Board Members

James McCracken – Board Chair

Mr. McCracken retired as director of education for the Ottawa Catholic School Board after a distinguished career in public education.

Mr. McCracken has been an active member on the board of directors of a number of organizations in the Ottawa community and provincially including: Campaign Chairperson, United Way Ottawa; Chairperson, United Way Board of Directors; Chairperson, Success By 6; President, Catholic Education Foundation of Ottawa; Chairperson, Board of Governors, The Ottawa Hospital; Chairperson, Board of Directors, Ontario Hospital Association; Director, Shepherds of Good Hope; and Director, University of Ottawa Heart Institute.

Mr. McCracken’s honours include: The EXL Award for exemplary leadership presented by the Canadian Association of School Administrators; The Benemerenti Medal conferred by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI for distinguished service to the Catholic Church and Community; The Distinguished Civic Award for Humanitarianism awarded by the City of Ottawa; The Distinguished Leadership Award conferred by The Ontario Catholic Supervisory Officers Association; The Special Award for Distinguished Service to Catholic Education conferred by the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association; The Community Builder of the Year Award, United Way Ottawa; Quality of Life Award, St. Joseph’s Women’s Centre; Lifetime Achievement Award, Volunteer Ottawa; Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers, Governor General of Canada; and Lifetime Membership awarded by Ontario Hospital Association. May 20, 2010 was proclaimed as James G McCracken Day in the City of Ottawa in recognition of his contributions to education and community service.

Mr. McCracken holds a B.A. (hons) from Carleton University, a B.Ed from the University of Toronto, and a M.Ed. from the University of Ottawa. James McCracken was appointed to the Board of Governors effective September 1, 2019; appointed Vice Chair of the Governance Committee on September 1, 2020; appointed Chair of the Governance Committee on September 1, 2021; appointed Board Vice Chair on September 1, 2022; appointed Board Chair on September 1, 2023.

Stephen Tudor – Board Vice Chair & Chair, Governance Committee

Having spent over 30 years in management and as a Partner in three large international professional services firms, Stephen firmly believes in the importance of life long learning and giving back to the community and doing his part in improving and enriching the lives of the families in the community in which he lives in. He is an active participant on the Board of Algonquin College and is committed to realizing the Board’s strategic vision.

His experience in the professional services industry, within a global practice and with working for clients in the federal, provincial and municipal public sectors, the not-for-profit domain and in the private sector has given him a broad perspective on the requirements for education and training in a wide range of employment sectors and cultures.

Stephen brings extensive experience in managing risks gained in an environment where he was personally liable for both his and his partners actions.

His background includes working internationally, nationally, and locally. He has a Bachelor of Arts from Huron College, a Master of Business Administration Degree from the University of Western Ontario, is a Certified Management Consultant and has earned numerous certifications over the years. He has completed both the Good Governance and Advanced Good Governance from the College Centre Stephen was a Lieutenant Governor in Council appointment to the Board of Governors effective September 1, 2019, and re-appointed in 2021. He has been Vice Chair of the Governance Committee of the Audit and Risk Management Committee and was appointed Vice chair of the Board and Chair of the Governance Committee effective September 1, 2023.

Claude Brulé – President & CEO

Claude Brulé is Algonquin College’s ninth President and Chief Executive Officer. Prior to taking on this leadership role in August 2019, Claude served as the College’s Senior Vice President Academic (2012-2019).

As Senior Vice President, Academic, Claude was responsible for the academic institutes, schools, faculties, and associated services. He has provided leadership to the advancement of digital learning through initiatives such as Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD), as well as e-text and other digital resources. He also guided the development of a new 14-week term model that launched in September 2019, as well as the College’s Learner-driven Plan – which is reimagining personalized learning at the College.

Claude has served the College at nearly every level of its leadership team. Prior to his roles on the Algonquin College Executive Team, he was the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Technology and Trades at Algonquin College (2007-2012), responsible for the School of Advanced Technology, the Algonquin Centre for Construction Excellence, and the Heritage Institute, a rural campus in Perth, Ontario.

Upon joining the College in August 1999, he first served as the Academic Chair of the Information and Communications Technology Department (formerly the Computer Studies Department). Throughout his tenure at the College, Claude led several large projects and initiatives at either the Faculty or College level. His most significant achievements have been related to his involvement, as the main point of contact for the user group, on three major high-performance building infrastructure projects, including the Algonquin Centre for Construction Excellence.

