Gervan Fearon

Dr. Gervan Fearon became President of George Brown College in August 2021. Working with colleagues across the college, he aims to support career-oriented programs to meet the needs of students and the demands of employers; advance college-led research, and enhance community engagement. With a proven track record of collaboration, transformative leadership, and engaging higher learning communities in a shared mission, he leads George Brown’s efforts to provide transformative educational opportunities that benefit learners, industry, and the greater community.

Gervan previously served as the President and Vice-Chancellor at Brock University and at Brandon University. He has also held numerous progressive roles in post-secondary education, including Vice-President, Academic, at Brandon University; Dean of the G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education at Ryerson University; Associate Dean at York University’s Atkinson Faculty of Liberal and Professional Studies; Visiting Scholar at the University of Washington, and as an Associate Professor at York University. Gervan also has a strong teaching and research record.

His career also included serving as the Executive Assistant to the Deputy Minister at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and a Senior Analyst at the Treasury Board, Ontario Ministry of Finance. He has also served on numerous community boards, including the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Brandon Urban Aboriginal Peoples’ Council, United Way Niagara, Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce, and the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto. He was also Co-Chair of the Niagara Region’s Community Safety and Well-Being Planning Committee, Chair of the Budget and Audit Committee of Council of Ontario Universities, and President of Tropicana Community Services.

He holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Western Ontario and received his master’s and bachelor of science degrees in agricultural economics from the University of Guelph. He holds a Chartered Professional Accountant designation (CPA, CGA) and Institute of Corporate Directors designation (ICD.D).