NORTH GRENVILLE, ON – After an extensive search, North Grenville’s Council has appointed Ms. Karen Cooper as the new Board Chair of the Kemptville Campus. She will succeed Mayor Nancy Peckford, who has served as Chair of the Interim Campus Board for the last two years. 

“On behalf of Council, I wish to congratulate Ms. Cooper in her new role as Board Chair for the Kemptville Campus,” said Mayor Nancy Peckford. “I am very confident that the Campus will be in good handers under her leadership.”

“Ms. Cooper’s expertise in corporate governance and experience on previous boards in our community is an invaluable asset as the Campus continues to evolve as an exciting community and regional asset with enormous potential for the future.”

Ms. Cooper practices charity and not-for-profit law with an emphasis on corporate and tax issues with Drache Aptowitzer LLP.

Ms. Cooper was called to the Ontario Bar in 1995 and became counsel for the Department of Justice in tax litigation. She has been recognized as a leading expert in charity and not-for-profit law by Lexpert and The Best Lawyers in Canada.

In addition to her considerable legal experience, Ms. Cooper was a sessional lecturer at Carleton University School of Business teaching Business Law, and is currently a part-time professor at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Common Law.

Ms. Cooper also served as Chair of the Board of the Kemptville District Hospital and Big Brothers Big Sisters Ottawa. She has lived in North Grenville for over 20 years and is fluent in both French and English.

“I am thrilled to accept the Chair position of Kemptville Campus Board and look forward to applying my professional skills to support the development and growth of the organization to its full potential,” added Ms. Karen Cooper.

“We look forward to the new leadership and vision that Ms. Cooper will bring to Kemptville Campus, as it transitions into this next phase of governance,” said Deputy Mayor Jim McManaman.

Ms. Cooper’s new position as Board Chair will be formally acknowledged at the March 18 Campus Board Meeting and she will assume responsibilities effective immediately.  A call for application for up to 8 Board positions will be released shortly, and members of the public are encouraged to apply.

The Municipality of North Grenville purchased the Campus from the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario (ARIO) in 2018, following the announcement by the University of Guelph of the closure of Kemptville College. 

With 630 acres and 17 main buildings, Kemptville Campus Educational and Community Centre is a thriving educational and multi-use facility with over 500 students from four school boards (French and English), service groups, as well as government agencies serving the community and eastern Ontario.

Featuring an active Agroforesty Centre (maple syrup production facility), crop lands, wetlands, 360 acres of FSC certified sustainable Forest, and the site of Kemptville’s largest event Kemptville LIVE, the Campus just finalized a Master Plan – following extensive consultation with the community - to guide its development for the foreseeable future.

Communiqué: Le conseil de North Grenville nomme un nouveau président pour le campus de Kemptville

Karen Cooper Bio: English and French

For More Information Contact:

Jill Sturdy,
Corporate Media Relations Officer
Municipality of North Grenville
jsturdy@northgrenville.on.ca
613-258-9569 ext. 168