Prior to joining the College, Claude was an officer in the Canadian Forces, in the Air Force occupational branch of Communication and Electronics Engineering, in a career that spanned 22 years. He graduated from the Royal Military College in Kingston in 1982 with a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering Physics and again in 1990, earning a Master’s of Science in Mathematics. Among his many tours of duty over the years, he was an instructor at the Canadian Forces School of Communications and Electronics (CFSCE) from 1985 to 1987, and subsequently, the Senior Staff Officer for Strategic Planning and the Chief of Staff of the same school from 1993 to 1997. Between his two tours at CFSCE, he lectured in the Mathematics and Computer Science department as an assistant professor at the Royal Military College from 1989 to 1993.

Claude is an active member of the community and serves on several boards, including Polytechnics Canada, Invest Ottawa, and the Ottawa Community Loan Fund (OCLF). He is also a member of IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) and was promoted to Senior Member in 2018 for his significant contributions to the profession.

Rodney Wilson – Chair, Academic & Student Affairs Committee

Rodney Wilson was the former Board Chair, Algonquin College Foundation. He is employed by Ciena Corporation as Chief Technologist for Advanced Network Architectures & External Research where he is responsible for Ciena’s interactions with universities, government programs and international research initiatives. His role in Ciena’s CTO Group, is to orchestrate successful intersections between emerging technology innovations, research results and advanced architectures with Ciena R&D business groups.

Prior to Ciena, he held various roles at Nortel and Bell Northern Research including Director of Broadband Switching, leader for Optical Ethernet R&D and Senior Advisor to the Chief Technology Officer. Various other career adventures included design and operation of University of Toronto’s global bibliographic service and Bell Canada data services operations.

Mr. Wilson was originally trained in electrical engineering at Ryerson Polytechnic Institute in Toronto, Ontario. He is a graduate of the Executive Management School at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. He is a member of the Canadian Institute of Corporate Directors, and a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) He proudly received an honorary degree from Algonquin College in 2022. He lives in Ottawa with his wife, Linda.

Rodney Wilson was appointed to the Board of Governors on October 22, 2020, appointed Vice Chair of the Academic & Student Affairs Committee on September 1, 2021, appointed Chair of the Academic & Student Affairs Committee on September 1, 2022 and September 1, 2023.

Jeff Darwin – Chair, Audit & Risk Management Committee

Jeff was born into an entrepreneurial family here in Ottawa where he continues to reside with his family.

A proud Algonquin College alumnus, he is a polished executive connector with many years of operational, revenue development and stakeholder engagement experience in local professional service environments. Jeff is an exceptional communicator and a published author of “The Ten Count: Howard Darwin’s Remarkable Life in Ottawa”.

Since graduating from Algonquin, he earned a Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute, a Bachelor of Commerce (Financial Services) and is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. Other major personal charitable affiliations include the Queensway Carleton Hospital Foundation (former Board Chair), and Habitat for Humanity, Global Village. Other volunteer boards served include the Ottawa Sports Council and the Ottawa Sports Awards.

Jeff is a management consultant and was the founding Executive Director of Ottawa Markets; the City of Ottawa’s largest Municipal Services Corporation. He originally spent more than 30 years in financial services and has experience in aviation (private pilot – night rated); amateur sport (Ottawa 67’s), and professional sport (Ottawa Lynx).

After serving the Algonquin College Foundation Board, Jeff Darwin was appointed to our college Board of Governors in 2018 and was appointed Chair of the Audit and Risk Management Committee for September 1, 2023.

Gabrielle Berard

Gabrielle Berard is a public affairs and advocacy professional specializing in health care policy. She is passionate about helping organizations understand how government works to support the alignment of business objectives with political priorities.

Gabrielle leads federal government engagement on behalf of Novo Nordisk Canada, a global health care company based in Denmark dedicated to the development innovative treatments for patients living with serious chronic diseases. In her current role, she advocates for Novo Nordisk in Ottawa to government decision-makers and industry associations. She holds additional responsibility for the development of community partnerships to support the company’s commitment to chronic disease prevention.

Prior to joining Novo Nordisk, Gabrielle spent over a decade working in the fields of government and health policy. As a senior staffer to two federal finance ministers, she provided political advice on a range of health and social policy files to support the development of three federal budgets. Since leaving politics, Gabrielle has built a career in health policy and advocacy, advising and representing professional associations, not-for-profit organizations and private corporations to achieve their government affairs and public policy objectives.

