Centennial president Ann Buller speaks to Corporate Communications & Public Relations students

Centennial College president Ann Buller visited the Centre for Creative Communications on October 13, 2011. She came to talk about leadership and communications. Her audience, Corporate Communication and Public Relations students, received her message warmly, and engaged her in a vigorous question and answer period afterward.

Buller comes from a communications background, and is very interested in fostering the Corporate Communications and Public Relations program.   Buller’s main message was to promote Centennial’s Signature Learning Experience – a program in global citizenship. With a concentration on the promotion of equity worldwide, this program has put Centennial forward as a leader in the educational community.

Buller is no stranger to public relations. Ever since starting her career in school administration, her public relations background has served her well. When she came to Centennial, her first task was to employ these communications skills, “to make the case for change.” There was a great need for a new library facility but the project was having trouble off the ground. Employing strategic communications skills, Buller managed to advocate for the new facility, ultimately realizing the plan.

She admits that her position gives her a bit of a bully pulpit, from which she can advocate for the college. In the course of her time with Centennial, she has spoken in the United Nations, and developed partnerships with schools and institutions from Turkey to China.

At the conclusion of an engaging talk, Buller opened the floor to student questions, providing additional information on Centennial’s international programs, administering communications for a major college, and addressing student concerns about communication between the core college, and the Centre for Creative Communication.

Buller’s discussion on leadership and communication was another strong step in the right direction for the large school.

By Simon McNeil, CC&PR Student, Class of 2012