Coast Mountain College did not have to go far in choosing a new president and chief executive officer.
Laurie Waye, its interim president and CEO since last September, formally takes over Aug. 16. A PhD in curriculum and instruction earned at the University of Victoria, Waye has been at Coast Mountain College since 2016 and was a vice president of the college’s academic and international departments before stepping into the interim role.
College board chair Nicole Halbauer welcomed Waye’s appointment as the college moves beyond the pandemic to face what she called new economic and social challenges.
“I am delighted to be working with such an accomplished and capable leader,” said Halbauer. Waye said she has been impressed so far with the work the college has done in providing an education for its students.
“The college is an integral part of northern B.C. and I look forward to building those connections going forward,” she said.
Before coming to Terrace, Waye worked at the University of Victoria for nine years. She counts a BA and a Masters of Education among her academic credentials.
Waye replaces Justin Kohlman who, like Waye, was also a vice president and then an interim president before being named president in early 2020. He resigned in mid-2021.
Instead of hiring an executive research company, the college instead formed an internal group which eventually received 11 applications before choosing four people to interview, said Mike Doyle, the college’s chief financial officer.
“This also saved the college over $50,000 in recruiting fees as the hiring committee volunteered their time to find the best candidate,” he said.
Out-of-town candidates were interviewed virtually, further reducing expenses.
Doyle placed the search costs at less then $1,000.