Introducing Colin Ewart, President of BC Colleges
Colin Ewart joins BC Colleges following twenty-nine years’ experience in private and public sector organizations in Canada and the United Kingdom. Trained as an educator, Colin has held management positions in the military, recreation and telecommunications industries. Most recently he was Vice President Strategic Partnerships with the Rick Hansen Foundation (RHF), responsible for all key government relationships as part of the Resource Development team - the organization's fundraising group that works with individual, corporate, and government supporters. Colin was responsible for public policy advocacy, national business development, and government relations. Since joining RHF in 2006 he has successfully advocated for policies for the disabled and secured over $200M in new funding for the Rick Hansen Institute (RHI), the Foundation, and partner programs. He has extensive relationships with leaders in all parts of Canada, especially in Ottawa and British Columbia
Prior to RHF he started Polaris Inc, a Victoria based management consulting practice focused on organizational and personal effectiveness and change. He has also held an executive role in a B.C. public sector organization where he worked for over a decade. While in government he held responsibility for business strategy, policy, customer relationship management, marketing, and change leadership.
He's a Certified Manager Quality (CMQ/OE) with the American Society for Quality, and has certifications in strategic planning and change management. Colin has provided strategic management consulting to companies and non-profit organizations regarding business strategy, customer focus, and change. He has a graduate qualification from Royal Roads University in Executive Coaching (Certified Executive Coach).
Colin is currently Board Chair of the Pacific Institute of Sports Excellence (located at Camosun’s Interurban Campus), in Victoria, and served on the Board of Silken Laumann’s Active Kids’ Movement. He was also past-President of the Victoria Quality Council and past Director of the Quality Council of BC. As a part-time faculty member at Royal Roads University in Victoria, B.C., he co-created a graduate certificate distance-program for leaders and intact teams on “Leading A Customer Focused Organization”. He has also been a Sessional Lecturer in the Department of Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education at the University of Victoria.
He was a frequent contributor to the Public Sector Digest (www.publicsectordigest.com), an online monthly newsletter distributed to over 10,000 public sector leaders across Canada.
Colin holds a Masters degree in Physical Education and Sports Science from Loughborough University England, and a Bachelor of Arts and post-graduate teaching qualification from the University of Ulster, Northern Ireland.