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National Association
of Career Colleges
Since 1896
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NACC Board of Directors

 Michael McAllister – President: 
Dr. Michael McAllister was elected President of the NACC’s Board of Directors in May 2010.  He has served on NACC’s Board since 2006 and also is a member of the Ottawa Executives Association. 

Michael taught at the University of Ottawa from 1993 to 1999 and received a Ph.D. in 1999.  He also worked with Herzing College since 1999 and became the President of the Ottawa campus in 2003. 
  Debra Johns – Past President:
Debra Johns is the Past-President for NACC’s Board of Directors, serving as President from May 2009 to May 2010. She has been a member of NACC's Board of Directors since 2003 and has also served as Treasurer of the NACC Board in 2008 and 2009. In addition to NACC responsibilities, Debra led the revitalization of the Canadian Education and Training Accreditation Commission serving as the Chair of the NACC/ CETAC Revitalization Committee. Also, Debra was a Board Member and the President of the New Brunswick Association of Career Colleges. Currently, Debra resides in Nova Scotia and serves as member at large on the NACC’s Board.

Presently, Debra is the Vice President of Campus Operations for Eastern College. Eastern College has seven campuses in Atlantic Canada, and has trained over 20,000 graduates in the past 25 years.
James Loder – Vice-President:
James Loder was elected to NACC’s Board in 2006 and is currently serving as the Vice-President for the NACC, as well as the Secretary/Treasurer of the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Career Colleges.   James is also very active in his community and serves on various boards including the Provincial Apprenticeship and Certification Board, the Better Business Bureau, the Mount Pearl Chamber of Commerce and the Canadian Education and Training Accreditation Commission.

James has been employed with Academy Canada in St. John’s, NL, for more than 13 years.  James has held a number of positions including Instructor, Admissions Officer, Vice-Principal, Principal and Director.  Prior to that he worked for 5 years with three other leading career colleges, as well as working as Campus Manager for a career college in Trinidad and Tobago, WI.

Robert Prendergast – Secretary/Treasurer: 
Robert Prendergast was elected to NACC’s Board in 2002 and is currently the Treasurer. On top of his responsibilities with the NACC, he sits on the Board of the Canadian Education Training Accreditation Commission.  Robert has also served as a board member and member of the executive for the British Columbia Career Colleges Association.

Robert is a founder and the President of The Education Company (TEC) and the Education Consolidation Corporation.   TEC operates Stenberg College, and the Centre for Arts and Technology, which have campuses in British Colombia, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. 
  Joe Cairo – Director:
Through his past experiences serving as a board member and then Chair of the Alberta Association of Career Colleges and as a board member of the Saskatchewan Association of Career Colleges, Joe has been and continues to shape and improve industry standards.

Along with Joe’s participation with the NACC, he is also a current member of the Alberta Private Vocational Institute Advisory Board and the Saskatchewan Private Vocational Advisory Council. He has been a member of the Entrepreneurs Organization for the past five years, and currently sits as Chair of his Forum group.

Joe is part owner and President of M.C. College Group, a design college that provides career training in hairstyling, esthetics and fashion. He has been President for the past ten years.

Blair Chapman – Director:
Blair has been representing Saskatchewan on NACC’s Board since 2004, while currently serving as the Past President on the board of directors of the Saskatchewan Association of Career Colleges.

Blair is a co-owner of Saskatoon Business College, which was founded in 1907. The Saskatoon Business College has been accredited by the Canadian Education and Training Accreditation Commission since 1987 and offers a variety of Business, Clerical, Computer and Health Care programs.
Ginette Gervais – Director:
Owner and CEO of Salette College in Montreal since 1989, Ginette Gervais is particularly active in the vocational and technical training in Québec.  Member of the Advisory Commission of the Private Education of the Ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport du Québec from 2002 to 2009, member of the joint committee on Student Financial Aid since 1990 and has chaired the CCNS since 1992.  Ginette has been representing Québec on NACC's Board since 2010.
Jamie Hartling – Director:
Jamie Hartling has served as NACC Board member since June, 2011. He is also the President of the Private Colleges Association of Nova Scotia.

