By Graham Cook

Joanne Curry brings 20 years of experience within SFU.

SFU administration has named Joanne Curry as associate vice president external relations. The position will see Curry teaming up with current vice president external relations Philip Steenkamp, who was chosen for his position this time last year, in June 2011.

Joanne Curry’s past at Simon Fraser is particularly extensive, with approximately 20 years of experience with the university and affiliated organizations. She was once Director of the University Industry Liaison Office. Now known as the Innovation Office, she oversaw its mission of creating new research and development partnerships. Her most recent role has been serving as Executive Director of SFU’s Surrey Campus, which she has done since its foundation in 2002. This means that she has overseen the campus’s growth from 500 students to over 7,000.

Curry has also been nominated two times for a YWCA Women of Distinction award, most recently this past Spring. In addition, she received top honours in the professional category at the Surrey Women in Business awards in 2010. Over the past year, Joanne Curry served as a special advisor to SFU president Andrew Petter on the university’s strategic vision consultation.

While speaking with The Peak about her recent appointment, she stated there “was a hiring committee and a call went out for nominations,” though she “was also very interested in the position and would have put [her] name forward for it.”  Curry also described what she feels she will personally bring to the position. “I bring 20 years experience at SFU and . . . I’ve built strong relationships with, for example, the City of Surrey over the last 10 years and have a good understanding of how to work with city government.”  She added that “there have been lessons learned along the way that I could apply.”

The job of associate vice president external relations will involve working closely with VP-external Philip Steenkamp on external matters that include working with local government, marketing initiatives, and, like many SFU positions, “community engagement.”

Joanne Curry will, in addition to this new job, continue to serve as executive director at Surrey. She stated that she will occupy both roles for the short term as there is a fair amount of crossover, though this will likely end eventually.

Curry concluded by stating that she is “looking forward to working with the student body, particularly in the area of community engagement.”