Mary Jane McCallum

Chancellor McCallum is of Cree heritage and is a citizen of the Barren Lands First Nation in Brochet, Manitoba. She attended the Guy Hill Residential School in The Pas for 11 years. She is an advocate for social justice who, over the course of her distinguished career, has provided dental care to First Nations communities across Manitoba.

She received a Dental Nursing Diploma at the Wascana Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences in 1977 and a Dental Therapy Diploma at the School of Dental Therapy in 1979, before earning a Doctor of Dental Medicine from the University of Manitoba in 1990.

From 1979 to 1997, she was involved in the dental field in various capacities, including as a dental therapist in northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba communities and as an assistant professor at the University of Manitoba running a dental clinic in Churchill and overseeing students completing their practicum. From 1996 to 2000, she worked on an interchange with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs as the Regional Dental Officer for the province.

From 1992 to 1996 and from 2003 to 2010, Dr. McCallum worked in her home community of Brochet, where she managed community health programs, including a children’s dental program, a diabetes program, and prenatal program, and volunteered for several committees, including a housing committee, a school committee, and an education committee. She also ran a monthly dinner and meeting with the Elders to discuss social issues affecting the community.

Dr. McCallum worked as an independent contractor for the federal First Nations and Inuit Health Branch providing services in northern Manitoba before returning to the University of Manitoba in April 2002 to lead the Aboriginal Dental Health Programs.

From 2004 until 2020, she continued to work to provide vital dental and health services before officially retiring from dentistry in April 2021. She remains a non-practicing member of the Manitoba Dental Association.

In addition to her professional endeavours, Chancellor McCallum leads workshops and presentations in which she shares her personal experience as a residential school survivor in an effort to raise awareness and understanding.

Chancellor McCallum and her husband have two daughters, and she also has a son.

She became a Senator in the Canadian Senate on Dec. 2, 2017, and she sits with the Independent Senators Group. 

David Docherty

Dr. David Docherty joined Brandon University in May 2019 and was officially installed as BU’s 15th President and Vice-Chancellor at the 2019 Convocation. An accomplished academic and administrator, David has a distinguished history of leading institutions through growth and transformative change. He is currently leading the development of a new strategic plan for Brandon University.

An expert in parliamentary government in Canada, David is the author of two books, including Mr. Smith Goes to Ottawa: Life in the House of Commons and Legislatures. He has written many articles and chapters on Canadian legislatures and is a media commentator on provincial and national politics.

With a deep commitment to embracing Indigenous knowledge and perspectives, he was humbled to receive a Blackfoot name and headdress in 2018. He is also a strong advocate for the importance of mental health well-being, including reducing stigma and providing the necessary supports.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (Honours) from Wilfrid Laurier University (1984), a Master of Arts in Political Science from McMaster University (1990) and a Doctorate in Political Science from the University of Toronto (1995).

David came to Brandon from Mount Royal University in Calgary, where he served as President for eight years. Prior to that, David was a faculty member in the Political Science Department at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, where he also served as senior advisor for campus initiatives and governance in the Office of the Provost and Vice-President: Academic, dean of the Faculty of Arts and chair of the Department of Political Science.

Born in the town of Midland, Ontario, to Scottish parents, David took up the bagpipes as a teen and continues to play, especially at University occasions like Convocation. David enjoys frequent visits with his three adult children and lives in Brandon with his wife Kris and their two dogs.

Julee Galvin

Julee Galvin is a Chartered Professional Accountant in Virden with MNP who has been serving clients for more than 30 years. These days, she primarily works with a broad range of industries and high net-worth clients, specializing in the agricultural, agribusiness and oil and gas sectors. Julee has held a number of leadership roles within the firm, serving on internal boards and think tanks. She has also served as board member and chair of the Virden and Area Foundation, as board member and trustee of the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, and has been a member of numerous agricultural boards, volunteer sporting committees and events over the years. Julee is married to John, with three adult children, Marissa, Miranda and Jonathan. They manage and operate a 7,700-acre grain farm south of Virden, where they annually host agricultural foreign exchange students for the seeding/harvest seasons, including students from Brazil, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Germany, and Russia.

