By Justin Dionne

GPRC President and CEO announces retirement

Jan 7, 2019 | 3:08 PM

Grande Prairie Regional College’s President and CEO has announced his retirement.
 
Don Gnatiuk broke the news of his departure from the college Monday, saying he’s expecting to take his leave within the next year.
 
“I notified the Board of Governors that I intend to retire as President and CEO of the GPRC effective March 2020, or sooner if they find a replacement for me,” says Gnatiuk. “This is not a sudden decision, I’ve been thinking about this for quite some time.”
 
Gnatiuk has been President and CEO of the college for the past 12 years.
 
“It’s mixed emotions, I love this town, I love the region, I love the college. The people in it are fantastic. I’m very sad about leaving what’s dear to me, but it’s the right time to do that. The college is in a good place and it needs to move to the next level,” says Gnatiuk.
 
He explains degree-granting and university status are things that the college has worked at since it was built. He notes he’s going to do what he can to continue the momentum the college has in its progress towards becoming a degree-granting institution.
 
“We had a discussion about what was important. Should I maintain? should I accelerate, or should I slow it down? The board has given me the mandate to continue all projects and keep forward on all activities. My intention is to maintain momentum on all fronts and try and create the best possible environment for the next individual to be successful.”

The college’s Board of Governors is now starting the process to search for a new President and CEO.