When Simon Fraser University announced October 20 that former B.C. Liberal finance minister Carole Taylor would be its new chancellor, it became clear the university’s new president did not hold political grudges.
Former NDP attorney general Andrew Petter became president of SFU seven weeks ago. Before Petter took office, he joined current chancellor Brandt Louie and SFU Board of Governors’ member Michael Francis in taking Taylor out for lunch at the Vancouver Club to encourage her to take the post.
“We talked about how I might add value, what the working relationship would look like and what the opportunities were,” Taylor told Business in Vancouver after her appointment was announced. “I had several conversations with Andrew Petter about what his thinking for the university was and what his values were for higher education. I just felt that we were both on the same page and that this would be a great thing to do at this point in my career.”
Taylor said her vision for B.C.’s second-largest university is to make sure that people from that university are active in the community and “pulled out to policy making and public debates. Otherwise, it is knowledge that just gets locked up.”
Taylor said the chancellor’s job, combined with her board appointments at the TD Bank and BCE Inc., would keep her busy full time.
This morning she is moderating a forum at the Women in Leadership Forum at the Four Seasons Hotel.