A special message from Stephanie McGrath, Alumni Association President
Dear Alumni,
As the university evolves to support and make meaningful connections with students, partners, and friends of the university from different perspectives, backgrounds, and geographies, so does the Alumni Association’s approach to supporting one another and those new to the fold.
While the world is full of unknowns, there are some truths we can rely on and use as our guideposts…
Officers
Stephanie McGrath, BJ(Hons)’99
President and Vice-Chair of Board of Governors Representative
Describe your King’s experience in three words: Warm, hard, mind-altering
Stephanie is the VP of strategy for a large digital marketing agency. She leads a team of writers, analysts, social media and SEO strategists to create marketing campaigns, communications plans and experiences for hotels, resorts, cruise lines and destinations. Stephanie’s journalism degree from King’s helped her secure her first digital content job and she has continued to progress throughout her career using all that she learned at King’s, particularly the ability to clearly articulate your point and to absorb other perspectives. Her advice to new students is to do the readings, work hard and be nice to your professors and interested in what they have to share. Outside of the classroom, Stephanie recommends trying things you’ve never done before, finding time to exercise even if it’s just a short walk around the block, and using your time at King’s as an opportunity to explore.
Jenn Thornhill Verma, BJ(Hons)’02, MFA’19
Vice-President, Board of Governors Representative
Describe your King’s experience in three words: Reading, writing, publishing
Jenn Thornhill Verma is a journalist, visual artist and non-profit executive from Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), now living in Ottawa with her family. She has Master’s degrees of Fine Arts (Creative Nonfiction, University of King’s College) and Science (Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland), is a fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, an alumna of the Oxford Climate Journalism Network, and executive lead of the Global Commission on Evidence to Address Societal Challenges. In 2019, Jenn published her first book, “Cod Collapse: The Rise and Fall of Newfoundland’s Saltwater Cowboys,” which features her cover art and was shortlisted for a historical writing award at the 2021 Atlantic Book Awards. Jenn’s book inspired her first short-film, “Last Fish, First Boat,” recounting the story of a fifth-generation fisherman who pivots to boat-building after the cod fishery closes. Jenn has bylines in Canadian Geographic, CBC, The Globe and Mail, Maisonneuve, The Narwhal, Reader’s Digest, and more.
Nevin French, BA’00
Treasurer
Nevin French is a Vice-President, Technology for Edelman Global Advisory, based in Toronto. At Edelman, he works with clients to engage governments in Canada on technology related issues including digital government and policy. Previously he served as Vice-President, Policy, for TECHNATION, Canada’s leading technology industry association. He also spent over a decade as a civil servant in the Federal Government and Government of Alberta primarily working on international relations and energy files. Originally from Hamilton, Ontario, Nevin has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of King’s College and a Masters in European and Russian Studies from Carleton. Outside of work, Nevin spends as much time in the outdoors, running, skiing and cycling.
Nick Harris, BA’22
Secretary
Describe your King’s experience in three words: Bold, Boundless, and Beautiful
Nick is a recent alum with extensive experience in the international student movement. He was elected to serve as the King’s Students Union President and currently serves as the Vice-President of the University of Oxford Student Union. His time at King’s culminated in his selection as a Rhodes Scholar in 2022, allowing Nick to pursue graduate studies in International Relations at the University of Oxford. After reading Plato’s Symposium in the Foundation Year Program, Nick celebrated his 19th birthday with a symposium on the definition of happiness in his small room in Radical Bay. His advice to current Kings students is to keep raising your hand—whether it be in the classroom, at the protest, or beyond—as we continue reaching for a better community and a better world.
Members at Large
Geoff Davies, BJ(Hons)’10, MJ’15
Describe your King’s experience in three words: J-School, Rugby, Wittgenstein
Geoff is a writer, strategist, entrepreneur, and — always, in his heart — a journalist. He first came to King’s as a teenager who was in love with the newspaper, and stayed because he loved the community and the Quad. His proudest achievement at King’s was joining the rugby team and learning to play, for the first time, a sport that terrified, confused, and fascinated him. In FYP and CSP, he learned to think (finally!) and felt the excitement of those moments when ideas ‘click’. After King’s, he spent half a decade realizing his journalism dreams, before realizing another one — coming back to King’s. He returned to earn a Master of Journalism degree in New Ventures, studying digital media and business models. He was proud to serve, meanwhile, as Don of Radical Bay, and privileged to have such a special group of students to support. Today, he operates a content marketing agency, as founder of DSSI MKTG. His advice to new students is: savour it.
Victoria Foley, BJ(Hons)’05
Describe your King’s experience in three words: Beginnings, exploration, community
Victoria Foley resides in Biddeford, Maine and brings more than a decade of experience in event planning and execution, including management of volunteers and teams, to the table. She is currently the Director of Marketing & Communications for the New England Cancer Specialists. She has had experience in government, having served as an elected state representative for the State of Maine, serving on the Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee as well as the Maine-Canadian Legislative Advisory Commission from 2018-2020 and was also a city councilor for Biddeford, Maine from 2017-2018. She has served on a number of volunteer boards in multiple capacities, including YMCA of Northern York County and Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Southern Maine, and is currently completing a certificate in Professional Fundraising.
Mihira Lakshman, BJ’01
Describe your King’s experience in three words: Curiosity, Community, Friendship
Mihira Lakshman is a media executive and former journalist with 20 years of experience at large and small companies in web, mobile, social media, television, radio and print platforms. His current role is Director of The Walrus Lab, the client services and custom content department at The Walrus. His expertise includes editorial oversight, sponsor integration, custom content/partnerships, staff management, digital strategy and investigative journalism. Mihira is also actively involved in the sport community, serving as Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors at Athletics Canada.
