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Okanagan College elects new board chairs

Juliette Cunningham moves from vice chair to chair; Dale Safinuk elected vice chair
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Dale Safinuk (left) is the new vice chair of Okanagan College’s board of directors while former vice chair Juliette Cunningham (right) takes over as chair. (Okanagan College photo)

Okanagan College’s board of governors has a new chair and vice chair.

Vernon’s Juliette Cunningham, who has served as vice chair since November 2019, has been elected chair. She succeeds Splatsin’s Gloria Morgan, whose two-year term has now completed.

“It has been very inspiring working alongside Gloria and I am deeply honoured to be succeeding her in the role,” said Cunningham. “Gloria is an incredible champion for her community and for the college. I’m proud of the work we’ve accomplished at Okanagan College, and with a new strategic plan to be finalized early next year, there are a lot of exciting opportunities and important work ahead.”

Cunningham is a former Vernon councillor, as well as vice chair of the Regional District of the North Okanagan, and vice -chair of the Okanagan Basin Water Board. She is a business owner with an extensive history of working with non-profit boards such as the Women’s Centre, Junction Literacy, People Place, Greater Vernon Museum and Archives and the Early Years Council. Cunningham was also named Vernon’s 2016 Woman of the Year by Vernon Women in Business.

Dale Safinuk has been elected vice chair. He is a retired financial services executive with TD Bank and most recently served as district vice president.

“I’m proud to serve the board of governors in this new capacity and to support Juliette in her new role as chair,” said Safinuk. “In my two-and-a-half years on the board to date, it’s been wonderful to witness the many ways in which OC is tied into the region, in terms of the depth and breadth of relationships with community and industry. I’ve also been impressed by the commitment and hard work invested by so many individuals across the college who strive to make this an ever more welcoming, rewarding and supportive place to learn and work.”

Safinuk previously served on the advisory board for Ch’nook Indigenous Students Education at UBC; as co-chair of TD’s Diversity Leadership Council for Indigenous people; was a member of TD’s national committee for Indigenous people; and served as board member with TD Friends of the Environment Foundation.

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