Biography
Laura Jo Gunter became the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) President and CEO in August 2020 — bringing with her a wealth of knowledge in post-secondary education and an entrepreneurial mindset.
Laura Jo leads The NAIT Effect, a visionary institutional strategic plan focused on impacts to create a prosperous Alberta and thriving Albertans. The NAIT Effect aims to deliver meaningful careers, vibrant communities, and globally competitive industries — all through transformative polytechnic education.
She has provided steadfast leadership through unprecedented challenges and used them as a catalyst to drive transformational changes — positioning NAIT for a more sustainable future. Laura Jo has been instrumental in the adoption of new ways to serve students and industry, including the pioneering of assessment-first micro-credentials and the maturation of NAIT's Industry Solutions model. These initiatives provide a uniquely integrated approach to combining upskilling and reskilling opportunities with industry-focused applied research.
Leading the vision and championing the advocacy for NAIT's Advanced Skills Centre (ASC) — a generational infrastructure project to revolutionize the education of tradespeople and technologists in Alberta — will be the next impact her leadership will have on the organization.
Before her time at NAIT, she served as the President and CEO for Bow Valley College in Calgary, where she crafted the innovation strategic plan titled “Open Doors – Open Minds.” Her leadership extended the college’s reach globally through strategic partnerships with multi-national organizations. Additionally, she played a pivotal role in the launch of Pivot-Ed, a platform that re-imagines adult education to help those needing to pivot in their careers.
Prior to her time in Alberta, Laura Jo held the position of Senior Vice-President Academic at George Brown College in Ontario. She previously served as a Dean at Seneca College in Toronto, initially in the Faculty of Information Arts and Technology and later in the Faculty of Communication, Art, and Design.
Laura Jo’s career began in British Columbia, where she directed Continuing Education for Applied Science at Simon Fraser University and later served as the Vice-President of Programming, Special Projects, and Industry Partnerships for the Vancouver Film School. She has also been an entrepreneur, as the CEO and co-founder of Condition 30 Inc., a software and gaming company, and held the role of Vice-President of Creative and Community at User Friendly Media.
Committed to community development and education, Laura Jo has contributed her time and expertise to numerous initiatives and boards. She was a member of the Minister of Advanced Education’s Skills for Jobs Task Force and is currently a member of the Resource Diversification Council and Alberta Post-Secondary Network. Formerly, she served as a board member for uDigit Systems, Interactive Ontario, North York Regional Hospital, and TELUS Spark. Laura Jo also holds a Bachelor of Journalism from Carleton University and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Queen’s University.
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