KAMLOOPS – President Roger Barnsley is pleased to announce the appointment of Christopher Seguin to the new position of Vice-President, Advancement at Thompson Rivers University. Seguin, who will officially join TRU in July from Simon Fraser University, is a former graduate of Kamloops Secondary School (now SKSS) who’s excited to be returning home to the community where his family still resides.
The announcement is the culmination of a nationwide search that saw applications from across Canada and abroad, and marks the beginning of a new era for TRU. Over the next year, the new Advancement Office will bring together the TRU Foundation and the TRU Alumni Association within the university, along with the public relations office.
A ‘Golden K’ award winner who was active in drama and athletics during his days at Kam High, Christopher Seguin attended Simon Fraser University on a football scholarship. As an honours graduate from the Faculty of Arts at SFU, he focused on international studies during his academic career, and later worked as a cultural liaison in the SFU International Education department. Over the past twelve years, Seguin established his expertise in a number of development and fundraising positions at SFU, and since 2001 has been the Advancement Officer for university athletics at SFU, playing a major role in several multi-million dollar capital fundraising projects and grants.
“I’m excited by the tremendous potential of TRU in terms of raising funds for major capital projects, such as the proposed new Library and First Nations House of Learning” said Seguin, “and I also know the importance of creating more funds to support students through scholarships and bursaries.”
Seguin is also excited about returning to the only community he has ever called home. Raised in a family connected to the mining industry, he attended 13 different elementary schools around the country before finally arriving in Kamloops.
“It’s fantastic to return to the place where I found home,” said Seguin, “and this exciting new opportunity at the most exciting university in Canada is a dream come true for me.”
“I look forward to meeting and working with the people who have built the Foundation and Alumni Association, and will look to them to help create the team of advocates we need to champion our causes around British Columbia and beyond.
“Advancement is about team success, and our team is the institution and the city. I am anxious to get to know the leaders within our community, the people who can step forward and help open doors and create the relationships we need to develop across Canada and around the world, in support of every aspect of this amazing university.”
Seguin also invites local community members and leaders to contact him directly at any time, even prior to his arrival, if they have any questions or ideas regarding to the opportunities for advancing the university and the community on the provincial and national stage.
For more information:
Christopher Seguin, Vice-President, Advancement: phone 604.307.8277
Josh Keller, Director, TRU Communications: phone 250.851.6843
