News Article

College of the North Atlantic’s (CNA) President and CEO, Ann Marie Vaughan, has been named one of the Top 50 CEO’s in Atlantic Canada by Atlantic Business Magazine. The announcement was made last evening at the 2015 Top 50 CEOs awards gala in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
 
Since 1999, Atlantic Business Magazine has dedicated one of its six issues per year to profiling Atlantic Canada’s most accomplished business leaders. Nominees are judged according to their corporate, community and industry involvement, their company’s growth in recent years and, their responses to various managerial challenges. A written profile and photo of all 50 award winners will be printed in the May/June issue.
 
President Vaughan says it is an honour to be named to the Top 50 list.
 
“I’m humbled to be named to this list of CEOs – each one of these executives has made significant contributions to their organizations and businesses,” said President Vaughan. “When I started in my role as President of CNA I never envisioned I would be the recipient of such a prestigious award. However, I was confident the college would see positive returns from the educational and organizational changes that were being prepared at that time.”
 
Over the past couple of years, despite fiscal challenges, the college has seen significant growth in enrollment. Since 2012, the college has seen a 17.3 per cent increase in the number of students attending the institution by refocusing the academic planning process on student demand, regional relevance and labour market needs.
 
Ann Marie Vaughan has more than 20 years of leadership experience in the field of higher education, from both the university and college perspectives, but always with a focus on community development and improving services for students. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Education from Memorial University, a Master of Arts from the University of British Columbia, and is currently a doctoral candidate in higher education leadership at the University of Calgary. She was appointed as President and CEO of College of the North Atlantic in 2011.
 
“I am very fortunate to have spent my entire career in the field of higher education,” said President Vaughan. “And throughout that time, I’ve always been focused on the success of students, and by extension the success of our communities. Being a lifelong learner myself, I believe the best way to achieve economic success, is to prepare our students – those who will become our future leaders and make up our future workforce – to the best of our ability.  
 
“I’m a firm believer that education is an essential way to reach your full potential as a person, and that people can improve themselves, their lives and their communities, no matter how young or old they are, or what their personal circumstances may be. There is always a benefit to learning.”
 
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Media Contact:
 
Glenda McCarthy
Public Relations Specialist
College of the North Atlantic
709.643.6408
glenda.mccarthy@cna.nl.ca