Board of Governors Membership
Limited to ten members, the Board of Governors is responsible for administrative oversight of the institution.
The HDDP is currently seeking to build membership on its Board of Governors in order to augment the Board’s capacity to provide direction and oversight in the lead up to the launch of the Project’s academic institution.
Current and upcoming HDDP priorities include:
♦ Raising the institution’s profile (traditional and digital media)
♦ Development and launch of the institution’s Capital Campaign
♦ Completion of regulatory consent processes
♦ Development of the institution’s digital infrastructure (portal and library)
♦ Begin faculty recruitment
♦ Diversifying the institution’s governing bodies
Governors typically have some background (such as an undergraduate degree) in one of the branches of the humanities, however interest is welcome from supporters of the humanities from all quarters.
Among other possibilities for the expansion of the Board of Governors, the HDDP is keen to welcome expressions of interest from people with:
♦ a national profile in the arts or academia
♦ experience in the administration of major cultural institutions
♦ experience in media or public relations
♦ legal experience (particularly in the areas of regulatory / governmental law and contracts)
♦ accounting experience (especially with not-for-profit corporations)
♦ experience in fundraising and advancement (especially in n-f-p / charitable, education, start-up, and digital contexts)
The Board of Governors’ regular annual meeting is held at the end of September. Occasional ad hoc meetings are scheduled as circumstances require. Once academic operations commence, it is anticipated that the BoG will meet quarterly. All meetings are virtual. The HDDP carries full Directors and Officers insurance.
Applications to serve on the HDDP Board of Governors should include a biographical sketch with career and educational information (the latter including subjects of study) and a brief account of how you would be able to support the HDDP in its core mission to establish and operate Canada’s first independent and digital undergraduate humanities institution.
For further information or to apply to serve on the HDDP’s Board of Governors, please write to humanitiesddp@gmail.com placing “BoG” in the subject line.
Governors' Biographies
Eric Steedman
Governor and Chairman of the Board
B.A. Hon., Carleton University; M. Phil., University of Glasgow; M.B.A., McGill University
Based in Montreal, Mr. Steedman is a social economy consultant and a start-up coach at Concordia University’s District 3 Innovation Centre. He holds graduate degrees in political theory and business administration, and has twenty years of professional experience establishing, managing and growing organizations in the private, public and non-profit sectors. He has extensive expertise in the analysis and improvement of organizational governance, and has been recognized as a leader within the local and international ESG (environmental, social and governance), SRI (socially responsible investment) and business communities.
David W. Atkinson
Governor
Ph. D. (English) University of Calgary
David Atkinson completed a Ph.D. in English at the University of Calgary and began his academic and professional career at the University of Lethbridge, eventually serving as Associate Vice-President (Academic) and Dean of Student Affairs. Subsequently, he was Dean of Arts and Science at the University of Saskatchewan before going on to serve as President and Vice Chancellor of Brock University, Carleton University, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, and MacEwan University. David Atkinson has held academic appointments in both Religious Studies and English and is currently Professor Emeritus of English and President Emeritus of MacEwan University. A dedicated teacher and researcher, David Atkinson has published over one hundred essays and reviews and five books, the most recent being a critical edition of the seventeenth-century Scottish poet James Melville, published in 2019. David Atkinson is a recipient of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for his service to higher education. He received an honorary doctorate from Ternopil State Medical University in Ukraine in 2017. He has served and continues to serve on the boards of numerous international, national, and local organizations and is the current editor of Religious Studies and Theology. Very recently, he was the guest editor for a special issue of On the Horizon: The International Journal of Learning Futures focusing on the post-pandemic university.
Robin Brooke-Smith
Governor
B.A. Hons, Durham University, MSc, Bristol University, PhD University of Birmingham, PGCE Bristol University
Dr Brooke-Smith has worked in Higher and Secondary Education on four continents. He is currently Taylor Librarian and Archivist at Shrewsbury School (UK) where he runs a 400-year-old library of world renown that houses many rare books and medieval manuscripts. His work in education has been in the teaching of History and the psychodynamics of educational learning communities. He holds graduate degrees in Political Science and Educational Leadership and Development. He has held the senior posts of Principal of the University of Toronto Schools, Principal of Edwardes College, University of Peshawar, and Director of Consultancy at the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth at the University of Warwick. As an international education consultant, he led expert teams at the European Commission and worldwide. He was Holgate Fellow at Durham University. His publications include: The Scramble for Africa (Macmillan, 1987), Leading Learners, Leading Schools (Routledge, 2002), and Storm Warning (I.B Tauris 2012).
