COURTENAY – The North Island College (NIC) Board of Governors has gained a wealth of senior management experience thanks to the recent addition of Jane Murphy, St. Joseph’s General Hospital president and CEO. Murphy officially joined the board September 24 along with longtime NIC Business Faculty member Kim Gibson.
“It’s a major coup for NIC’s board to have someone with Jane’s strong administration skills, knowledge and expertise to join the team,” said NIC Board Chair Bruce Bell. “With NIC looking to expand health care programs and two new hospitals being constructed, one in Campbell River and one alongside NIC’s Comox Valley campus, the timing couldn’t be better.”
Murphy has been on the St. Joseph’s Board of Directors since 2011. She previously held senior executive positions at Langley Memorial Hospital, the South Fraser Health Region and Surrey Health Services, including Surrey Memorial Hospital and Community Health Services.
“It’s a privilege to serve on North Island College’s board,” said Murphy. “Education is so important to the economy, vitality and future of our communities. North Island College plays an important role in post-secondary education on Vancouver Island. I look forward to working with the NIC board to assure this important institution remains vital and strong in the decades ahead.”
Kim Gibson is a certified public accountant who represents NIC faculty at the board table. “Kim’s business knowledge and involvement with students in the classroom benefits the entire board,” Bell said.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Management Science from the University of California at San Diego and a Master of Science degree in Accountancy from San Diego State University. Prior to becoming a faculty member, Gibson worked as a senior manager at KPMG in Vancouver for several years.
“I am honored to represent North Island College faculty on the Board of Governors,” said Gibson. “I hope to provide a meaningful faculty perspective on NIC’s direction and management, always with the goal of ensuring strong educational opportunities for students.”
Murphy started her career as a registered nurse, where she worked in a variety of clinical settings including adult and pediatric intensive care. She holds a Nursing diploma from the Vancouver General Hospital School of Nursing, a BSN from UVic and a Masters in Health Services Planning and Administration from UBC. Murphy also held senior leadership positions at two Texas hospitals: CHRISTUS Spohn – Shoreline, a large tertiary care hospital and Driscoll Children’s Hospital, a specialized pediatric hospital. While in Texas, Murphy also served as adjunct faculty at the Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi.
She joins Bruce Bell and Greg Phelps in representing the Comox Valley on the board. Derek Lamb (vice-chair) and Roy Grant represent Campbell River, while Kathleen Nelson, Vi Mundy and Rhonda Johnson represent Mount Waddington, Ucluelet and Port Alberni.
NIC’s Board of Governors operates under B.C.’s College and Institute Act. It is comprised of eight government-appointed members from across the NIC region as well as two elected faculty and staff members and two elected students, who will join the board in November. The College CEO/President, John Bowman, and Chair of the College Education Council, Caitlin Hartnett, are ex officio members of the board.