King's Board of Directors welcomes new chair and directors

The King’s University College Board of Directors has appointed a new Chair, effective July 1, 2025. Paul Tufts, the former Vice-Chair, takes on the role of the Chair of the Board, succeeding Dr. Nonie Brennan.

An educator for 30 years, Tufts leads Tufts Consulting and also works as a corporate trainer. He is currently the director and treasurer of the Agape Foundation of London, the director of the Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health, and a member of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Institute (ADRI) of Ontario. Tufts is a former member of the senior leadership team for the Thames Valley District School Board, retiring in 2013. 

Tufts is honoured to be moving into the role of Chair. “This is an exciting as well as a very challenging time for King’s and all post-secondary institutions. Thank you to our outgoing chairperson, Dr. Nonie Brennan, for the hard work that she has done, leaving King’s in a better position to move forward,” he says.

The board welcomes these new directors as of July 1, 2025:

Peter F. Wilkinson, ’79 BA History, was the Chief of Staff to the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Canada from January 2023 to October 2024 and the Global Head of Regulatory & Public Affairs for Manulife from October 2010 to January 2023. Before joining Manulife, Mr. Wilkinson was Chief of Staff to the Premier of Ontario, Dalton McGuinty, from 2006 to 2010. Previously, he was Chief of Staff to the Ontario Minister of Finance, Minister of Revenue and Chair of Management Board from 2003 to 2006. He also held several positions with the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA) and the Government of Ontario, and worked with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario; the Ontario Ministry of Industry, Trade & Technology; Hugh O’Neil, MPP for Quinte; and Scotia Bank. He was the Chair of King’s Audit and Finance Committee from 2018 to 2021.

Braedan Lovie, a fourth-year Honours Specialization in Social & Political Thought, French Language & Literature, and Law & Public Policy student, is the new president of the King’s University College Students’ Council (KUCSC) and is the student representative on the Board for the 2025-26 term. He is a graduate of the King’s Scholar program. He was the executive assistant to the KUCSC President during the 2024-2025 academic year. He was also a member of King’s Academic Mentoring Program (KAMP), a faculty representative on the Council, and taken on executive roles in several clubs.

At the same time, the board welcomes new directors, they say goodbye and express their thanks to retiring directors:

• Ricardo Soto Canales
• Nancy Sutherland

“Our King’s board members bring to the table a wealth of knowledge and experience in a multitude of sectors, including post-secondary education. I am confident that by working collaboratively and collegially with the King’s community, we can ensure that King’s continues to provide a valuable educational experience for our students without losing sight of King’s mission,” says Tufts.

We thank Dr. Brennan and the other retiring executive members, committee chairs, and directors for their service to King’s.

Learn more about King’s new Board of Directors on our Governance page.