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College appoints Broadbent as president

In a selection process that took almost a year, and saw an initial list of more than 70 applicants from around the world, the Portage College Board of Governors has appointed a very familiar face as president to oversee the operations of the institut
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In a selection process that took almost a year, and saw an initial list of more than 70 applicants from around the world, the Portage College Board of Governors has appointed a very familiar face as president to oversee the operations of the institution .

Nancy Broadbent was appointed as Portage College president by the board on April 17. Broadbent has been the acting interim president of Portage College since last May, taking over from outgoing president Trent Keough, who is now in charge of Keyano College in Fort McMurray.

Portage's Board of Governors chairperson Randy Benson said that although Broadbent had been in the role, the process had to be inclusive for any candidate.

"We had candidates from all over the world — mostly from Canada and the US. There were more than 70 candidates. It was open for anyone to apply and we saw many candidates with varying backgrounds," he told the POST last Thursday.

Broadbent has worked at the college for more than 28 years in a variety of roles including the registrar's office, as vice-president of student and college services and vice president academic. She has a degree in Business Commerce from the University of Alberta and a Masters in Business Administration.

Broadbent, who has called the Lac La Biche community home since 1980, is  happy to take on the role officially after almost a year as the interim president. During that year, she has been concentrating on forging partnerships between the college and the communities it serves. That work will continue to be the backbone of her duties.

"I've been really pushing the community engagement and that's been my mantra," she told the POST, adding that she plans to visit all municipal and Indigenous communities throughout the region, as well as industrial leaders to forge stronger partnerships. "I'll be meeting with all municipal and all Indigenous councils an speak to them. That is the president's role, in my opinion, to build those relationships and look for areas where we can partner."

At the same time that she and the board will be continuing their external partnerships, Broadbent plans to continue to unite the staff and students under the Portage banner.

"We all need to feel like a family," she said. "There is a bigger purpose for us all to work together."

Creating more services inside the institutions for specific and unique student needs is one area where Broadbent expects to see changes. What makes Portage College stand out, she says is the "distinct and unique" qualities of its students and the learning. Recent surveys have shown that 45 per cent of  Portage students across their campus locations in Lac La Biche, St. Paul, Cold Lake and satellite campus locations in Saddle Lake, Goodfish Lake and Frog Lake are Indigenous learners. Students are also more mature in age and many are single parents. Those statistics proved opportunities for school officials to create unique learning environments. Broadbent would like to see more wrap-around services for students, as well as more cultural spaces available.

She says those unique challenges and opportunities can be addressed with continued government support for the college and its operations. Along with community, staff and student pertnerships, Broadbent knows that the relationships with their funding partners is vital to the future. She hopes to continue and improve relationships with the many government departments involved in the college's operations.

"It's really important for the president and the board to make sure that everybody knows about Portage in the government circles. We speak with Advanced Education ... Indigenous Affairs ... Education ... Culture, Infrastructure ... we will continue to work with all of them to make sure they continue to understand our needs and our uniqueness and distinctiveness."

New government in Alberta

With the recent provincial election replacing the governing party for Alberta, Broadbent says she is confident the immediate future will be "steady as she goes," as most of the bureaucrats will remain the same. For new ministers and MLAs, however, the plan is to continue to spread the Portage messsage.

"For any new people, the ministers, we will make sure they understand how important we are in our region," she said.

Benson said that despite Broadbent's local knowledge, the selection process was rigorous. Over the year, candidates were shortlisted by a human resources committee until only three were remaining.

Benson said they then were put into a unique interview process.

Broadbent and two others then presented their offer to a panel made up of staff, faculty and even students, he said.

"We wanted to make the process as inclusive as possible," he said, explaining that the staff and students were integral in the decision-making process as they would be the most affected by the new president.

Benson and the board are also looking forward to continuing the college's recent push towards community relationships and partnerships.

"We have made real advances and there has been a great deal of positive change .. It's all about relationships."

Broadbent plans to combine the relationships with students and staff, communities, industry and government and grow the Portage name.

"There's a lot of power in working together," she said.


Rob McKinley

About the Author: Rob McKinley

Rob has been in the media, marketing and promotion business for 30 years, working in the public sector, as well as media outlets in major metropolitan markets, smaller rural communities and Indigenous-focused settings.
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