Acadia University announced today, July 4, 2016, that Christopher Callbeck, CPA has been named the University’s new Vice-President Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer. His appointment is effective August 8, 2016.

“I’m pleased to welcome Chris back to Acadia, this time in a senior administrative role rather than solely as an alumnus,” said Ray Ivany, Acadia’s President and Vice-Chancellor. “Chris’s experience in the post-secondary sector is extensive and is aligned perfectly with the requirements of his senior leadership at Acadia. Perhaps just as importantly, as an Acadia graduate, he understands our community very well and the priority we place on preserving Acadia’s reputation as one of Canada’s leading undergraduate institutions and providing students with an extraordinary learning environment. I have no doubt that he will make an immediate contribution to Acadia and sustain the momentum we have gained on several fronts including student recruitment, efficient operations and critical infrastructure renewal.”

Callbeck earned his BBA from Acadia and after graduation joined Coopers and Lybrand, where he earned his Chartered Accountant designation. In 1985, he joined the University of New Brunswick Saint John (UNBSJ) where he is currently Assistant Vice-President Financial and Administrative Services responsible for overall financial results, human resources, safety and security, infrastructure, and ancillary services. During the course of his career, Callbeck has made a significant contribution to the growth and development of UNBSJ. He represented UNBSJ in multi-stakeholder negotiations that led to the establishment of Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick in Saint John. He was also instrumental in introducing apartment-style campus living to UNBSJ with the construction of 170-bed Mackay Residence and oversaw the recent multi-million dollar refurbishment of the campus’s Canada Games Stadium that added synthetic turf, new lights, created throwing and jumping areas, and renovated the grandstands.

In addition to his responsibilities at UNBSJ, Callbeck is a member of the Board and Treasurer of the Canadian Research Knowledge Network, Board member of the Canadian Association of University Business Officers and member of the Complaints Committee for the Chartered Professional Accountants, New Brunswick. An active volunteer, Callbeck was previously named Community Person of the Year for Hampton, NB.

“I’m very much looking forward to returning to Acadia and becoming involved in the community of Wolfville,” said Callbeck.  “I have no hesitation in saying that my years at Acadia were the best years of my life and the guidance and encouragement I received from my professors changed the course of my career. I know that this commitment to students remains central to Acadia’s institutional identity and is what distinguishes Acadia within our Canadian post-secondary landscape. I can’t wait to begin making whatever contribution I can to enhancing Acadia’s reputation as one of Canada’s most outstanding universities.”