 

Shawn Chambers

Shawn Chambers grew up in Alexander and attended Neelin High School in Brandon. He attended Brandon University for one year, has a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of Manitoba, and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. He is a Personal Financial Planner and member of the CFA Institute. Shawn brings more than 30 years of experience to his role as Investment Counsellor with RBC PH&N Investment Counsel. Shawn is dedicated to serving the wealth management needs of high-net-worth individuals, their families and their corporations, foundations and not-for-profit organizations throughout Manitoba, Southern Saskatchewan and Northwestern Ontario. As an active member of the Winnipeg and Brandon communities, Shawn has volunteered his time in the past with the Brandon and District United Way, the Brandon University Foundation Board of Directors and the Brandon Regional Health Centre Foundation. He also volunteers in his local community coaching and scouting hockey. Shawn currently lives in Winnipeg. His wife Cecile is a graduate of BU, and they have a son, Brendan, and a daughter Karlyn.

Edward Bach

In the fall of 2012 Edward Bach joined Canada’s prestigious Brandon University School of Music after a distinguished twenty-one years as trumpet professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). Bach holds the Masters and Doctoral degrees from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. He was the first person to receive a doctoral degree from a Canadian university studying with Martin Berinbaum. He received his Bachelor of Music degree from Brandon University as a student of Alan Ehnes. Bach received international acclaim as the principal trumpet in Touch of Brass, a Vancouver-based group that performed concerts in Moscow, the Ukraine, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, India, England, Latvia, as well as many cities in North America. When moving to North Carolina in 1991, Bach became the leader of Market Street Brass, a brass quintet comprised of faculty members from UNCG. Although teaching in Canada Bach still resides in Greensboro and continues to lead Market Street Brass.

Bach is also the conductor of the Brandon University Brass Ensemble and has also conducted the Brandon University Wind Symphony. Dr. Bach is a much sought after band clinician working with students in Canada, the United States and China.

A prolific recitalist, Bach’s solo appearances include performances in Vancouver, Quebec City, The Kennedy Center, Budapest, Portugal, New York, Scotland, Tampa, Winnipeg and San Antonio to name a few. As a much sought after master clinician, Dr. Bach has worked with students at the Moscow Conservatory, the Central Conservatory in Beijing, the Liszt Conservatory, as well as many Canadian and American universities. His quintet arrangements are published by C Alan Publishing and he is sponsored by Eastman trumpets.

Adam Kowalchuk

Adam is currently in the Psychiatric Nursing program, aiming to graduate in 2023. He is very involved in the Rugby community and coaches many teams, including Brandon University’s own Rugby team.

Adam enjoys being part of groups and communities and the Board of Governors allows for that.  He is ecstatic to be part of such an integral part of Brandon University, while also including his point of view on new topics and policies.

April Li

April (Xiaonuan) Li is a first-generation immigrant in her family. In 2015, April travelled from Beijing, China and settled down in Brandon, Manitoba all alone at the age of 17. In under a year, April mastered English as her second language from a beginner level, and she was admitted to Brandon University in 2016. Upon the completion of her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) 4-Year Degree (Political Science major, Economics minor), April graduated as the valedictorian of the class of 2020. During her time at Brandon University, April was a leader and an advocate for international and refugee students and students of minority racial and ethnic backgrounds. She served as the President of the International Students’ Collective, the Vice-President External of the Students’ Union, a student mentor at World University Services of Canada. She volunteered frequently at non-profit organizations, such as the Westman Immigrant Services. Currently, April is an Executive Division Assistant at IG Wealth Management. In her spare time, April loves to play piano and swim. April has lived apart from her family for years, albeit challenging, April finds it heart-warming to view Brandon as her home away from home; therefore, she deeply appreciates the opportunity to be on the Board and to give back to her community.