Gabrielle holds a Masters of Public and International Affairs from the University of Ottawa, and an Honours Bachelors of Arts from McGill University. Gabrielle Berard was appointed to the Board of Governors effective September 1, 2021, and was appointed as Vice Chair of the Academic and Student Affairs Committee on September 1, 2023.

Shaun Denis

Shaun Denis is the founder and CEO of Umber Realty Inc., a full service brokerage that handles commercial and residential real estate transactions. Umber began in Ottawa in 2014, and quickly made inroads into the Ottawa market. Over the next 8 years, under Shaun’s leadership, the company expanded its Ottawa base, adding offices in Toronto and Vancouver. Umber delivers quality client service while continually striving to innovate and improve real estate practices. For example, Umber was an industry leader in using virtual reality technology to enable prospective buyers to easily gain a full perspective of a property without an in-person visit.

Shaun comes from a family of educators. He is passionate about learning and sharing knowledge. Umber provides its employees with a full training program to assist them in effectively carrying out their work. In addition to promoting continuous learning for his employees, Shaun has participated as an industry representative on panels at Algonquin College designed to help students prepare for entering the job market. He understands the value of a strong partnership between post secondary education and the business sector, and has actively worked to promote this relationship.

Shaun graduated from Queen’s University with a Bachelor of Arts (2009) and a Bachelor of Education (2010). In 2010, he acquired his Ontario real estate license. He worked 4 years in the real estate industry gaining practical experience in the field, before establishing Umber.

Shaun’s charity work includes the Snowsuit Fund, Santa’s Little Helpers (a musical group that performs for seniors’ homes) and the Special Olympics. Shaun Denis was appointed to the Board of Governors effective September 1, 2022.

Julia Fortey – Administrative Staff Representative

Julia Fortey has worked at Algonquin College for twelve years in a variety of positions including her current role as Associate Chair in ACCE. Julia is a proud alumna of Algonquin College’s Architectural Technology program.

A lifelong learner, Julia has a passion for learning new things and holds her M. Ed in Leadership in Learning from the University of Prince Edward Island. Prior to that, she completed a Bachelor of Arts in Art History with a minor in Architecture from Carleton University. Julia’s quest for knowledge extends beyond the traditional, encompassing certifications including, an End of Life Doula Certificate from Douglas College, Indigenous History Certificate from the University of Alberta Online, her level one in Cabinet Making apprenticeship, as well as certificates from AC Online in Emerging Educational Technologies and Teachers and Trainers of Adults.

Julia values contributing to her community and has held past Board roles with the Ottawa chapter of the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) as well as the Ottawa MG club. Julia is currently pursuing her certificate in Strength and Conditioning Training and 200-hour accredited yoga teacher training.

Tanya was appointed to the Board of Governors effective February 5, 2024.

Bharat Rudra

Bharat Rudra is a serial entrepreneur, business leader, and computer engineer with over 30 years of experience in business development, management, and growth. His remarkable work and volunteer efforts have left a significant positive impact on the Ottawa community, particularly in the fields of entrepreneurship, the high-tech industry, philanthropy, and community building.

Currently serving as the Vice President at 123worx, an Ottawa-based software company, Bharat worked for high-tech firms such as Nortel Networks, Catena Networks, and Computing Devices earlier in his career. He has also worked with government-funded research and development support organizations, including Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) and International Science and Technology Partnerships Canada (ISTP Canada). At OCE, Bharat successfully managed multiple funding programs that facilitated the commercialization of academic research in Ontario. During his tenure at ISTP Canada, he led an international R&D funding program aimed at fostering collaborations between Canadian SMEs, academia, and their Indian and Brazilian counterparts for joint research initiatives and subsequent commercialization. Bharat has played a pivotal role in leading several dozen Canadian industry delegations to countries such as India, Brazil, Israel, and China. This encompasses a key organizer of the official delegation led by the Mayor of the City of Ottawa during their visit to India. Bharat has been a co-founder of three high-tech start-ups in Ottawa.

