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» Go to news mainMeet New ±«Óătv Board Chair Bob Hanf (LLBâ89)
When he was a ±«Óătv Law student in the late 1980s, one of Bob Hanfâs biggest contributions to student life on campus was by serving as speaker of the ±«Óătv Student Union council.
âNow, three decades later, it feels like Iâm continuing that work, in a way,â says Hanf, who on Wednesday was announced as the new chair of ±«Óătvâs Board of Governors.
Hanf (LLBâ89) has served on ±«Óătvâs Board since 2013 and has chaired both the Academic & Student Affairs Committee and the Community Affairs Committee during that time. Most recently, he took over as interim chair after his predecessor Candace Thomas stepped down last month. His new appointment makes him the Boardâs permanent chair through to the end of June 2023.
âIt feels monumental to me, personally,â says Hanf of being asked to chair the Board of his alma mater. âIâm the first person in my family to go to university. Iâve benefitted a great deal from having graduated from Dal Law and this is another way I can give back to the university and the broader community. Iâm truly quite humbled.â
In the official announcement from the Boardâs Governance and Human Resources Committee, the committee stated that âBobâs leadership and counsel have contributed greatly to the work of our Board of Governors over the years, and we are pleased to have these contributions continue in this exciting new capacity.â
President Deep Saini, in the announcement, stated that, âIn my time working with Bob, his commitment to supporting Dalâs students and furthering the universityâs impact in our local communities and around the world shine through. I look forward to continuing our work together on many exciting opportunities that lie ahead for ±«Óătv University.â
Finding commonality
An accomplished executive leader, Hanf retired earlier this year from Emera after having spent nearly 20 years in senior roles in its group of companies, most recently as the companyâs executive vice-president, stakeholder relations and regulatory affairs. Prior to that he served as president and CEO of Nova Scotia Power, chief legal officer for Emera, chairman of Barbados Light & Power Holders and president and COO at Bangor Hydro.
Hanf, who lives in Halifax with his partner, also has a lengthy list of community roles that heâs partaken in as well, including work with St. Andrewâs United Church Council, the IWK Health Centre and the Hospice Society of Greater Halifax.
âI think a lot of my work has been about translation â taking groups that may not always speak the same way to one another and finding a shared way to express whatever their common interest might be,â he says. âOn a Board like Dalâs there are a lot of different opinions that you have to respect and hear out. Thatâs something I really enjoy doing: finding that commonality between different groups.â
Helping Dal push forward
Among his initial priorities as chair are to continue helping President Saini and the Dal community in general work towards the universityâs goals. This includes addressing the immediate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic â which, like so much at Dal, has changed how the Board itself works. (Meetings are now virtual.)
âThere are things that weâve been trying to do at ±«Óătv â like accelerate e-learning and distance learning, or digitization in general â where [measures to respond to the pandemic) have forced us at least 10 years ahead, in some ways,â says Hanf. âThereâs nothing quite like having direct in-person contact, but there are opportunities in this situation to figure out new ways of connecting.â
Heâs also keen for the Board to help support continued progress in equity, diversity and inclusion at ±«Óătv â âan area where thereâs been constant discussion, but where weâre seeing real action being taken as well,â he notes â as well pushing Dalâs expertise forward in key research areas.
âWe have an agricultural campus that can really be world class, for example,â he says. âIn my role with Emera I was a big supporter of the ideaHUB and I have an interest there as well, but there are so many areas â clean energy, the ocean sector and others â where we can find ways to deepen Dalâs support.â
Overall, heâs excited to continue to play a key role in helping support Dalâs continued growth and impact.
âThe institution is just getting better and more relevant,â he says.
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