President DeGagné earns Order of Canada
Nipissing University President, Dr. Mike DeGagné, C.M., has received one of Canada’s highest civilian honours, being appointed a Member of the Order of Canada.
The announcement was made on December 26, 2014, by His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, in a media release from Rideau Hall. In total, 95 new appointees were announced, including three Companions, 13 Officers and 79 Members.
DeGagné was recognized for his support of residential school survivors and First Nations communities, notably as the head of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, where he served as Executive Director from 1998 to 2012. In addition, his two-years serving as President and Vice-Chancellor of Nipissing University, and his 27 years of public sector leadership working as an Executive with provincial and federal agencies as well as numerous roles in the volunteer sector, contributed to his induction in the Order.
He began his five-year term as Nipissing University’s seventh president in January, 2013.
“This is a tremendous accomplishment for Dr. DeGagné and we are all proud,” said Colin Dennis, Chair of Nipissing University’s Board of Governors. “Mike is an exceptional leader and communicator who has been a strong advocate for the power of education to transform lives and communities. He brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to this university and we wish him hearty congratulations on this honour.”
“It is rewarding and humbling for me to be included on this list with so many extraordinary Canadians,” said DeGagné. “I’m pleased with what I’ve accomplished in my career so far; and offer thanks to the many people who have made significant contributions to the success of the organizations where I was working. The Aboriginal Healing Foundation offered hope and healing and I feel I am accepting this honour on behalf of everyone who worked there. Looking ahead, my focus is on the present and future of Nipissing University and I anticipate celebrating many upcoming collective accomplishments as we continue to advance this institution.”
DeGagné joins a prestigious group of Canadians appointed to the Order this year who have positively impacted their country in many ways, including Dr. Charles Pascal, an international expert on early reading and literacy, who received an honorary doctorate of education from Nipissing in 2011. The 2014 list of appointees can be viewed here.
DeGagné was awarded the Order of Ontario in 2010.
The Order of Canada was established in 1967, during Canada’s centennial year, to recognize outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation. Over the last 45 years, more than 6,000 people from all sectors of society have been invested into the Order.