Gerri Woodford
BA, Memorial University of Newfoundland (1974)
MEd, University of Toronto (1985)

With more than twenty years of experience in higher education, Gerri Woodford is a natural fit for JWA and its unique client base.

She began her career as Registrar to Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, the Corner Brook campus of Memorial University of Newfoundland. Following twelve years there, she joined the Office of the President at York University in Toronto as an Academic Policy Analyst. Just prior to joining JWA, Gerri was Secretary to Council and Director of Administrative Services for the Council of Ontario Universities, an advocacy and research organization. Gerri brings valuable experience and skills in committee and board decision-making practices to JWA.

Some of Gerri’s recently completed searches include: Academic Vice-President, St. Francis Xavier University; President, St. John’s International Airport Authority; Dean, Odette School of Business, University of Windsor; and Trenholme Director of Libraries, McGill University.

Dan Birch
BA, The University of British Columbia (1963)
MA, The University of British Columbia (1968)
PhD, University of California at Berkeley (1969)
Honorary DLitt, BC Open University (2003)
FRSA

In 1998, JWA recruited Dan Birch to head up its Vancouver office. He brings to the search business twenty-five years of university leadership experience, half of that as Vice President (Academic) and Provost at the University of British Columbia, prior to which he was Dean of Education at UBC. At Simon Fraser University, Dan served as Dean of Education, Associate Vice President (Academic), Acting Vice President (Academic) and Acting President.

Dan also has twelve years of experience on the boards of three teaching hospitals, including three years as a Board Chair. He has provided leadership in international development, in multi-cultural agencies, and the United Way.

Some of Dan’s recently completed searches include: President, Athabasca University; Dean of Engineering, McGill University; Dean of Mathematics, University of Waterloo; and Chair, Inner City Health, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto.

Janet Wright
BA, Trent University (1970)
MA, Carleton University (1971)
PhD, University of Toronto (1977)
Honorary LLD, University of Waterloo (1999)

For more than twenty years, Janet Wright has built her reputation in the profession of executive search. Her early career included university-level teaching in Canada and in France, and a management role in a public-sector research group.

She then spent fourteen years in executive search with other firms, before founding her own firm, Janet Wright & Associates Inc., in 1995. She serves on the Investment Operations Committee of Alberta Revenue, Government of Alberta. In a voluntary capacity, Janet is Chair of the Board of The Writers’ Trust of Canada.

Some of Janet’s recently completed searches include: President, University of Ottawa; President, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR); President, Mental Health Commission of Canadal; and President, Canadian Olympic Foundation.

Jack Dimond
BA, Boston College (1964)
MA, University of Toronto (1966)
PhD, University of Toronto (1975)
Honorary LLD, University of Toronto (2001)

Prior to joining JWA, Jack enjoyed a distinguished thirty-year career with the University of Toronto. After serving as Assistant to the Principal of Innis College and director of its first student residence, he was executive assistant to several vice-presidents. In 1981, Jack became Secretary of the University’s Governing Council. By the time of his early retirement in 1999, he had achieved a reputation as one of Canada’s most thoughtful and skilled governance practitioners. During his time as Secretary, Jack provided the senior staff support for four presidential and eight vice-presidential searches at the University of Toronto.

Some of Jack’s recently completed searches at JWA include: Vice-President, Research, and Vice-President and Provost, The University of Western Ontario; Provost, University of Ontario Institute of Technology; and Director of Public Affairs and Communications, University of Windsor.

Colleen Keenan   
BA (Hon), University of Toronto (1982)

After a successful fifteen-year career in public affairs and communications, Colleen turned her talents to the search business. Her career includes two years on Parliament Hill in the early 1980s as the communications assistant to a Member of Parliament. She then worked as a consultant in executive search in Toronto and later with a national government relations firm. She also spent over eight years in the natural resource industry, including five years as Vice-President of Public Affairs for Falconbridge Limited. Prior to joining JWA, Colleen served four years as Vice-President of Communications for the YMCA of Greater Vancouver.

Some of Colleen’s recently completed searches include: Head, Lakefield College School; Vice-President, Screening and Prevention, Cancer Care Ontario; Vice-President, Communications, Hospital for Sick Children; President and CEO, Lakeridge Health Corporation; and President and CEO, Stollery Children’s Foundation.

Jim Lundy   
BA, Wilfrid Laurier University (1970)

Jim brings 25 years of executive search experience to JWA. He was previously president and co-founder of a national search firm that focused primarily on senior-level search in the public and not-for-profit sector. Prior to that, he was a consultant with two other executive search firms whose clients included both private and public-sector organizations. Before entering the search profession, Jim enjoyed a career in the corporate sector.

Jim has successfully completed assignments on behalf of universities, community colleges, health care organizations, school boards, municipal governments, and independent schools. Since joining JWA in September 2004, he has completed searches for Vice-Principal, Academic, Queen’s University; Vice-President, Academic and Chief Learning Officer, Centennial College; Dean, Faculty of Business, Ryerson University; Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Dalhousie University; and Dean, Faculty of Arts, Wilfrid Laurier University.