NEWS RELEASE
WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY
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Wilfrid Laurier University has appointed Heidi Northwood as the Senior Executive Officer (SEO) of the university’s Brantford campus.
Northwood has served in the role on an interim basis since April 2018 and was appointed following a national executive search.
‘I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Heidi Northwood as the senior executive officer of our Brantford campus,’ said Deborah MacLatchy, Laurier’s president and vice-chancellor in the release.
‘Dr. Northwood’s commitment to Laurier and the broad Brantford community is second to none. She has made significant contributions during her time as dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts and more recently in the interim role as SEO, including developing strong internal and external partnerships and bringing the Laurier-Brantford YMCA to completion. Her next steps will be just as significant as we plan the One Market development and implement the university’s strategic plans.’
The Senior Executive Officer reports to the university president and vice-chancellor and represents the president at Laurier’s Brantford campus. The role has two core functions: to create opportunities and strategies that support the advancement of Laurier’s academic mission, and to build strong relationships with Brantford campus partners and stakeholders.
As SEO, Northwood will continue her role connecting the university and various levels of government, and the communities of the surrounding region, including the Indigenous communities of Six Nations and Mississaugas of the Credit. She will also continue to support academic and administrative leaders on the Brantford campus, and Laurier’s vibrant partnerships with other post-secondary institutions such as Six Nations Polytechnic and Conestoga College.
‘Over the past year, I have enjoyed the opportunity to develop new friendships and partnerships in the community, and to work on larger-scale projects designed to benefit Laurier’s students, faculty, staff, and the community for a long time to come,’ said Northwood in the release.
‘I look forward to deepening these relationships, supporting the development of new programs that are responsive to community needs, and facilitating Laurier’s campus growth – and the vibrancy of Brantford’s downtown – over the next five years.’
Northwood joined Laurier in 2014 as dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts before taking on the additional role of interim SEO. Prior to joining Laurier, she was the director of integrative programs and the core curriculum at Nazareth College in Rochester, NY and a professor in the philosophy department.
She received her PhD in philosophy from the University of Alberta in 1997 and a BA (Hon) and MA in philosophy from the University of Western Ontario in 1990 and 1991, respectively.
Northwood will begin her five-year term January 1, 2020, following a six-month administrative leave earned during her tenure as dean of Liberal Arts, during which time she will pursue a number of scholarly and professional activities. Projects under the SEO’s direction will be facilitated by other university members in the interim. For Office of the SEO Brantford campus inquiries, call 519.756.8228 x5881.
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