Olufunke Adeleye

Olufunke Sophia Adeleye is a 3rd year Nursing student in the Faculty of Health Studies and President of the Brandon University Students’ Union (BUSU). Olufunke moved to Canada from Nigeria in 2018 as an international student to pursue a career in nursing. She is passionate about caring for individuals and improving their quality of life.

Olufunke decided to become involved in in the students’ union to advocate for student rights and the rights of international students in Canada. She took on the role of BUSU Health Studies Director (2020) and later the role of President of the students’ union for the 2020-2021 year and is continuing to serve in this role for the 2021-2022 academic year. She was also on the Dean’s honours list for the 2020­-2021 academic year and hopes to inspire other international students in Manitoba and Canada to pursue their dreams in academics and leadership.

She is grateful for the opportunity to serve as a student representative on the board, as well as the opportunities for learning and experience.

Similoluwa Omotoye

Similoluwa Omotoye is a current undergraduate student in her honours degree program in Psychology at Brandon University and has a keen interest in mental health research. She believes that mental health is as important as physical health, and it should be talked about to eradicate stigmatization of mental illness.

She has served as a student leader for two years helping students integrate into university life. Similoluwa has been an active member on campus, and she is currently serving as the 2021-22 Vice President Internal for the Brandon University Students’ Union.

Born and raised in Nigeria, she has appreciation for diversity in cultures, people and the advancement of her country of birth. In her spare time, Simi loves spending time indoors, watching soccer (La Liga and Premier League) and basketball, reading and connecting with people. Simi appreciates the opportunity to be on the Board of Directors and is excited to serve and give back to the community she has known as home for a few years now.

Ainsley Nelson

Ainsley Nelson is a fourth-year student completing her Bachelor of Nursing at Brandon University. Ainsley graduated high school at Vincent Massey in Brandon, Manitoba. Ainsley’s journey at Brandon University began in 2018 in which she has achieved being placed on the Dean’s Honor List for the past 4 years. Currently, Ainsley is an Undergraduate Nurse Employee with Prairie Mountain Health in which she has gained some of her most valued learning experiences that will be carried into her future nursing profession. Once Ainsley becomes a graduate in the springtime, she hopes to continue to provide optimal healthcare for her patients by being an advocate for vulnerable populations and most importantly delivering care with the utmost compassion. As a student representative, Ainsley is grateful to sit on the Board of Governors and use her experience as a university student to give back to her community.

Michael Juce

Michael Juce was born in Dauphin and grew up in Hamiota. He is a proud graduate of Brandon University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree, majoring in political science. After graduation he moved to Winnipeg for the Manitoba Legislative Assembly’s internship program. That led to working in the legislature for several years before moving to the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce as their Director of Advocacy. In 2019 Michael joined Prairie Sky Strategy, a leading Western Canadian public affairs and business development firm. Michael is also currently a member of the Manitoba Chamber of Commerce Policy Committee and is on the board of the Manitoba Association of Business Economists. He currently lives in Winnipeg.

Quintin Pearce

Quintin Pearce is currently the General Manager of P. Quintaine & Son Ltd. in Brandon Manitoba, where he brings 28 years of experience to the development and application of animal welfare policies, disease management and commodity management to the livestock and agribusiness sector in Manitoba.

Quintin’s wide-ranging experience at the management level in the private sector and the extensive contacts, networks and partnerships generated, can be utilized in support of Brandon University’s Strategic plan to facilitate the agility and inclusiveness advocated by the strategy.

Quintin’s vast experience in the livestock sector has earned seats on related committees at the national and provincial levels.  He currently serves on the National Farm Animals Care Collation Code Development Committee, Manitoba Pork Steering Committee and numerous other industry leadership groups. He is also actively engaged in provision of guidance to livestock industry regulatory groups for informing policy and standards development.

