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Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Aliant and UNB launch 21 Leaders for the 21st Century

FREDERICTON – The University of New Brusnwick’s Next NB/Avenir NB project, in partnership with Aliant and with the support of Lieutenant-Governor Herménégilde Chiasson, has launched a province-wide search for 21 new leaders for New Brunswick.

Entitled 21 Leaders for the 21st Century, this unique initiative – the first of its kind in Atlantic Canada – is designed to seek out a new generation of people and encourage the development of new ideas and perspectives on the future of this province and this region. “If we are to have transformational change in New Brunswick, we must listen to and encourage the development of our younger leaders,” said Dr. John McLaughlin, president of UNB. “The 21 Leaders for the 21st Century project will do that.”

Next NB/Avenir NB is inviting New Brunswickers between the ages of 20 and 35, both those who live in the province and those who have moved away, to apply. These new leaders can come from any facet of society – cultural, artistic, business, athletics, academic political and community development. Applications will be accepted until Friday, November 19. A panel of three judges will choose 21 people from the applications to participate in the program. Those judges are Christian Couturier, Director General of the National Research Council Institute for Information Technology (NRC-IIT); Kathryn Craig, Chief Executive Officer of Fundy Linen Service Inc.; and, Doreen Saulis, owner of a consulting business that specializes in Aboriginal issues.

The 21 Leaders will be announced December 10, 2004. Renaissance College, UNB’s leadership institute, will design the 21 Leaders’ program, which will strengthen participants’ overall leadership skills with an emphasis on public policy analysis and community development. The highlight of the program is a week-long tour of New Brunswick to take place the week of April 24th, 2005. Participants will visit all of New Brunswick’s regions over five days – Saint John and the southwest; Moncton and the southeast; the Miramichi to Bathurst corridor, including the Acadian Peninsula; Restigouche and Madawaska; and the Fredericton-lower St. John River Valley corridor.

On each day participants will meet community leaders, receive tours of local businesses and experience cultural activities. The tour will conclude with a private dinner for the 21 Leaders hosted by His Honour, M. Chiasson at Old Government House, with Premier Bernard Lord and Dr. McLaughlin.

As part of the program, the 21 Leaders will also help Next NB/Avenir NB organizers set the agenda for a major conference on the future of the province, to be held June 21-23, 2005 at the Saint John Trade and Convention Centre.The 21 Leaders will then attend that conference and present their findings at a luncheon. Next NB/Avenir NB is a public policy initiative at the University of New Brunswick that seeks to raise awareness of New Brunswick's challenges and offer options for its future.

Aliant is the official sponsor of the 21 Leaders for the 21st Century project, and has donated $20,000 and communications services to support the 21 new leaders as they tour the province. Aliant President and CEO Jay Forbes said, “At Aliant we firmly believe that we must actively engage the next generation of leaders in discussions about the issues facing our province and our region. We applaud UNB and Next NB/Avenir NB for kick-starting this wonderful program and are proud to be partnering with them to encourage progressive and fresh conversations about the future of New Brunswick.”

To obtain copies of the application, please visit our website at www.nextnb.ca or call 1-506-648-5655.

For more information about Aliant's support of this program, please contact Dawn Boylan at dawn.boylan@aliant.ca or 902-487-4738.

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