Bharat’s impact extends beyond his professional achievements. As the co-founder, former Chair, and current President of TiE Ottawa, he has significantly contributed to fostering entrepreneurship in the region. Under his guidance, TiE Ottawa has empowered numerous entrepreneurs and successfully launched programs like TiECon Canada, an internationally recognized entrepreneurship conference that facilitates connections between Ottawa’s business leaders and startups with entrepreneurs around North America.

Bharat’s commitment to the community is evident through his involvement with organizations like Dhadkan, where he co-founded the not-for-profit Indo-Canadian organization and served as its former leader. Dhadkan has raised over $10 million for the Ottawa Heart Institute. Additionally, Bharat has held the position of Vice President at the Indo Canada Community Center and has dedicated himself to supporting and empowering Indo-Canadian youth by creating and leading various programs. Bharat was a regular guest for four years on CTV Ottawa’s technology TV program, Tech Now. Bharat spearheaded a project in partnership with a local law firm to commemorate Ottawa’s entrepreneurship. This involved creating a video spotlighting 100 Ottawa entrepreneurs, which was included in the City of Ottawa’s time capsule to mark Canada’s 150th birthday.

Bharat Rudra’s outstanding contributions have earned him several awards, including the prestigious 2020 Order of Ottawa, recognizing his exceptional efforts in improving the community and making it a better place for all. Bharat was appointed to the Board of Governors effective September 1, 2023.

Tanya Buckley

Tanya Buckley continued her long association with Algonquin College by joining the Board of Governors in 2023. She is a proud alumnus of Algonquin and a proud mother of a daughter who attends the college.

In addition to her post-secondary education at Algonquin, she holds an Executive MBA from the University of Ottawa.

Tanya brings wide-ranging skills, including business development, marketing, leadership, strategic planning, and entrepreneurship, gained from working in a family business early in her career and, in recent years, with one of Ottawa’s leading residential developers and builders. She is currently the Senior Vice-President of Cardel Homes Ontario Division.

Since graduating from Algonquin, Tanya has returned to the college several times to offer her perspectives, experience, and expertise. She advised the Alumni & Friends Network, served on The Strategic Advisory Committee and is an Algonquin Centre for Construction Excellence (ACCE) Advisory Committee member.

In addition to lending her time and expertise to Algonquin College, she serves on the Board of Directors of the Greater Ottawa Home Builders Association (GOHBA), where she is Vice-President and Chair of the Trades Development Initiative (TDI). TDI is a project by the 350 GOHBA members to promote the benefits of working in skilled trades and trade career opportunities in residential construction in the Ottawa Region.

Tanya was appointed to the Board of Governors effective September 1, 2023.

Tony Pollard

Tony Pollard, originally from Montreal, has extensive public private sector experience. He studied at Western University and McGill University and graduated from Concordia University with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Science and from Carleton University with a Masters in Political Science (Canadian Government and International Politics). He has 44 years of government relations experience having served earlier in his career as Special Assistant to the federal Minister of Transport and Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary of State. He later served as the President of the Hotel Association of Canada from 1991 to 2016.

Mr. Pollard is an award winning author having written various publications including “Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes” and “Green Key – An Overnight Success Eleven Years in the Making”. In 2011 he was the winner of the USA Today Award of Excellence for his publication “Hospitality for Chinese Guests”. He is a frequent guest lecturer at many colleges and universities as well as a speaker at national and international conferences. He has appeared as a travel industry and government relations expert on CNN, Sky News, the BBC, NBC and ABC, and in Canada on Canada AM/ Your Morning, BNN Bloomberg and CBC Newsworld.

Mr. Pollard also served as the CEO and Managing Director of Green Key Global, operators of the Green Key Eco-Rating Program, the Green Key Meetings Program and the Green Key Carbon Calculator. The Green Key Program, an environmental assessment and certification tool for hotels, was created by Tony Pollard in 1997 and was expanded under his direction into more than 30 countries.

Tony Pollard has held a variety of voluntary positions including that of Vice-President of the International Hotel and Restaurant Association (IHRA), member of the Board of Directors of the IHRA and HR Canada, Advisory Committee Member to Algonquin College, the University of Guelph, and Humber College. He was a founding member of the Government Relations Institute of Canada and was previously the volunteer President of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario. He served as an active member on many Destination Canada/Canadian Tourism Commission committees and was a member of the Editorial Board of Hotelier Magazine and Canadian Lodging News.

