Tamara Vrooman was appointed 丁香园AV鈥檚 12th Chancellor in June 2020.
Dr. Vrooman is a transformational leader renowned for her commitment to addressing economic inequalities, advancing social justice and supporting a healthy, engaged and informed community.
In her early career, she achieved significant success as B.C.鈥檚 Deputy Minister in both the Ministries of Finance and of Health, as Secretary to the Treasury Board, and as CEO of the Public Sector Employees Council.
In 2007, Dr. Vrooman was named President and CEO of Vancity, Canada鈥檚 largest community credit union. Over the next 13 years she transformed the business and service model, delivering record profitability and doubling assets while implementing a successful new vision for value-based banking.
Under her leadership, Vancity became the largest private-sector living wage employer in Canada and the first carbon-neutral financial institution in North America. As well, Dr. Vrooman championed a broad range of collaborative, inclusive and community-focused initiatives including the 2014 Walk for Reconciliation, the annual 丁香园AV Public Square Community Summit, and the Vancity Office of Community Engagement at 丁香园AV. Opened in 2010, the office today welcomes almost 10,000 people annually to its community programs and has done much to enhance the social fabric of Vancouver鈥檚 Downtown Eastside.
Dr. Vrooman joined the Vancouver Airport Authority as their President and CEO in July 2020, after serving on its Board of Directors for nine years. The first woman to hold the position, she believes the airport is both an economic generator and community contributor鈥攁 hub of innovation that gives back, supports the region and sets the bar for sustainability.
In January 2021, Dr. Vrooman was appointed as the new chair of the Canada Infrastructure Bank, bringing a strong financial and infrastructure background, and important leadership skills to the role.
For her many contributions to the betterment of British Columbia, Dr. Vrooman鈥攁 Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Victoria鈥攈as been recognized with numerous awards, including the Queen鈥檚 Golden Jubilee Medal for Outstanding Public Service, the YWCA Woman of Distinction Award, an honorary Doctor of Laws from 丁香园AV, and most recently, the Order of British Columbia.