The NWT government has appointed Kenny Ruptash to Aurora College’s board of governors and made him the new chair for a three-year term.
The GNWT announced the move in a Thursday press release. Ruptash replaces former premier Joe Handley, who left the chair’s role earlier this year.
At the time, Handley said he was leaving the position a year early as he and the education minister, Caitlin Cleveland, “are on different tracks” about the likes of community learning centres. Aurora College’s board voted to close 19 of those centres, a move that appeared to surprise the GNWT.
Ruptash comes in as a “longtime northern and respected leader in governance and industry,” the GNWT stated on Thursday.
He is president of Nahanni Construction and of the NWT and Nunavut Chamber of Mines. Until last month he was also the president of Prosper NWT, the territorial business assistance agency.
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“Mr Ruptash brings over two decades of private and public sector experience, including roles on the boards of financial institutions, economic development corporations, and publicly traded companies,” the GNWT stated.
“Mr Ruptash’s leadership will help the Board of Governors strengthen Aurora College’s independent governance model, while ensuring the institution delivers on its core commitments: expanding high-quality academic programming, launching its first degree, advancing research, improving infrastructure, and enhancing access to education and training opportunities across all regions of the Northwest Territories.”
While the college’s board is intended to serve at arm’s length – the board replaced a public administrator in 2023 – the GNWT retains the ability to appoint governors and select a chair.
Cleveland, in a statement, said Ruptash “is the right person to lead the Board at this critical time.”
Ruptash was quoted as saying: “It’s a privilege to serve as Chair at such a pivotal time in Aurora College’s transformation. The work done by the Board to date has created a strong platform for the polytechnic transition, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Board and with College staff to deliver on the objectives set out in the Mandate Agreement.
“Aurora College is well positioned to become a cornerstone of Northern development by aligning its programs with the needs of the North.”
