Gordon Cressy appointed President of George Brown College Foundation

TORONTO, April 16, 2013 /CNW/ - The Board of Directors of the George Brown College Foundation is pleased to announce it has selected Gordon Cressy, one of Toronto's most respected fundraisers and community leaders to lead the Foundation during a dynamic phase of growth.

As president, Gordon takes the reins of an organization for which he's already played a catalytic role. Over the past two years, he has been Senior Associate for the Foundation's Success At Work campaign.

"Gordon has already played a vital role in making the first stages of the campaign a success," said Doug Turnbull, Chair of the Foundation Board and Deputy Chairman of TD Securities. "Clearly his wealth of experience, relationships and approachable, affable style will help take us the rest of the way toward our goal."

Since joining the George Brown College Foundation, the Success At Work campaign has raised $20 million in donations and pledges toward its $60 million goal. Among those donations is the largest-ever private contribution received by the foundation, a $4 million gift from Sally Horsfall and John Craig Eaton that led to the naming of the Sally Horsfall Eaton School of Nursing.

The Foundation also received its largest multi-year pledge in its history from the George Brown College Student Association, donating a projected $6 million over 10 years to primarily fund scholarships and bursaries.

This winter Gordon initiated the naming of the Lalaine DeVera room in the Health eHome at the college's new state-of-the-art Waterfront Campus. Anonymous donors requested the room be named after DeVera, a long-time Toronto personal support worker, as representative of the hundreds of caregivers who serve society with little fanfare and as inspiration to the students George Brown prepares to enter the field.

"I couldn't be more excited to lead an outstanding team of staff and volunteers at a college that's poised for lift-off in our city," said Cressy. "This is one of the key downtown academic institutions that fortify our city, enriching and empowering our communities. And this is George Brown's time."

Gordon has been a leader in the academic community throughout his career, playing a vital role at three downtown post-secondary institutions. In addition to his contribution at George Brown, he has served as Vice-President at both Ryerson University and University of Toronto, responsible for fundraising, public affairs, government, community and alumni relations. Among his accomplishments was development of University of Toronto's successful $125 million Breakthrough Campaign. His association with education also includes a term as President of The Learning Partnership, creating the nationally recognized "Take our Kids to Work" day and helping to bring Nelson Mandela to Toronto for "Mandela with the Children" at Skydome.

From 1982 to 1987, Gordon was named President & CEO of the United Way of Greater Toronto. There, he pioneered outreach strategies into the ethno cultural communities that helped re-establish the organization's relevance in Toronto. Many remarkable events resulted from his work, including the participation of Bishop Desmond Tutu and Harry Belafonte in a United Way Arts Against Apartheid Festival.

About The George Brown College Foundation

The George Brown College Foundation is a separately incorporated registered charity that serves as the primary fundraising vehicle for George Brown College. The Foundation supports the College's mandate of accessibility by raising money for students through scholarships, bursaries and awards. Together with the College, it works to advance George Brown's commitment to excellence in teaching, applied learning and innovation, as well as its commitment to access, diversity and mutual respect. Together with donors, the foundation works to ensure that no student is denied a post-secondary education at George Brown College because of financial constraints.

About George Brown College

Toronto's George Brown College has established a reputation for equipping students with the skills, industry experience and credentials to pursue the careers of their choice. From its three main campuses located across the downtown core, George Brown offers 148 full-time and 1,600 continuing education programs across a wide variety of professions to a student body of approximately 64,000 (including those enrolled in full-time, part-time and continuing education programs). Students can earn diplomas, post-graduate certificates, industry accreditations, apprenticeships and four-year bachelor degrees.

SOURCE: George Brown College

For further information:

Jodi Salem 

Corporate Communications Manager
George Brown College

Office: 416-415-5000 ext. 3767

[e-mail]