LAKELAND - Dr. Stephen Price is preparing to take the reins as the new president and CEO of Portage College.
On Oct. 1, Price will be succeeding Nancy Broadbent.
Broadbent, who will be retiring from the college in November after 35 years, has spent the last six of those years working as president of the institution, which has campuses in Lac La Biche, St. Paul, and Cold Lake.
Price holds a PhD from the University of Calgary, a MEd from the University of Victoria, and a BEd from the University of Alberta. He has spent the past 25 years working in several leadership roles at Mount Royal University (MRU) in Calgary.
For the past eight years, Price has served as the Dean of the Faculty of Health, Community and Education at MRU.
His combined personal and professional experiences have prepared him for the new role of Portage College president and CEO, says Price.
"I have really valued my own journey, including growing up in Fort McMurray, being an athlete in high school that frequented Cold Lake, Bonnyville, St. Paul, and other communities," he explains.
Price began his teaching career in the northeastern region. During his years in the classroom, Price coached high school basketball, volleyball, and track and field, and visited many of the communities across the Lakeland region.
For a five-year period, he was also the coach of the Northeastern Alberta U15 basketball teams that competed in the Alberta Summer Games.
Moving to Calgary in 2000 to begin a legacy of work at what is today Mount Royal University, Price says each new role has helped him grow professionally and personally.
"My roles at MRU include academic advising, coaching, and 20 years of academic appointments; providing me with a comprehensive overview of the students division, the academic division, and working with all aspects of MRU — financial services, facilities, HR, fundraising and development, marketing, communications, and leadership development,” he says.
Price has worked as a dean, overseeing multiple disciplines, including Education, Nursing, Social Work, and Early Learning. These administrative roles have taught him many valuable lessons.
Lessons include learning the value of listening, becoming an advocate for his colleagues and their programs, as well as for the power of collaboration and interdisciplinary connections. Price also values cultural connections.
"We have worked with many professional and cultural communities including the Treaty 7 First Nations and the Métis Nation, to broaden the work we do in the classroom, in research projects, and in preparing graduates to support Alberta communities,” he says.
Indigenous relations are also a large part of Price's focus. Quoting the words of the Honourable Justice Murray Sinclair, the Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, he says, “'Education got us into this mess and education will get us out of it.' This is true for the impact of the Indian Act on Indigenous people, and it is true of all aspects of life.”
After years of living, working and learning in southern Alberta, Price is looking forward to learning more about the history and culture of northeastern Alberta. He has a particular passion for Indigenous culture.
"I am very excited to learn about the culture and history of the Indigenous people in Treaty 6, Treaty 8 and Treaty 10. As a settler, I am also a treaty person. My journey in Treaty 7 has provided me with a desire to learn more and to partner as we continue the journey of reconciliation,” he says.
He adds, "As a life-long learner, I am most passionate about using education to guide opportunities for our students, for our communities, and for all of our people, including all of the employees of Portage College."
When asked about what he is looking forward to the most as he takes on his new role as president and CEO of Portage College, Price says it is working with others.
"I am excited to be working with people of Portage College. I had the opportunity to meet many during the selection process, and I know several from prior to the process," Price says. "I'm also excited to work together to support learners at all ages and stages of their journey."
