Dr. Annette Trimbee will leave her role as President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Winnipeg at the end of July. She is moving to Edmonton where she will become the new President and Vice-Chancellor of MacEwan University, effective August 1, 2020.
“Dr. Trimbee’s impact has been significant and she has created a lasting legacy at The University of Winnipeg. We are sad to see her go, but we congratulate her as she begins a new chapter in her career. Our beloved institution is stronger and more resilient, and we have a deeper understanding of our mission and purpose because of her leadership. We are grateful to Dr. Trimbee for her dedicated and skilled service — and we wish her all the best at MacEwan University,” said Rohith Mascarenhas, Chair of The University of Winnipeg Board of Regents.
“The University of Winnipeg is on a good path — we have talented, dedicated faculty and staff who take great pride in delivering a top quality educational experience for our students. Leading this institution has been the most rewarding experience of my career. I am looking forward to new challenges and opportunities at MacEwan University and returning to Alberta where my children reside,” said Dr. Trimbee.
A UWinnipeg alumna, Trimbee served as Deputy Minister of several departments in the Alberta government before assuming the role of President and Vice-Chancellor at her alma matter in her hometown on August 1, 2014. She was reappointed in 2018 for a second term.
Trimbee’s key accomplishments during her tenure at UWinnipeg include completing a strategic directions plan, improving UWinnipeg’s financial health, and implementing the Indigenous course requirement for all undergraduate students — one of the first in Canada. Under her leadership, UWinnipeg has increased external research funding by 80 per cent since 2014 and completed the addition of Leatherdale Hall. Trimbee also championed closer ties with Indigenous organizations and developed a policy research partnership with the Manitoba Metis Federation. As Chair of the post-secondary presidents groups in Manitoba, she led the development of Horizon Manitoba, a strategic roadmap for post-secondary partnerships with employers and government, to enhance Manitoba’s competitiveness in a rapidly changing economy.
Trimbee’s leadership extends well beyond campus. She is a board member of Universities Canada, Chair of USports, and Chair of the Canadian Research Knowledge Network (CRKN).
Trimbee holds a Bachelor of Science from UWinnipeg, a Master of Science from the University of Manitoba, and a PhD in ecology from McMaster University. She was also a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Alberta.
A search committee will soon be formed to find a new President and Vice-Chancellor. In the interim, Dr. James Currie, Vice-President Academic and Provost, will act as President and Vice Chancellor at The University of Winnipeg.
