Nancy McKinstry, (left) and Michael Francis (right)

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SFU's board of governors has elected Nancy McKinstry as its new chair and Michael Francis as deputy chair, effective Feb. 2. McKinstry, who succeeds Dr. Saida Rasul, is a former vice-president of the BC investment firm Odlum Brown and a member of the Order of Canada. She is the founder and chair of the Minerva Foundation for B.C. Women, which helps women in need attain their educational goals. She received an honorary degree from SFU in 2004 and a Queen's Golden Jubilee medal in 2003. McKinstry had been the board's deputy chair since August, 2006.

Francis, a chartered accountant, is the president of Seed Management Inc., an early-stage venture capital company. He chairs British Columbia Film and the Vancouver International Film Festival and is a former chair of Science World, the British Columbia Trade Development Corporation and BC Ferries. Francis was also a director of WIC Western International Communications.