BCIT President Kathy Kinloch receives CICan’s Distinguished Service Award

BCIT celebrates President Kathy Kinloch for being named a recipient of the Colleges and Institutes Canada’s (CICan) 2022 Distinguished Service Award.

The Distinguished Service Award recognizes the exceptional leadership qualities and contributions a recipient has made in their institute and community.

The award cites Kathy as a transformational leader and role model. Kathy is the first female president at BCIT and is recognized by CICan for her authentic leadership style and passion for creative change.

At BCIT, Kathy empowers an exceptional team of academic leaders and innovators who continue to succeed in providing future-proof and applied education to ensure graduates are job-ready. She also championed a community permeated with equality and inclusivity.

In collaboration with the Indigenous Initiatives and Partnerships team, Kathy has guided BCIT’s commitment to taking authentic, sustainable actions that build awareness and understanding around Truth, Reconciliation, Indigenization, the legacy of Colonization, and the contemporary reality of Canada and Indigenous people. Kathy was recently honoured by Indigenous Initiatives and Partnership for her vision and commitment in championing BCIT’s first Indigenous Vision.

Kathy was also instrumental in establishing a Respect, Diversity, and Inclusion department, as well as an Anti-Racism Framework in support of fostering an inclusive and respectable environment for all students, faculty and staff.

In responding to issues accelerating change in the community, Kathy helped launch BCIT Centre for Ecocities, a Centre to advance the transformation of cities to become socially just and ecologically sustainable. She was also a key driver in helping transform BCIT campuses keep pace with the digital age and evolving learning and teaching needs. This led to major campus redevelopment projects including the new BCIT Health Sciences Centre, the Tech Collider, the Tall Timber Student Housing project, the Trades and Technology Centre, and much more.

Acknowledgements of Kathy’s accomplishments include Canada’s Most Admired CEO, Top 100 Public Sector Leaders, WXN’s Top 100 Hall of Fame, Top 50 Power Lists, Vancouver Magazine, Most Influential Women in Business, BC Business magazine, Influential Women in Business Awards, Business in Vancouver Media Group, Woman of Distinction, YWCA Metro Vancouver, and an Honorary Doctor of Law from Royal Roads University.

Congratulations to Kathy and MaryLynn West-Moynes, CEO and President of Georgian College of Applied Arts and Technology, for being recipients of this year’s CICan Distinguished Service Award.

The BCIT Community sincerely thanks President Kathy Kinloch for her over eight years of service and dedication to the Institute. President Kathy has been an inspirational leader and BCIT is grateful for her incredible contributions, which have been critical to the ongoing success of BCIT. All the best to President Kathy Kinloch as she begins her retirement this week. The BCIT Board of Governors has appointed Paul McCullough, current Vice President, Advancement, to serve as Interim President beginning July 1, 2022.