WEYBURN - The Â鶹´«Ã½AVeast College has announced the hiring of a couple of people for key roles within the organization.
Sheena Onrait has been recently appointed as the executive director of communication and strategic enrolment. Onrait will begin her new role on Feb. 21.
Onrait started her career at Â鶹´«Ã½AVeast College in 2007 in the administrative department. Throughout her tenure at the college, she has held various positions, including campus management, regional management and most recently manager of marketing and communications.
Her post-secondary accomplishments include multiple diplomas in business, marketing and accounting from Saskatchewan Polytechnic; a certificate in public relations from the University of Regina and a graduate certificate in strategic enrolment management from Royal Roads University in Victoria, B.C.
She said she considers herself to be a lifelong learner and values the education that she has been fortunate to achieve.
Onrait is an active member of the Estevan community, volunteering as the secretary for the Estevan Minor Hockey Association, a member of the Estevan Economic Development committee, and in March 2023 is to be named the next president of the Estevan Chamber of Commerce.
"I look forward to continuing Â鶹´«Ã½AVeast College's amazing work. The continued development and implementation of our strategic plan and strategic enrollment management plan have been the highlights of my career thus far, and I am eager to see how it impacts our prospective, current, future and alumni students," says Onrait.
Â鶹´«Ã½AVeast College president and CEO Vicky Roy said the executive team looks forward to working with Onrait on a strategic level.
“Sheena's new role is very exciting for us. She has the skills and competencies to lead this new division that will provide synergies between admissions, recruitment, campus management and services to students, as well as strategic enrollment and communication. Sheena is the right person for moving this new division forward and has the right talent to succeed,” said Roy.
The college has also announced that Timothy Spielman is the new vice-president of finance and administration. He will oversee finance, information technology, facility management and capital projects. He also starts his new role on Feb. 21.
The college says Spielman will be a valuable addition to its team, with over 25 years of experience in post-secondary education and leadership in technology start-ups, multinational organizations and non-profits. His academic endeavors include course instruction, as well as creating, developing and implementing numerous new certificates, diplomas and degrees.
These endeavours were with a variety of academic institutions serving Indigenous, international and domestic students with positions ranging from faculty member to dean in Western Canada. He has worked with the University of Lethbridge, SAIT, St Mary’s University, Thompson Rivers University and Medicine Hat College.
His corporate experience is in the areas of accounting and finance, strategic leadership, and tech security and innovation. The companies he has served with range from start-ups to Fortune 500 firms across Asia, Europe and North America.
He has also had the privilege of serving on boards of directors that include a public reporting entity and his professional organization.
"I am looking forward to working with Dr. Vicky Roy as we share a passion for ethics, corporate social responsibility, innovation, sustainability and entrepreneurship in education. It will be my goal to contribute to the college's strategic growth and development in the southeast region of Saskatchewan."
The college said Spielman's ethical approach to management and participative leadership style have earned him praise from every team he has led and board he has served on. Furthermore, the college described him as a strong advocate for sustainability and social justice.
He is a fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Alberta and has a master of business administration with concentrations in strategic leadership and technology, along with a bachelor of commerce with a major in accounting.
Roy said she is excited to work with such a talented professional who has a vision for innovation, sustainability and community engagement.
“Timothy's extensive background in post-secondary teaching and administrative management, as well as his expertise in capital projects and finance, will help us move forward with our mission to enrich the lives and livelihoods of our staff, learners, industry and the communities we serve.”
