About us

Dedicated to delivering excellence to the Canadian advancement community

The Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education (CCAE) is a volunteer-led organization that promotes excellence in educational advancement. We provide opportunities for networking, professional learning and mutual support. CCAE features peer to peer learning to share best practices among Canadian advancement professionals. Fees are in Canadian dollars and events are all based in Canada. CCAE members represent universities, colleges, polytechnics, institutes, independent schools and cégeps from across the country. Advancement encompasses advancement services, alumni relations, communications and marketing, fundraising (development), external relations, and public relations and other advancement disciplines.

CCAE Board of Directors

Mark Savenkoff

Chair
Vice President of External Relations and Strategy, Algonquin College
Term: 2025 – 2028

Brent Johnston

Past Chair
Executive Director, Advancement,
The Country Day School
Term: 2024 – 2027

Caroline Girard

Vice Chair,
Executive Director, Philanthropy and Alumni Relations, Université Laval
Term: 2027 – 2030

Paul Lacap

Vice Chair
Associate Vice President, Marketing, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT)
Term: 2027 – 2030

Natalie Cook-Zywicki

Vice Chair
Associate Vice-President, Alumni; Executive Director, alumni UBC, University of British Columbia
Term: 2024 – 2027

Gord Arbeau

Vice President, Advancement, Niagara College
Term: 2027 – 2030

Sarah Clarke

Director, Advancement Services, Carleton University
Term: 2027 – 2030

Brendan Dellandrea

Vice-Principal, Advancement, Upper Canada College
Term: 2024 – 2027

Nancy Handrigan

Vice-President, External Relations, Acadia University
Term: 2025 – 2028

Lisa Jung

Director, Alumni Relations, and Executive Director, BCIT Alumni Association, British Columbia Institute of Technology
Term: 2025 – 2028

Tom Meadus

Vice-President, Advancement and Alumni Relations, St. Thomas University
Term: 2024 – 2027

Erin Morantz

Vice President, Advancement and Alumni Engagement, Simon Fraser University
Term: 2025 – 2028

Dominic Law

Senior Director, Advancement Services, Concordia University
Term: 2024 – 2027

Tasneem Rahim

Vice President, External, Bow Valley College
Term: 2025 – 2028

David Palmer

Vice-President, Advancement for the University of Toronto
Term: 2025 – 2028

circa 1993

CCAE started as a regional volunteer led association and in 2008 grew to a national association that is currently staff led and driven by 100’s of volunteers annually.

Vision

An inspired and connected community of professionals working to advance education in Canada.

Mission

Strengthening the capacity and amplifying the impact of educational advancement in Canada.

CCAE Guiding Principles

As a catalyst for professional learning and a cultivator of connections across the educational advancement sector in Canada, CCAE is guided by principles that inform all, and are woven throughout, activities and initiatives. CCAE is dedicated to curating and delivering exemplary programs, resources, and services that are:

Inclusive, respectful, and representative of a diversity of experiences, languages (French and English), perspectives, interests, and identities.
Excellent and create value for advancement professionals, partners and sponsors.
Innovative, relevant, and data informed.
Collaborative, engaged, and responsive to the sector.
Guided by best practices in sustainability and environmental protection.

CCAE understands its role as a Canadian not-for-profit organization and is committed to transparency in its, governance, ethics, communication practices and social impact reporting. CCAE aims to meet or exceed all legal and fiduciary requirements governing not-for-profit organizations, in ways that are visible to stakeholders.