David F. Strong, BSc, MSc, PhD, LLD, DSc, FRSC
President

From 1990 to 2000 Dr. Strong held the position of President and Vice-Chancellor at the University of Victoria, which during his tenure had twice been ranked as Canada's number one comprehensive university.

During that period he also concentrated much of his energy on promoting partnerships and interaction between Canada and countries and institutions throughout Asia, and has been an advisor to governments in a number of countries.

He has served on prestigious academic and research councils including the:
· Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council;
· National Research Council of Canada;
· Research Council of the Canadian Institute of Advanced Research;
· Standing Advisory Committee on University Research of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada
· Premier's Advisory Council on Science and Technology for both Newfoundland and British Columbia.

Dr. Strong chaired the Science Review Panel for the BC Offshore Moratorium, and has just completed a national report on Access to Scientific and Research Data resulting from research funded by the Government of Canada. Along with his research interests, Dr. Strong has long had a devotion to students, supervising the research of many post-graduate students and teaching many courses to undergraduates. Dr. Strong was a pioneer in the use of educational television for teaching science. He has recently served on the Board of Trustees of the St. Michaels University School in Victoria BC.
Dr.Strong is most excited these days about having founded University Canada West, and is particularly proud of the design of its new 400-acre campus to be built in the beautiful Comox Valley of Vancouver Island.

Robert Rogerson, BA(Hons), MSc, PhD
Vice-President Academic

Dr. Rogerson was appointed Vice-President Academic in September 2006 when Dr. Strong noted with enthusiasm that Rogerson's appointment reinforces the UCW commitment to excellence in teaching and student service. In 2001 he was awarded the Canadian Association of Geographers Award for Excellence in Teaching Geography, and in 2005 was presented with the J. L. Robinson Award for Meritorious Service to the Discipline of Geography by the Western Division of the Canadian Association of Geographers. He is President of the Western Division of the Canadian Association of Geographers (2007-2009).

Dr. Rogerson is former Dean of Arts and Science at the University of Lethbridge. His field of research is Glaciology and Glacial Geomorphology and he has also held academic appointments at Memorial University of Newfoundland (1969-1988) where he served as Head of Geography, Assistant Director to the Labrador Institute for Northern Studies and Executive Director of Oceans 2000. At the University of Lethbridge (1988-2006) he most recently completed a second term as Professor and Chair of the Geography Department.

Dr. Rogerson was involved in the educational development of Geographical Information Systems (GIS), particularly in 1990-1992 when he served as Executive Director of the industry-funded Canadian Centre for GIS in Education in Ottawa and the international Institute for GIS in Education based in Arlington, Virginia and Henley-on-Thames, U.K.

Dr. Rogerson is a former President of the Rotary Club of Lethbridge East. His hobbies include poetry, painting, hiking and golf.

Harry Davis, BSc, P.Eng.
Vice-President Finance and Operations

Mr. Davis holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Queens University, and has completed numerous post-graduate courses in business and computer science, with General Electric, IBM and Intel. He brings great technical and business experience in the broadcast, cable television, telecommunications and proprietary software fields, holding senior positions with large, medium and small enterprises. He remains President and CEO of his wholly owned Engineering Consulting Company, and is currently on the Board of Directors of six start-up companies and several Institutions.

Mr. Davis has extensive experience in the use of technology in education, and was Prime Consultant for the development of TV Ontario for the first six years of its existence. Recently, Mr. Davis has turned his attention to new forms of technology for distance education, involving high-speed telecommunications networks and downloading of large media-rich files to homes and businesses.

Wesley J. Koczka, BA, BEd, MEd, EdD
Vice President International and Principal of the UCW Academies

From July, 1996 to February, 2007 he served as Dean of Continuing Studies at the University of Victoria, where he was responsible for all aspects of planning, developing, implementing, evaluating and financial management of education and training programs offered by the Division of Continuing Studies. These included the English Language Centre, Cultural Resource Management, Business, Management and Technology, Continuing Studies in Education, Arts and Science, Health Sciences, Distance Education Services, Continuing Studies Library Service, Promotion and Publications, and Administration, with a total staff of 102 people and a budget around $14 million per year, most of it independently generated. Starting his education career as a Saskatchewan high school teacher in 1974, in 1981 he joined the Saskatchewan Government where he held a number of management positions until he joined UVic in 1988.

From 1988 at the UVic Division of Continuing Studies, he was involved in various stages of management and development of new education and training programs, including English Language Program Intensive (ELPI), Short-term Spring and Summer Programs, Home Placement Services, Executive Management, English Language Training Programs, and the English Language Learning Series: CD-ROM Programs, "Englishwold.ca" - an online English language business initiative, and international joint venture programs in South Korea and China.

Dr. Koczka has published numerous academic papers, and produced and/or supervised many CD-Roms, videos and distance education courses, and made national and international presentations at academic conferences. He has been a member of the Canadian Association for University Continuing Education (CAUCE) since 1996, and became its President in 2006.

