Mark Benoit, Chair (519) 354-9714 ext. 3391 Fax: (519) 354-5496 mbenoit@stclaircollege.ca

Mark Benoit, Chair of the School of Academic Studies Chatham Kent, commented, "This is a great day for all First Nations people.

Mark Benoit Board Member Presently Mark is an administrator for St Clair College as the Chair of Thames Campus in Chatham and has responsibility for the management, operation and strategic planning of the 27 postsecondary programs located in Chatham and Wallaceburg. Mark is currently the chair of the Chatham Kent Workforce Development Council, an organization he started to develop the workforce of Chatham Kent. He sits on numerous provincial committees: such as the Heads of Business, Heads of Technology and Heads of Community Services. Mark was an administrator for St Clair College - Windsor Campus as the Chair of the School of Manufacturing, Technology & Skilled Trade, responsible for the management, operation and strategic planning of many Post Secondary technician / technology Programs, and18 different Industrial Apprenticeship Programs. His management spreads across multi campuses in Windsor and Wallaceburg. He was the lead on the James Burgess Skills Centre expansion - a $4.9 million project. He sat as the Chair of the Head of Apprenticeship for the Western region and on the board of the Canadian Association of Mould Makers. He was the co-chair of three College Advisory Committees across the precision metal cutting and automotive sector. A project leader for the Ford Centre for Excellence in Manufacturing a $42 million development. He was directly involved in implementing many government sponsored initiatives in our region such as: the Apprenticeship Enhancement Fund, the Pre-Apprenticeship Project, the Apprenticeship Innovation Fund and the Journeyperson Updating Project, all of which are designed to improve the provincial training system. Mark has authored many technical articles for Canadian Plastics Magazine related to the precision metal cutting industry. He has served 17 years as a certified Tool & Die Maker in Windsor and Chatham-Kent area. An Instructor with St. Clair for 12 years in the Industrial Apprentices Program and 2 years as Industrial Apprentices Program Administrator. Education Currently enrolled at the University of Windsor in a Bachelor of Commerce under graduate program, he has graduated from the University of Windsor - certificate in Business Administration, St Clair College's Industrial Apprenticeship Program and from Lambton Technical School Blue Print, Layout & Fitting Program Diploma. He has taken an extensive number of training programs in CNC, EDM, robotics and CAD/CAM. Community Work He has provided leadership for the Chatham-Kent community as the Toy Chair for the Chatham Good Fellow's Organization for 10 years.