Gaëtan Fleuriau Chateau
Governor
B.A., P.G.C.E., University of Leicester; M.A., Carleton University
In the course of a career of academic service as a teacher, administrator and board member, Professor Fleuriau Chateau has been a pioneer in the development of post-secondary French studies in Ontario. He founded the French department of Algonquin College and served as Coordinator of French programming, as he did subsequently at La Cité collégiale. He directed programming for the yearly Learned Societies Congress for the Canadian Association of University and College Professors, of which he was named a life-long member and Professor Emeritus, and he served as President of the Board of Ottawa’s Lycée Claudel. In recognition of his service, Professor Fleuriau Chateau was made a knight of France’s Order of Academic Palms.
Alain Landry
Governor
Officer’s Certificate (Army), B.A., University of Moncton, B.A. (Comparative Linguistics), Laval University; Graduate of the École Normale Supérieure, St-Cloud, France; M.A., École Nationale d'Administration Publique
Alain Landry held a number of positions at the Secretary of State of Canada (Official Languages). He was appointed Director General of Terminology and Documentation at the Canadian Government Translation Bureau, then Assistant Deputy Minister (Official Languages and Translation), before becoming Assistant Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Citizenship (Naturalization, Literacy, Human Rights). He acted as advisor to the new Department of Canadian Heritage (promotion and marketing of Canadian cultural products and services abroad). He became a consultant in international relations and Francophonie, working for the International Assembly of French-speaking Parliamentarians (AIPLF) and the Agence de la Francophonie (ACCT). Appointed Project Director at the International Summit Management Organization, he directed the project for the Canadian government's contribution to the preparatory work for the VIIe Francophonie Summit in Hanoi and acted as an advisor to the Vietnamese government for this Summit. Mr. Landry served as Deputy to Senator Serge Joyal and was appointed Executive Director of the Canadian Secretariat for the IVth Francophonie Games. He then devoted himself to establishing the Baxter & Alma Ricard Foundation's graduate scholarship program, and served as Executive Director of the Foundation.
Stephen Pincus
Governor
B.A. Hons. (English and Philosophy), University of the Witwatersrand; MBA, York University; LLB (Gold Medalist), Osgoode Hall Law School; ICD.D, Institute of Corporate Directors
Stephen Pincus is one of Canada’s leading business lawyers, well-known for his leadership and creativity on many complex transactions, domestic and international, including several Canadian “firsts”. He is Chair of Capital Markets at Goodmans LLP, where he is a Partner and Executive Committee Member. He was selected by the International Financial Law Review as its inaugural Canadian Capital Markets Lawyer of the Year. He was the founding Chair of the Canada Africa Chamber of Business and is Chair of its Senior Council of Advisors; is a member of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency for Israel and former Board Chair of its Education Laboratory; is a member of the Advisory Board of the Canadian General Counsel Awards; is a member of the Corporate and Securities Advisory Board of Practical Law – Canada; and has served on several other boards, including International Business Schools, a North American public company.
Jean-Claude Redonnet
Governor
Ph.D. and D. Litt., University of Toulouse II
Professor (Emeritus) and research director at the University of Paris-Sorbonne. A Cultural historian (British Empire, from colonization to decolonization, Commonwealth), Professor Redonnet served in Australia, Canada and Japan as Conseiller culturel of the French Embassy. His university career also led him to the post of Vice-dean of the Faculty of Letters of the University of the Antilles et de la Guyane, Director of the French School of Middlebury College and Rector of the University LS Senghor (African Development) in Alexandria, Egypt. Professor Redonnet is a Commander of the Order of Academic Palms (France) and a Commander of the Order of the Sacred Treasure (Japan).
Christopher (Kit) Scotchmer
Governor
B. A. Hons. (with Distinction), LL.M, University of Toronto; J.D., M.A., University of Western Ontario; C.I.P., F.C.I.P., C.R.M. and CIPP/C designations
Christopher (Kit) Scotchmer is a Legal, Risk and Compliance leader committed to the stewardship of great organizations, and the proud graduate of two philosophy programs. He is a firm believer in the enduring importance of a robust humanities education, not only to sharpen the critical thinking skills of those who engage with the humanities and to raise the level of public discourse for society at large, but also for its own sake. His legal practice is focused on insurance-related litigation, coverage advice and product development and drafting. Kit has more than a decade of private practice experience, as well as having worked in-house as coverage and policy counsel, and as an executive on the Senior Leadership Claims Team of a federally regulated financial institution covering all claims lines of business, including professional liability and financial lines.
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