Mr. Pollard has been recognized nationally and internationally with awards including the Ordre du Merite Hotelier du Quebec, the Pinnacle Award, the Pistilli Environmental Award, the Confrérie Internationale des Amis de l’Hotellerie et de la Restauration, the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Award and the Canadian Tourism Hall of Fame.

Since his retirement from the Hotel Association of Canada, Mr. Pollard has served in an advisory capacity to industry, various levels of government and the non-profit sector. Tony Pollard was appointed to the Algonquin College Board of Governors effective September 1, 2022, and was appointed Vice Chair to the Governance Committee effective September 1, 2023.

Michele Bellows

Michele Bellows currently resides in Lanark Highlands, ON and has been a Registered Nurse for more than 35 years. She graduated from the General Hospital School of Nursing in St. John’s NL and went on to complete her Bachelor and Master’s of Nursing.

Michele has 5 grown children and 1 grandchild. Her youngest son lives at home with Michele and her husband Mark, and their six dogs.

Michele has worked in Acute Care, Long Term Care and Community Health. In 2013 Michele became the Vice President of Patient Care and Chief Nursing Executive at the Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital and in 2019 she became the Chief Executive Officer at Rideau Community Health Services. She has completed her Certified Health Professional (CHE) designation and a Black Belt in LEAN methodology.

Michele has been a volunteer on a number of regional boards and councils including the Eastern Ontario Chapter of the Canadian Council of Health Leaders (Chair and Past-Chair) and two terms on the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario Board of Directors as the Regional Representative. Michele is also the Chair of the Canadian Association of Community Health Centres. She has a passion for hearing and supporting the client voice and supporting equity, diversity, inclusivity and justice in her work.

Michele was appointed to the Board of Governors effective September 1, 2023.

Wadhah Al-monaifi – Support Staff Representative

Wadhah Al-monaifi has worked in Higher Education and Algonquin College for over ten years in a variety of roles in IT services, student services, online learning, and student housing, and developed a deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities facing learners and institutions. Currently, Wadhah works in Business Relationship Management within Information Technology (IT) Services where he brings his institutional/industry knowledge and leadership skills to build strategic partnerships across the college, enabling digital transformation and driving organizational value.

In addition to his role, Wadhah has been actively involved across the college community and participated as a member of the 22-25 Strategic Plan Advisory Team, the Employee Engagement Collaboration Team, the Inclusion and Diversity Circle, the Learner Driven Plan Working Group, and others. He is passionate about shaping the future of Algonquin College and was recognized with the 2021 National Institute for Staff and Organizational development (NISOD) Excellence Award.

Wadhah is an alum of Algonquin College’s School of Business, holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Nipissing University, and a Master of Education in Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Ottawa. As a lifelong learner, he has also completed professional development in the areas of leadership, mentoring, lean methodology, and change management.

Wadhah was appointed to the Board of Governors effective September 1, 2023.

Brandon Wong-Dearing – Student Representative

Brandon is a current student in the Computer Systems Technician – Networking program and is currently completing their first coop work term. As both a class representative and resident advisor in their first year, they were able to advocate strongly for student needs and accommodations. Brandon is a strong advocate and a member of the LGBTQIA+ community and aims to ensure that the community’s voice and presence is represented within the college. Brandon aims to complete their program and find a position within the federal government.

As a resident advisor in their first year, Brandon took responsibility for a body of over 1000 students to assist with academic and social issues and to advocate for the needs of students living on campus though outreach events as well as many conversations one on one. As a class representative Brandon was also able to help advocate for better exams and accommodations for students in their cohort to ensure a better student quality of life across the board.

Brandon Wong-Dearing was appointed to the Board of Governors effective September 1, 2023.

Robert Harvey – Academic Staff Representative

Robert Harvey, a native of Montreal, has been a fulltime accounting professor at Algonquin for more than 30 years. He is a CPA and earned his Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) from Concordia University. Mr. Harvey spent many years in the insolvency practices of Canada’s leading public accounting firms. During that period, he was responsible for running several companies so that they could be sold as going concerns.

He then went on to form his own public accounting firm with two other partners. He focused on providing financial advice to companies and individuals who were experiencing financial difficulties. While at Algonquin, Mr. Harvey has been active on numerous academic committees. He is a past recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Award presented by the Algonquin Students’ Association. He has been active in the community as a hockey coach and served on the executives of the local Community Association and Hockey Association.

Robert Harvey was appointed to the Board of Governors effective October 12, 2023.