Brief BIOGRAPHY
89 Cadillac Blvd.
Omemee, Ontario
Canada K0L 2W0
Brian L. Desbiens
(705) 799-6777 Home
(705) 750-7794 Cell
Family: Married to Ellen
(705) 879-7238 Car
Three Children: John, Jeff and Joanne
Brian.Desbiens@Persona.ca
Five Grandchildren: Ayden, Isaac, Olivia, Charolette, Theodore
Dr. Desbiens served as President of Sir Sandford Fleming College (with campuses in Cobourg, Haliburton, Lindsay
and Peterborough) from May 1988 to August 2004. His areas of expertise include administration in postsecondary
education, counselling, human relations, teaching/learning, and community development. He has worked at or
taught for St. Clair College, Sir Sandford Fleming College, Michigan State University, Central Michigan University,
and OISE-University of Toronto. His principal teaching interests are: developmental psychology, counselling theory
and practice, teaching methodology, learning theory, student success, organizational development, and leadership.
He recently established DESBIENS SERVICES which provides educational consulting and is an Associate Partner
with Promeus an executive search firm.
Dr. Desbiens served on several national and provincial organizations. He served nationally on the Prime Minister’s
National Advisory Board on Science and Technology, on the National Advisory Council on Energy Efficiency, was a
founding member of the Canada Millenium Scholarship Foundation, and presently serves on the Canadian Merit
Scholarship Foundation. In Education he served as a member and chair of the Canadian Network of College
Presidents, Chaired the provincial Council of Presidents, Chaired the Ontario College Application Centre
Management Board, Chaired the Human Resource Development Task Force, Provincially he also was a member of
the founding Board for the Optical Regional Advanced Network of Ontario (ORANO), the Secondary School Reform
Committee of Ontario, the Central Ontario Smart Growth Panel, the Educational Quality and Accountability Board
which he now Chairs, and the Advisory Committee for the PH.D. program in Leadership at the University of Toronto
in which he now teaches.
He has been fortunate to received several awards: Counsellor of the Decade, United Way Leadership Award, Trent
University Community Leadership Award, Minister of Training Colleges and Universities Life Time Achievement
Award for his contributions to the Ontario College system, and the Order of Ontario.
Locally he has served his community through: chairing the United Way Campaign, member of the Greater
Peterborough Area Economic Development Council, member of the Community Health Care Advisory Group,
Member of the Peterborough Regional Hospital Foundation, member Aboriginal Council at Fleming College,
member of the Peterborough Literacy Association, Deputy Chair of the Flood Relief Committee for Peterborough,
member and Chair of the Board of Fischer Caste Global Inc., member of the Mayors working group on Poverty
Reduction for Peterborough, senior consultant for the Student Support Leadership Initiative project trying to meet
needs of mentally ill or at risk children and there families.
Brian and his wife Ellen reside in Omemee, Ontario. They enjoy their three children and five grandchildren. Brian’s
personal interests are: family, travel, sports-golf, canoeing, art-stain glass and iron sculpture, community
volunteering, and learning.
Brian Desbiens resume October 25, 2010.
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