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Board of Governors

Members of the Board of Governors 2023-2024

Chair, Vice-Chair & Secretary
Jane Allen Chair of the Board
Jennifer Rowe Vice-Chair of the Board
Andrea Thyret-Kidd Secretary of the Board
Santee Smith Chancellor (Ex Officio)
David Farrar President & Vice-Chancellor (Ex Officio)
Susan Tighe Provost and Vice President, Academic & Chair of the University Planning Committee (Ex Officio)
Jane Allen Elected by the Board of Governors
Sandra Cruickshanks Elected by the Board of Governors
Stephen Elop Elected by the Board of Governors
Robert Walker Elected by the Board of Governors
Barry Hill Elected by the Board of Governors
Mary Lou Maher Elected by the Board of Governors
Kevin Nye Elected by the Board of Governors
Fareen Samji Elected by the Board of Governors
Mamdouh Shoukri Elected by the Board of Governors
Wayne Purboo Elected by the Board of Governors
Michael Ferencich Elected by the Board of Governors
David Huctwith Appointed by the Board of Trustees of McMaster Divinity College
Lisa Brown Appointed by the Alumni Association
David Feather Appointed by the Alumni Association
Justin Boye Appointed by the Alumni Association
Bradley Merkel Appointed by the Alumni Association
Jennifer Rowe Appointed by the Alumni Association
Dina Brooks Appointed by the Senate
Saara Greene Appointed by the Senate
Mehdi Narimani Appointed by the Senate
Emma Apatu Elected by the Teaching Staff
Brenda Vrkljan Elected by the Teaching Staff
Sarrah Lal Elected by the Teaching Staff
Catherine Anderson Elected by the Teaching Staff
Susan Galloway Elected by the Non-Teaching Staff
Nicole Agyei-Odame Elected by the Non-Teaching Staff
Skylar (Xinyu) Wang Elected by the Graduate Students
Cierra Pittari Elected by the Undergraduate Students
Ryan Clarke Appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council
Ben Menka Appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council
Michael Ramsay Appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council
Natalia Lishchyna Appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council
Joseph Mancinelli Appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council
Silvia Stankovic Appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council
H Douglas Barber Honorary Governor
Colum P. Bastable Honorary Governor
Quentin Broad Honorary Governor
Richard Buckingham Honorary Governor
David A Lazzarato Honorary Governor
Edward A Minich Honorary Governor
Barry D. Nicol Honorary Governor
Emechete Onuoha Honorary Governor
Donald A. Pether Honorary Governor
Jagoda Pike Honorary Governor
Edwin A. Taylor Honorary Governor
Thomas Weisz Honorary Governor
Paul Douglas Honorary Governor
Associate Secretary of the Board of Governors
Michelle Zheng

The legal responsibilities of the Board of Governors are set out in Section 9 of The McMaster University Act, 1976.  While the President and senior administrative officers exert the central influence in policy as well as providing the dominant force in management under the authority of the Board, Board members play an important role in the governance of the University, since the Board is the legal owner and the final authority for the institution whose assets and operations the Board holds in trust.  Except for such matters as are assigned by the 1976 Act to the Senate, the government, conduct, management and control of the University and of its property, revenues, business and affairs are vested in the Board. In carrying out its financial responsibilities, the Board must accept full accountability for the finances of the University, including monitoring and authorizing the annual operating budget, prudent investments, and comprehensive fund-raising activities, as well as the obligation to ensure that financial assets are appropriately managed.  The Board receives nominations from the Senate with respect to the hiring, promoting and suspending of senior administrative and teaching personnel, and delegates the appointment, promotion, suspension or removal of all other officers, agents and employees of the University to officers of the University. The Board conducts its affairs by making by-laws, resolutions and regulations to supplement the Act. The composition of the Board of Governors is described in Section 8 of the University Act.