Currently, Jamie is the Campus Director at The Centre for Arts and Technology as well as The Centre for Health Studies, both in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He is also part of TEC, The Education Company, which operates Stenberg College and the Centre for Arts and Technology, which have campuses in British Columbia, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Jamie has over 20 years of senior-level experience in marketing, talent acquisition management and education.
George Hood – Director:
George Hood was originally elected to NACC’s Board in 1998, and since has served as a Director, Vice President and President (2006-2008). George has held various positions on the Ontario Association of Career Colleges’ Board over the past 12 years, as well as continuing to serve on educational sector committees such as the Deputy Minister’s Working Group, the International Committee and the Training Completion Assurance Fund.

George is currently the President of Herzing College of Toronto, and has had a long and distinguished career in both education and business, with more than 20 years experience in leadership roles at private career colleges. Prior to that, he operated the Entertainment Centre, one of Canada’s largest and most successful entertainment agencies.
Chris Kantor – Director:
Chris currently sits on the NACC Board as a Director and has been representing New Brunswick since 2009. Chris is also currently serving as the New Brunswick Association of Career College’s Past President.

Following her graduation from St. Thomas University in 1985, Chris began her career working with the Student Financial Services Branch of the provincial government. After numerous positions at the provincial government, she joined the Admissions Department at Eastern College Fredericton campus in 1997. Chris is currently the Campus Manager of Eastern College and Eastern Trades College in Saint John, NB.
David P. Leonard – Director:
David has served on NACC’s Board since 2009 and is actively engaged in a number of NACC activities.

David founded the Trebas Institute in 1979, creating the first digital audio course in Canada and one of the first comprehensive programs in North America for the art, technology and business of music. Trebas Institute’s campuses are located in Montreal and Toronto. Prior to this, David held numerous management and consulting positions in the entertainment industry. He obtained a BA specializing in Cinematography, an MA in Educational Technology studies before becoming involved in a Ph.D. program at McGill University.
Lois McNestry – Director:
Lois McNestry is the President and owner of Discovery Community College. Since 2000 Lois has built the College from a small business school in Campbell River to the multi-campus school it is today. Lois was previously a successful business woman and a community mental health nurse With both people and business in her background, Discovery Community College became the perfect fit encompassing both positive changes for people and business alike. Lois is actively involved in the private adult education industry. She is a past president of the British Columbia Career Colleges Association (BCCCA), the representative for British Columbia with the National Association of Career Colleges (NACC), and is an elected board member of the Private Career Training Institutions Agency of BC (PCTIA).

“Sharing and giving back to the industry helps to make us all a strong and viable industry which in turn makes huge and positive differences to people’s lives.”
Wayne Palendat – Director:
Wayne was elected to the NACC’s Board in 2008 and currently serves as President of the Manitoba Association of Career Colleges. His previous volunteer/board positions include serving the Manitoba Innovation Network and the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance.

Wayne is the Senior Director at Robertson College, working with campuses in Manitoba and Alberta. His background and education is in Business Administration with a major in marketing.
  Martine Sabatier-Miller – Director:
Martine has represented Alberta on the NACC’s Board since 2008 and has been serving on the Alberta Association of Career Colleges’ Board since 2003.

Martine is currently a director and co-owner of Campbell College in Edmonton, Alberta.  Prior to this, she has 25 years of experience in finance, information technology, and education, working in both the public and private sector.
  Don Thibert – Director:
Don Thibert has been actively involved with NACC and OACC since 1987. He is the past president of OACC, where he has served as a member of the board since 2005. He is also Chair of the KPI Committee, where he works to develop new processes for career college quality assurance.

Don has significant experience in the sector through various roles, including instructor, owner, multi-location manager and Divisional President. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Windsor and dedicates time to giving back to his Windsor community by working with "In Honour of the Ones we Love," a charity that has raised over $2 million to support local hospitals and patients.
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