His career at UVic was highlighted by a number of special initiatives, including the establishment of "UVic Downtown", the Information Technology Laboratory Facility at the Ian Stewart Complex, and most spectacularly the $9.6 Million Continuing Studies Building at UVic, fully financed by revenues generated by the Division. His international education and recruitment experience is unmatched, having recruited students and developed agreements and contracts in Argentina, Brazil, Croatia, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Greece, Japan, Jordan, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Korea, Kuwait, Latvia, Malaysia, Mexico, Thailand, Taiwan, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, and the United States.

On his appointment in March 2007, Dr Strong noted that "Wes has the perfect background and talents to lead our Academies and join our outstanding team at University Canada West, and his awesome international experience is an ideal fit with our growing international success".

Gregory Diemer, BA, MBA CA,
Chief Financial Officer

Greg joined UCW February 2008. Prior to that and since August 2005, Greg was Senior Financial Auditor, Thrifty Foods, where he managed and performed operational audits, also undertaking special management consulting projects and providing business advice where needed, including implementing Enterprise Risk Management and CEO/CFO Certification processes.

Prior to Thrifty’s, he worked for six years as a public accountant with local firms Green, Horwood, Munro & Tuckey, CAs, and Lee and Sharpe, CA’s. He mainly managed audit teams for a variety of medium sized business clients, and assisted those businesses with a variety of related financial services, including personal and corporate taxes, payroll, compliance, cash-flow analysis and business consulting.

Greg started his financial career at Investors Group developing financial plans for his clients and marketing IG’s products and services and those of its affiliated companies, including Estate and Tax Planning, Mortgages, Life and Disability Insurance, Mutual Funds, Annuities and Savings Bonds.

Greg’s academic background includes the C.A. Designation of the C.A. School of Business, B.C., an M.B.A. (Finance specialization) from the University of Victoria, and a B.A. in Economics (Computer Science minor) University of Victoria. Greg was awarded the Franc Joubin bursary by the University of Victoria School of Business as the most successful entrepreneurial entrant in the MBA program.

Greg also has an athletic background that will add to the extra dimension of UCW’s new campus in the Comox Valley with IMG, the world’s leading professional sports academy. He has been Racquet Sports Coordinator, Peninsula Recreation, where he managed the racquet sports facilities. He also helped establish the Island Tennis Academy, where he was co-owner and Head. The Academy was well respected due to the delivery of the largest School Tennis Program in Western Canada, and due to the many students that have obtained tennis scholarships in the USA. One student even represented Canada at the World Youth Cup. In earlier years Greg captained the 1994 Canadian N.T.T. Cup U14 Team at the World Junior Tennis Championships, Yamanakako, Japan, played on the University of Michigan NCAA Division-1 tennis team in 1986, was an All-American Honours player at the NJCAA Tennis Championships in 1985, was a world-ranked junior tennis player in 1984 and a National Touring Coach for Tennis Canada in 1998.

Greg has held numerous volunteer positions, including:

- Director, LearningWise Inc.;
- President, Vancouver Island Chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditors;
- Member of the Finance Committee, Pacific Christian School, Victoria BC;
- Elder, Victoria Christian Reformed Church, Victoria, BC;
- Vice-President of the V.I.T.A. (Vancouver Island Tennis Association);

He is fluent in Dutch and speaks some German and French, which will also be important as we continue to expand internationally.

Gerald (Gerry) La Belle
Vice President Corporate Affairs and Student Services

Gerry brings a wide range of educational and business experience to UCW. His focus is on meeting the needs of each student. As a Manager of Westin Hotels across Canada, Gerry managed every detail for ordinary and extraordinary guests alike, including Royalty, heads of state and professional sports teams.

Gerry then spent five years in private post-secondary business and management education at the Victoria College of Business, which grew into the Canadian College of Business & Language in 1993, and the Canadian College of Film & Acting in 1996. He merged the Canadian College of Film and Acting with LearningWise Inc. in 2005. Gerry pioneered many new program combinations and marketing techniques, which have now become standard practices in this industry, paying particular attention to the development of marketing channels, recruitment and business development internationally.

An active community and industry member, Gerry is one of the founding Directors and current President of the Canadian Association of Private Language Schools (CAPLS) and as a result, also represents CAPLS on the Citizen and Immigration Canada’s (ACISI) Advisory Committee on International Students and Immigration. He is a long-time Director of the Victoria Morioka Sister City Society, and a number of other Boards, non-profit and educational associations. He also served as Commissioner for a two-year term in 2000 for the Ministry of Advanced Education’s Private Post-Secondary Education Commission (PPSEC).

As well as being a skilled educator and administrator, Gerry is an accomplished filmmaker. He has produced over 67 short film and video dramas and documentaries and is keenly interested in the convergence and development of new forms of film and animation technologies. Several of his shorts have been participants at international film festivals.

As if that weren’t enough, Gerry has also been a competitive driver for several racecar teams, with an astonishing record of thirty-three wins in one hundred and seventeen races, and is an avid golfer. However, Gerry is finding the demands and activities of UCW the most exciting and rewarding of all!