Photo: Liam Verster

By Emily Keller

economic taskforce

GPRC President and CEO to chair new economic recovery taskforce launched by Alberta colleges

May 7, 2020 | 2:40 PM

The President and CEO of Grande Prairie Regional College, Dr. Robert Murray, is to chair a new Economic Recovery Taskforce launched by the eleven Comprehensive Community Colleges in the province.

The taskforce is to help with local, provincial, and federal governments, as well as industry during the reopening and relaunching of businesses and the economy after closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Murray says the taskforce will include representatives from some of the colleges, as well as representatives from industry and economic development.

“With representation of course from the Chamber movement, economic development (from) both Calgary and Edmonton as well, the effort is really to work on strategies where we can leverage the resources and expertise that the colleges have to help facilitate economic development and growth coming out of these economic crises.”

Dr. Murray says so far, they have had one meeting.

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“I think we certainly know that we want to focus on economic resiliency to address some of those immediate needs, and knowing that we have to move incredibly quickly as a taskforce to come up with recommendations and solutions to some of the most pressing needs.”

Economic resiliency to address immediate needs is one of three themes the taskforce is focusing on, with the other two being economic recovery to play a key role in restarting the economy, and competitiveness to focus on long-term opportunities for Alberta’s colleges to build economic strength in the country.

“Ultimately this is trying to ensure that while we are able to leverage our resources to address that short and medium-term goal, that over the long term, colleges are a regular part of that economic resiliency and competitiveness process, and aligning with our partners to help build that long-term competitiveness to not only get our economy restarted, but to make our economy more attractive to attract future investments over the long-term.”

Other members involved in the taskforce are:

• Dr. Paula Burns, President and CEO at Lethbridge College
• Joan Hertz, Interim President and CEO at NorQuest College
• Nancy Broadbent, President and CEO at Portage College
• Dr. Peter Nunoda, President at Red Deer College
• Elan MacDonald, Senior Vice-President at Global Public Affairs
• Joseph Lougheed, Partner at Dentons Canada LLP
• Lynette Tremblay, Vice-President, Strategy and Innovation at Edmonton Global
• Justin Riemer, Assistant Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Western Economic Diversification,

Government of Canada Assistant Deputy Minister of the Advanced Learning and Community Partnerships Division with the Government of Alberta, Peter Leclaire will be an observer to the taskforce.

Dr. Murray says there is no set schedule for the taskforce, but that they will be meeting as often as they deem necessary.