Laura Jo Gunter became NAIT’s seventh President and CEO on August 24, 2020. An innovative leader, she brings extensive post-secondary knowledge and an entrepreneurial spirit to her role.

Prior to joining NAIT, Ms. Gunter was President and CEO of Bow Valley College in Calgary. During her tenure she led the creation of a new strategic plan, Open Doors – Open Minds. She expanded Bow Valley College’s brand locally, nationally and internationally through significant partnerships with global companies. She also initiated Pivot-Ed, a platform that re-imagines adult education to help those needing to pivot in their careers. Pivot-Ed incorporates AI-driven assessments based on workplace simulations and micro-credentialing using blockchain technology.

Before coming to Alberta, Laura Jo spent several years in Ontario. She was the Senior Vice-President Academic for George Brown College. Her portfolio included all academic divisions, the office of applied and institutional research, international, academic services and student affairs, and registration. Prior to joining George Brown College, Laura Jo was Dean of the Faculty of Information Arts and Technology at Toronto’s Seneca College, where she was later Dean of the Faculty of Communication, Art and Design.

A community builder, she has also given her time to advancing skills development and post-secondary education and to improving the communities in which she has lived in. She is a member of the Alberta Minister of Advanced Education’s Skills for Jobs Task Force and a member of the Council of Post-Secondary Presidents of Alberta. She was also a supporting contributor to the Skilled by Design: A Blueprint for Alberta’s Future Workforce report by the Business Council of Alberta.