- The role continuing ed in moving higher ed into the responsive delivery (new traditional student)
- What have we learned through this crisis, what improvements have we madethat we are bringing forward? And how is continuing ed leading the way?
Colin Ewart - Biography
Thirty years’ experience within the private & public sector in the UK and Canada. Trained as an educator, Colin has held leadership positions in recreation, telecommunications, government and not-for-profit organizations. Prior to starting Polaris Leadership Inc., a management consulting practice focused on strategy, change leadership, coaching, and fundraising, he held an executive role in a national charity, with responsibility for fundraising, government relations, and new strategic partnerships.
Since 2016 Polaris Leadership Inc. has been engaged on contract by BC Colleges - a consortium of British Columbia’s public, post-secondary colleges – in an appointment where Colin acts as President BC Colleges (bccolleges.ca). His focus is on growing the brand, effective partner relations, and securing new resources for all of BC’s public Colleges, while advocating on public policy and funding requirements against a strategy that is designed to grow student and college community success across the province. The role requires extensive relationships with political leaders and senior public servants in all parts of Canada, especially in British Columbia and Ottawa. Prior to leading BC Colleges, Colin was an executive with the Rick Hansen Foundation, where he led the 25th Anniversary Resource Development team to engage individual, corporate, and government donors. While at RHF he secured over $220M in new funding for the Rick Hansen Institute and Foundation operations.
In his volunteer time, Colin is currently Board Chair of the Pacific Institute for Sports Excellence (piseworld.com), Director of the Goodlife Kids Foundation, was past-President of the Victoria Quality Council, and past-Director of the Quality Council of BC. He also served as Vice-Chair on the Board of Silken Laumann’s Active Kids’ Movement.
Previously, as a part-time faculty member at Royal Roads University in Victoria, B.C., he co-created a graduate certificate distance-program for leaders and intact teams on “Leading A Customer Focused Organization”. He was also a frequent contributor to the Public-Sector Digest (publicsectordigest.com), an online monthly newsletter distributed to 10,000+ public sector leaders across Canada.
He holds a Masters degree in Physical Education and Sports Science from Loughborough University England, and a Bachelor of Arts and post-graduate teaching qualification from the University of Ulster, Northern Ireland. In addition, for over 20 years, he was a Certified Manager Quality (CMQ/OE) with the American Society for Quality, has certifications in strategic planning & change management, and a graduate qualification in Executive Coaching (Certified Executive Coach) from Royal Roads University.
Colin is a keen cyclist and squash player. He is married to Sarah, an Elementary School Teacher, and has two daughters, Annie (25) and Lucy (22).
He can be reached at:
Telephone - 250 595 4866
Email - cewart@bccolleges.ca
Links:
https://www.bccolleges.ca/app/webroot/uploads/BCC-TransformingForTomorrowReport.pdf
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/about-the-bc-government/emerging-economy-task-force