Quintin grew up in Brandon Manitoba graduating from Vincent Massey high school in 1994. After graduation, he had a short, but enjoyable time at Brandon University but chose to start an early career at P. Quintine and Son ltd., the largest privately held order buyer in Canada.

Quintin’s wife Tara, works in finance and is active in the community, they have three children, two of which who are currently pursuing post-secondary education and one in high school.

The opportunity to serve on the Brandon University Board is a perfect opportunity for Quintin to further service the Brandon community and he looks forward to it.

Barbara MacKalski

Dr. Barbara Ann MacKalski has deep roots in Brandon where she has practised as a physician specializing in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology for 29 years. A graduate of Brandon University (BSc Chemistry), she completed medical school at the University of Manitoba and Internal Medicine residency at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. She later advanced her training with a fellowship in Gastroenterology.

During her distinguished career as a clinician, she has held leadership positions including President of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba; Chief of Medicine, Brandon Regional Health Center; Dean of Admissions University of Manitoba Medical School; and Examiner of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons Canada. She has been involved in education of medical trainees, medical research, and has been published in various journals. Her chief passion, however, remains the provision of health care to patients to whom she is deeply committed and from whom she is continuously learning.

Dr. MacKalski enjoys classical music, history, politics, travel and outdoor activities.

As a third-generation Brandonite, whose family settled in 1908, she is honoured to serve on the Board of Governors.

Michelle Magnusson

Michelle Magnusson joined Brandon University in October 2007 when she was hired as the first Disability Services Coordinator (now Student Accessibility Coordinator). Prior to this, Michelle was a Speech-Language Pathologist serving clients of all ages in health care, education, and private practice throughout western Manitoba. A graduate of Virden Collegiate Institute, Michelle attended the University of Winnipeg, received a Bachelor of Arts from Minot State University and Master of Arts from University of Minnesota, Duluth.

Michelle has held a number of volunteer board and leadership positions including Board Chair of St. Andrew’s United Church, the Brandon and District Chapter Learning Disability Association of Manitoba, and chaired the 2017 Manitoba Special Olympics Summer Games held in Brandon. She also held various volunteer positions with Skate Canada Manitoba.

At Brandon University, Michelle helps with campus activities and has served on numerous committees including the Senate and the Centre for Teaching and Learning Technology. She regularly promotes “Accessibility for All” through her involvement with awareness activities and committee work across campus. She has also represented Brandon University provincially and nationally through her involvement with CACUSS (Canadian Association of College and University Student Services Professionals).

Michelle is married and enjoys spending time travelling with friends and family.

Kevan Sumner

Kevan Sumner is a professional planner who holds a Masters of City Planning from the University of Manitoba. He is currently the City Planner for the City of Kenora and provides private consulting services in Manitoba. He has served on various boards and committees including the City of Brandon’s Planning Commission, Environment Committee and Urban Aboriginal Peoples Council, Brandon Food for Thought, the Child Nutrition Council of Manitoba, and nine years on the Brandon School Division Board of Trustees (one as Chair). He has coached youth hockey, baseball, and curling, and maintains many strong ties to the Brandon area.

Kristal Bayes-McDonald

Kristal Bayes-McDonald is originally from Rapid City, Manitoba and received her Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) degree from Brandon University in 2009. During her time at BU, she served as student representative on a variety of Boards including the Board of Governors, Senate, Foundation, and University and Academic Standards.

In 2013, Kristal graduated from Queen’s University with a Juris Doctorate. After practicing law in Winnipeg at a private firm, she became legal counsel for the Manitoba Law Reform Commission in 2017. Currently, she serves as Director and Legal Counsel for the Commission.

Kristal takes her role on the Board of Governors seriously and views the role as that of both a realist and an idealist, a collaborator and a leader. She looks forward to bringing her expertise to the board while also learning from others around the table, including board members, students and staff.

While Kristal and her family currently call Winnipeg home, her roots remain in rural Manitoba. She recognizes the significant benefits of a small university education and is appreciative of the opportunity to serve on the Board of Governors of Brandon University.