Concordia welcomes new chancellor

Alumnus Jonathan Wener to take on position in the new year

Sir George Williams University alumnus Jonathan Wener will be stepping into the role of university chancellor as of Jan. 1, 2015.

Wener, who graduated in 1971, has been involved with Concordia for many years and served on the Board of Governors from 1995 to 2012.

Concordia President Alan Shepard said that after all Wener’s contributions, he is sure to be a good fit for this position.

“One of the things you want in a chancellor is someone who really understands the place, loves it, respects it and wants to promote it,” said Shepard.

As CEO of Canderel, a real estate development firm, Wener also lent his expertise to Concordia’s Real Estate Planning Committee for 16 years.

“Many of the advancements to SGW campus came about while he was in that role,” said Shepard. “He had a real passion for it and an ability to help us get things done.”

As a graduate and an active community member, Shepard points to parallels between the incoming chancellor and current Concordia students.

“He’s really smart, ambitious, he works hard,” said Shepard. “He’s got big ambitions, not only for himself but for the institution.”

Wener has been occupying the role of deputy chancellor since 2012, under L. Jacques Ménard.

According to Shepard, the chancellor is in part a ceremonial position, tasked with “getting the good name and good work of the university out.”

As a representative of the university, the chancellor attends university functions, participates in lobbying and fundraising initiatives, and offers advice to the president.

Among Wener’s other qualifications, he is responsible for creating the annual Défi Canderel fundraiser, which has raised over $9 million for cancer research over the last 25 years.

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