodies our “NC DNA” – the welcoming, passionate and trailblazing qualities that set our college apart and form the foundation of our success. His selection is the culmination of the Board’s comprehensive recruitment process, which began in July, 2019 following Dan Patterson’s announcement in the spring that he would be ending his 25-year tenure as president.
I would like to thank the members of the college community who provided input through our consultations over the summer and early fall, which helped to create the leadership profile that guided our process.
Our recruitment process attracted exceptional candidates from across the country. Sean brings the ideal combination of energy, experience, vision and community connections that will help him lead Niagara College into the next chapter of its remarkable history, and build on the growth and success of the past 25 years.
Sean joined Niagara College in 2006 as vice president, Student and External Relations and CEO of the Niagara College Foundation, a role in which he oversaw the College’s re-branding and implemented strategies to strengthen the College’s marketing, fundraising, enrolment, community engagement and government relations.
For the 2011-2012 academic year, Sean served as interim vice president, Academic, with responsibility for all academic operations of the College, including program quality, pathways, and educational development.
Sean assumed his current role in 2014, overseeing the College’s global engagement and rapidly growing international activities, including international partnerships and student mobility, student recruitment and services, English Language programs, and overseas projects, campuses and training. In this role, Sean has led a multi-national team of more than 500 employees who have significantly extended the College’s profile and enriched the lives of students around the world.
Prior to joining Niagara College, Sean held leadership positions in student services, academic and International education at the University of Alberta and Red Deer College.
Over the course of his career he has lent his experience and expertise to boards and agencies at the national, provincial and community levels.
Sean holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Alberta and a Master’s of Public Administration from Queen’s University, and is currently completing his Doctoral studies in leadership in higher and adult education and comparative, international and development education at the University of Toronto.
Sean and his wife, Kerry, live in Fonthill and are the proud parents of two sons, Aidan and Neil.
A transition process will begin shortly, and Sean will assume his new duties on February 24, 2020.
Please join the Board of Governors in congratulating Sean, and wishing him every success as he begins his term as the sixth president of Niagara College.
John F.T. Scott
Chair, Niagara College Board of Governors