Alexander Long, BA’20
Describe your King’s experience in three words: Exploration, Creativity, Growth
Alexander (Alex) is a founding member and Chief Executive Officer of Cosmographic Software, working on the SpaceEngine Universe simulator, having previously acted as both the company’s President and COO. He has worn many hats, including high school teacher, perfumer, blacksmith and game designer, as well as serving as a member of the Royal Canadian Engineers with 36 CER (having been present during the formation of 20 Engineer Squadron in 2010). Alex has also worked extensively as a professional writer, editor and producer for several educational YouTube channels, most notably Science and Futurism with Isaac Arthur. He worked on dozens of SFIA episodes, and continues to be active within the science education community. He is passionate about leadership and its development, and believes strongly in the importance of cultivating related qualities in students and professionals alike. As a result of this, Alex has been a guest lecturer at both Dalhousie University and the University of King’s College and, in his spare time, assists with instruction at the local Kendo club. When he’s not working or volunteering his time, Alex can be found spending time with his adorable mini pig, Snuggles.
Andrew MacDonald, BJ(Hons)’99
Describe your King’s experience in three words: Hogwarts with journalism
Andrew works as a content strategy manager at Eastlink. Although he was unaware at the time, the online journalism course put him on a path to an exciting future in digital media, working for a variety of news, social media and content companies. Andrew is thankful to King’s that long before Google, Facebook or YouTube came along, he learned to balance critical and analytical thinking with creativity, in pursuing new ways to understand and solve problems. His advice to new students is to remain curious. Andrew believes that you shouldn’t let career ambitions or future plans prevent you from exploring new things or discovering new talents and interests. And, of course, Andrew’s most important piece of advice is, “Don’t procrastinate on starting your FYP papers!”
Andrew Soren, BA(Hons)’02
Describe your King’s experience in three words: Canon, critique, & KTS
Andrew is the CEO of Eudaimonic by Design, a global network of advisors dedicated to promoting well-being in organizations. For the past 25 years, he has worked with recognized brands, non-profits, and public sector teams to develop positive leadership and design workplace cultures that empower people to bring the best of themselves in service of meaningful work. Andrew regularly writes and speaks about applying the science of well-being at work, and hosts the podcast “Meaningful Work Matters.” He is a board member of the International Positive Psychology Association, chaired the 2023 World Congress on Positive Psychology, and is part of the instructional team for the University of Pennsylvania’s Masters of Applied Positive Psychology program. Previously, Andrew was a senior advisor in Governance, Culture, and Leadership at LRN and spent 13 years at BMO Financial Group. Andrew is an ICF-certified coach and is based in Halifax.
Lesley-Anne Steeleworthy, BJ’02
Describe your King’s experience in three words: The right choice
Lesley-Anne is a marketing writer for Christie Digital in Kitchener, Ontario. Prior to that, she worked in social media and communications for agencies and non-profits. According to Lesley-Anne, she would have never found her way into public relations and communications without King’s. As well as enhancing her writing and communication skills, she made some of her closest friends at King’s, who have helped her along the way both professionally and personally. Lesley-Anne’s advice for one-year journalism students; “Get ready for an intense, but amazing experience! Throw yourself into your studies, let yourself be uncomfortable with new experiences, be open to feedback, try something new, and enjoy the short time you have with your classmates. No matter what, you’re going to walk away at the end of the year with the tools and the network you need to start the next part of your professional journey.”
Nerissa Zhang, BA’23
Describe your King’s experience in three words: Holistic, Community, and Impact
Nerissa, originally from China, is an international graduate of Kings where she studied Classics and Philosophy. Drawing from her muti-cultural perspective and humanities-based education, Nerissa developed strong critical thinking skills and fostered a deep understanding of diverse global perspectives. During her time at King’s, Nerissa implemented an asset management database during her internship at Facilities Management, increasing workplace efficiency by providing digital access to asset conditions and criticality. She also contributed to the Books by Heart project, an initiative providing free e-books and audiobooks to Nova Scotia patients, demonstrating her commitment to innovative care solutions. Recently began her career as an Assistant Project Manager at Colliers Project Leaders, Nerissa diligently aligns her work with the company’s vision of fostering sustainable, livable cities, improving patient care, and enhancing workplaces. Cherishing the lessons learned at King’s, she integrates her humanities background to address the diverse needs of stakeholders, ensuring the projects uphold these central goals.
Ex-officio
Ian Whytock, BA’10
Past-President and Board of Governors Representative
Describe your King’s experience in three words: Stretching, invigorating, exposure
Ian is a strategy consultant and focuses on advising early stage and growth companies on go-to-market, scaleup and commercialization strategies. He thrives on identifying needs and making connections for companies. His experience spans company leaders across multiple industries including consumer packaged goods, ocean technology, life sciences, data analytics and nutraceuticals. Prior to consulting, Ian was a founding team member at two technology start-ups. The rigorous analytical toolkit that Ian was given from his education at King’s serves him well in his approach to serving clients with complex and multi-layered problems. The pursuit of a strong question before a strong answer, a mark left on him by King’s, is something he pursues in his work each day. His advice to any new King’s student is simple; approach your first year with humility – this is the beginning to all learning. Expect to be challenged and embrace learning ideas that at first may conflict with your own.