Dr. W.A. Sam Shaw
Dr. Sam Shaw, then President and CEO of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology(NAIT), was appointed Honorary Colonel of 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron, Edmonton, AB in January 2010. He currently is Vice-President, Natural Gas PolicyDevelopment with Encana Corporation in Calgary.Born in Halifax NS, Honorary Colonel Shaw holds a BA from Chaminade University of Honolulu, an M Sc from Dalhousie University and an M Ed and Ph D from the University of Toronto. Dr. Shaw is also a graduate of the Harvard University Institute for Educational Management, and earned a Chartered Director designation from McMaster University and The Conference Board of Canada. Additionally, Dr. Shaw is a past-recipient of Alberta Venture’s Businessman of the Year award and has twice been recognized as one of Alberta’s 50 Most Influential People.Honorary Colonel Shaw has served on the staff of a number of Canadian Institutes and Colleges including Ryerson University in Toronto, Universities of Manitoba in Winnipeg and the Mitchener Institute in Toronto. Prior to coming to NAIT, he was President of what was then Keewatin Community College in The Pas, MB. In the 13 years at NAIT, Honorary Colonel Shaw spearheaded the expansion from 1100 staff to 3300 and from a budget of $110 to over $300 million serving more than 84,000 students around the world in 2010. He continues to be involved in teaching courses for NAIT and Cape Breton University on a part-time basis.
Honorary Colonel Shaw is the author of numerous articles and publications focusing on technology, human resources management, strategic planning and small business enterprise. In addition, he is a frequent presenter at conferences in Canada and around the world.
Honorary Colonel Shaw has also received the Distinguished Leadership Award from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education District VIII, is a member of Industry Canada’s Science, Technology and Innovation Council, served as Chair of the Canadian Advisory Committee TC232 of the Standards Council of Canada, is Chair of the Alberta Career Education Network, Board Member and Chair of the Human Resources Committee of the Canadian Commercialization Corporation, a member of Alberta Economic Development Authority and an Advisory Board Member, Industrial Research Assistance Program.
Honorary Colonel Shaw and his wife Claudia reside in Calgary, his daughters Robyn and Amanda attend NAIT in Edmonton and his son Clayton works for Graham Construction in Ontario.