Appointments

 

Marcel Danis named VP External Relations

Marcel Danis, formerly Vice-President, Institutional Relations, and Secretary-General, has been appointed to a five-year term as Vice-President, External Relations, and Secretary-General, beginning Jan. 1, 2005.

He will continue to be responsible for Government Relations, University Secretariat (Legal Counsel, Office of Board and Senate, Archives), Translation and Human Resources and Employee Relations.

The appointment was announced at the Dec. 15 meeting of the Board of Governors.

Me Danis was appointed Vice-Rector, Institutional Relations, in 1996, and was named Secretary-General in 1998, when the two offices were merged.

Instrumental in the successful $100-million capital campaign, he led the Concordia University Foundation and set up infrastructure for fundraising.

Under his leadership, Concordia’s marketing and recruitment programs have been reinforced. The Office of Government Relations and External Affairs (later Public Affairs & Government Relations) has developed fruitful contacts with government.

Danis established a task force to review the human resources area and a strategic plan to streamline its operations.

He joined Loyola College in 1968 as a lecturer in the Department of Political Science and has taught ever since.

An alumnus of Loyola College, Fordham University and the Université de Paris, he is a practicing lawyer. From 1984 to 1993, he was the Member of Parliament for Verchères, and served in a number of posts, including Minister of Labour (1991-1993). He is a member of the Privy Council.

John Parisella to be Communications Advisor

John Parisella has been appointed Special Communications Advisor to the President for a six-month period, beginning Jan. 3.

Parisella will report to the President and will be working with the areas of Internal Relations & Communications, Marketing Communications and Public Affairs. Dennis Murphy, who until recently served as Executive Director, Communications, will continue as the university spokesperson.

In announcing the appointment, Dr. Lowy said his experience in strategic communications and knowledge of Concordia will benefit the university. During this period, he will continue his role as president of BCP Consultants, where he has been an executive since 1994.

Parisella is a Loyola graduate, and has a diploma from Harvard in government management He has taught political science at Concordia, and was vice-chair of the Board of Governors from 1998-2003.

He currently chairs the Board’s communications committee, and has been actively involved in fundraising.

From 1986 to 1994, Parisella was active in the Liberal Party of Quebec, serving as chief of staff to premiers Robert Bourassa and Daniel Johnson. He is also a frequent writer and broadcaster, particularly on U.S. politics.

Appointment in ENCS

Georges Gignac has been appointed Manager, Public Relations & Alumni, in the Office of the Dean of Engineering and Computer Science.

He will head a new unit comprising Marc Bourcier (Communications Officer), Mary Tzanetakos (Alumni Officer) and Dalia Radwan (Advisor, Web Content).

The Manager position reports to the Director of Faculty Administration.

Georges has extensive experience in the field, and comes to Concordia from McGill University, where he worked as a communications officer and manager of special projects in the Faculty of Management.

He is an alumnus, having graduated from Sir George Williams University in 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs.

Welcome back, Georges.