Pat Lang says it feels like she’s graduating after 40 years.
Confederation College’s long-serving president on Friday announced she will step down from her post and into the world of semi-retirement, effective next July, ending a 10-year term at the school’s helm.
Confederation College’s long-serving president on Friday announced she will step down from her post and into the world of semi-retirement, effective next July, ending a 10-year term at the school’s helm.
Lang said the timing just seemed right to make the move.
“We’ve got record enrolment numbers and with our new building opening, I think it’s a great time for a new president to come in commission (it). I also think it’s the right time from a political perspective. We have municipal elections this fall, we have a provincial election in the fall of 2011 and who knows when there may or may not be federal elections,” Lang said.
“I think it would be a great time for a new president to come in and forge those relationships very early with our political leaders.”
Lang, who has spent four decades working in education, from her native northern Quebec to southern Ontario to Sudbury, said it won’t be easy to walk away nine months from now. She said she loves everything about Confederation College – the staff, the students, the energy and excitement.
“Every day it’s a privilege to come to college … I can’t think of a better place to graduate from than Confederation College,” she said, smiling.
Lang and her husband, a banker, plan to stay in Thunder Bay after she walks away, though Lang promised she won’t stay idle long.
“My husband is afraid I’ll dust him, so I’ll be doing something to keep myself busy and to use all this energy. I just haven’t decided what, yet,” she said.
Lang arrived at Confederation College at a pivotal time in the school’s history. When she landed in Thunder Bay the forestry sector was still functional, but that soon changed. It ushered in a whole new era of learning, as out-of-work foresters sought retraining as their jobs disappeared.
At the same time the city began its push toward becoming a knowledge-based economy, centred around medical research and bio-technology.
Not one to be left behind, it was Lang’s vision and perseverance that led to the creation of the Regional Educational Health Alliance for Community Health building, a 40,000 square foot structure that will house the school’s health and community services programs, complete with state-of-the-art labs, clinics and simulated learning experiences.
Lang isn’t one to take credit for the work needed to make the project happen using federal and provincial stimulus funds.
“All of the things that we’ve accomplished as a team, I really can’t take any accountability for that, in terms of being the only one who did that. Everything that we’ve done here at the college has been a result of this incredible team of people with all these creative and innovative ideas. I just happen to be the leader at the time who gets to shepherd the processes,” Lang said.
Marilyn Gouthro, president of the college’s board of governors, said it won’t be easy to replace the school’s longtime leader. Gouthro said the decision came as a shock, but in afterthought, she’s happy for her colleague.
“When we are able to think about this logically, we are able to realize we’ve had a tremendous gift at this college and for Northwestern Ontario for a long time. We know that Pat has given this college her heart and her soul, and she will leave a legacy that is incredibly powerful here,” Gouthro said.
Gouthro added the school will start an immediate nationwide search for Lang’s replacement, though admitted they won’t be easy shoes to fill.
“We’ve got record enrolment numbers and with our new building opening, I think it’s a great time for a new president to come in commission (it). I also think it’s the right time from a political perspective. We have municipal elections this fall, we have a provincial election in the fall of 2011 and who knows when there may or may not be federal elections,” Lang said.
“I think it would be a great time for a new president to come in and forge those relationships very early with our political leaders.”
Lang, who has spent four decades working in education, from her native northern Quebec to southern Ontario to Sudbury, said it won’t be easy to walk away nine months from now. She said she loves everything about Confederation College – the staff, the students, the energy and excitement.
“Every day it’s a privilege to come to college … I can’t think of a better place to graduate from than Confederation College,” she said, smiling.
Lang and her husband, a banker, plan to stay in Thunder Bay after she walks away, though Lang promised she won’t stay idle long.
“My husband is afraid I’ll dust him, so I’ll be doing something to keep myself busy and to use all this energy. I just haven’t decided what, yet,” she said.
Lang arrived at Confederation College at a pivotal time in the school’s history. When she landed in Thunder Bay the forestry sector was still functional, but that soon changed. It ushered in a whole new era of learning, as out-of-work foresters sought retraining as their jobs disappeared.
At the same time the city began its push toward becoming a knowledge-based economy, centred around medical research and bio-technology.
Not one to be left behind, it was Lang’s vision and perseverance that led to the creation of the Regional Educational Health Alliance for Community Health building, a 40,000 square foot structure that will house the school’s health and community services programs, complete with state-of-the-art labs, clinics and simulated learning experiences.
Lang isn’t one to take credit for the work needed to make the project happen using federal and provincial stimulus funds.
“All of the things that we’ve accomplished as a team, I really can’t take any accountability for that, in terms of being the only one who did that. Everything that we’ve done here at the college has been a result of this incredible team of people with all these creative and innovative ideas. I just happen to be the leader at the time who gets to shepherd the processes,” Lang said.
Marilyn Gouthro, president of the college’s board of governors, said it won’t be easy to replace the school’s longtime leader. Gouthro said the decision came as a shock, but in afterthought, she’s happy for her colleague.
“When we are able to think about this logically, we are able to realize we’ve had a tremendous gift at this college and for Northwestern Ontario for a long time. We know that Pat has given this college her heart and her soul, and she will leave a legacy that is incredibly powerful here,” Gouthro said.
Gouthro added the school will start an immediate nationwide search for Lang’s replacement, though admitted they won’t be easy shoes to fill.
