Tamara Vrooman re-appointed as Chancellor

June 22, 2023

The Simon Fraser University Board of Governors is pleased to announce the re-appointment of Dr. Tamara Vrooman as Chancellor of SFU.

Dr. Vrooman’s reappointment was approved at the May 25th Board of Governors meeting, on the recommendation of a joint committee of the SFU Board of Governors, the SFU Alumni Association and Senate. The creation of this committee and the reappointment process was conducted in accordance with university policy B10.12 - Selection of Chancellor.

“Tamara has been an incredible ambassador for the university during her time as Chancellor, and we are grateful to benefit from her leadership for another three-year term,” says Angie Lamarsh, Chair, SFU’s Board of Governors.

The university chancellor’s role is to confer all degrees and represent the university in an official capacity within the larger community as one of the university’s chief ambassadors. Distinguished in their field, the chancellor advocates on behalf of the university and shares a commitment to post-secondary education and research.

Dr. Vrooman has long been a champion of the university, and was recognized for her contributions to SFU and the community with an honorary degree in 2016. Dr. Vrooman is currently President and CEO of the Vancouver International Airport Authority (YVR). For her leadership of the airport through the COVID-19 pandemic, she was named to Vancouver Magazine’s Power 50 list of influential British Columbians in 2020, 2022 and 2023.

During her first term, Dr. Vrooman championed a broad range of collaborative, inclusive and community-focused initiatives, including the SFU Public Square Community Summit and activities of the VanCity Office of Community Engagement at SFU. In addition to generously sharing her wisdom and inspiring our SFU community, Dr. Vrooman continues to demonstrate an impeccable commitment to advancing equity, diversity and inclusion and making a social impact as a leader in business and finance. Through these noteworthy contributions, she has enhanced the quality of life for many people in British Columbia and beyond.

Dr. Vrooman has been recognized with the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal for Outstanding Public Service, the YWCA Woman of Distinction Award and the Order of British Columbia.

Angie Lamarsh
Pronouns: she, her, hers 
Chair, SFU Board of Governors 
Simon Fraser University