Six members representing Memorial’s alumni body were elected to serve on the university’s Board of Regents for a three-year term.
Memorial alumni could vote for up to six candidates in the 2026 Board of Regents alumni election from May 13 to June 11. A total of 13,076 votes were cast.
Below are the newly elected alumni representatives:
- Anik Rahman, B.Eng.’17 (1,067 votes)
- Kanani Penashue-Davis, B.Ed.(Native and Northern)’09 (673 votes)
- Steven Gardiner, BA’91 (650 votes)
- Connie Duffett, B.Comm.(Co-op.)’02, MER’11 (619 votes)
- Trudy Morgan-Cole, MA’93, M.Ed.’05 (618 votes)
- Bridgette Abbott, B.Ed.(Primary/Elementary)’14, B.Sp.Ed.’18, M.Ed.’20 (586 votes)
“I am grateful to all candidates who put their names forward, as well as to the thousands of alumni who took the time to participate in the vote,” President Dr. Janet Morrison said to the Gazette. “Their involvement strengthens our shared model of governance and reinforces the vital role alumni play in the stewardship of the university.”
The elected alumni will begin their term September 1, 2026 and will end on August 31, 2029. Complete election results are available online.
The Board of Regents is part of Memorial University’s bicameral system of governance, responsible for the management, administration, and control of the university’s property, revenue, business, and affairs. The Board operates alongside the Senate, which is responsible for all academic matters of Memorial.
While Board members have a more active role in the governance of Memorial University, all representatives have a fiduciary duty to “act in the best interest of the institution at all times, above personal, professional or external interests, regardless of whether they were elected or appointed and regardless of any constituent base.”
The Board of Regents is composed of 30 members: three ex officio members, six elected alumni, four full-time students, and seventeen members appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor in Council.
