Debra Walker welcomed as new Dean of Student Affairs
1/17/2007

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The Art Institute of Vancouver is pleased to announce the appointment of Debra Walker to the position of Dean, Student Affairs.

A marketing, organizational and human development specialist, Debra has been successful in management roles within the Canadian financial sector, in particular Canada Trust and TD Financial Group. Prior to joining The Art Institute of Vancouver, and her previous role as marketing manager and instructor with a post-graduate international management program in Vancouver, Walker was the Executive Director of the Dominican Canadian Chamber of Commerce in the Caribbean and is the Executive Director for BC Fashion Week.

Working with trade missions and internationally focused organizations, Walker worked to deepen trade relations with Canada and was successful in opening new markets and opportunities for Canadian businesses overseas. Including her role as event planner for Prime Minister Chretien’s visit to the region, she has participated in, as well as co-ordinated, numerous diplomatic and trade initiatives.

Through her work as co-founder and Executive Director for BC Fashion Week, she has continued her work in developing the economy of BC through a number of sectors including education and apparel. She has received international recognition for her commitment to education and human resource capacity building. Debra was recently invited by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade to sit on the International Commerce Advisory Group, comprised of selected business leaders from across Canada.

“The Art Institute of Vancouver is an institution committed to the ongoing development of creative individuals across a variety of industries and roles,” says Walker. “The role of Student Affairs within that entity is to partner with other key areas such as Admissions, Education and Career Services to create an environment for student success. We do that through recognizing and responding to the individual needs of students and providing them with an environment where their personal and professional goals are attainable."

The Art Institute of Vancouver is one of The Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu), with 32 education institutions located throughout North America, providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts professionals.


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Contacts

Cliff Jones
Director of Public Relations
The Art Institute of Vancouver
3264 Beta Avenue, Burnaby, BC V5G 4K4
Ph: 604.639.5117
email: cjones@edmc.edu