Michael Sangster – Chief Executive Officer

Michael Sangster comes to the NACC with a vision and passion to work with our 500 Career Colleges to create opportunities for students to chase their dreams.

He is passionate about bringing together our stakeholders, governments, colleges and students together to find common ground and build outcomes that support our communities.

Michael joins the NACC having most recently been the managing partner of the Waterloo Group and Chief Commercial Officer of Pal Aerospace. He was previously the Vice President of Strategic Relations and Federal Government Affairs at TELUS. Prior to TELUS he was Vice President of Sales at C-COM Satellite Systems, and Federal Government Relations and Sales Manager at Assure Health Inc.

He brings with him extensive volunteer experience with many diverse organizations in Ottawa including the Canadian Hospice and Palliative Care Association, Ottawa Police Gala, Ottawa Food Bank and the Hill Charity Golf Classic.

Michael was granted the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal Award in 2013 in recognition of his service to his community and is an Ottawa Police 2015 Community Leadership Award recipient. He attended the University of Manitoba and completed the Governance Essentials Program for Directors from the University of Ottawa School of Management Centre for Executive Education.

Debbie Archer – Director of Finance

Debbie started working with the NACC when it first opened its Ottawa office in 2013.  She has converted many a set of books to the newest accounting software platform. Be it Sage, QuickBooks, FreshBooks, MYOB or Great Plains.

Organization and determination are two of the many skills she brings to the table. Today, Debbie oversees all the financial responsibilities of the Association. 

A native of Ottawa, she enjoys all that Ottawa has to offer by way of greenspace including biking, hiking, gardening or spending time out fishing or swimming.

Doris Jeanne MacKinnon – Director of Education and Development

Doris Jeanne MacKinnon is an education leader with over 15 years of experience in the public and private post-secondary sector, specializing in curriculum design, program development, teaching, and adult learning. She holds a Master’s degree in Education from Queen’s University, as well as a Masters and a Ph.D. in Canadian and Indigenous History from the University of Calgary. Her work in community-based research with educators and Indigenous peoples has led to the publication of numerous books and articles. 

Doris Jeanne brings extensive knowledge of both regulated career colleges and public post-secondary institutions from her tenure as Dean of Academics at a regulated career college in Alberta, as well as Coordinator of New Programming, Learning Designer and Educator in public post-secondary institutions. In her spare time, Doris Jeanne enjoys hiking, cycling, snowshoeing and other outdoor activities with her horses and dogs.

Sarah Riaz – Education Coordinator

Sarah joined NACC in July 2021 as an Exam Invigilator and shortly moved to the administrative role to take on responsibilities of assisting member colleges with their day-to-day requests, curriculum purchases, exam concerns, certificate verifications and various other tasks. Having a strong administrative background in language schools, Sarah has always been passionate about helping students reach their true goals. Sarah has always been a strong advocate of reaching the true potential and enjoys her minor role she plays indirectly in enriching students’ lives, via her position.

Based just outside of Toronto, Sarah always keeps busy with a creative or a personal project.

James Connery – Campus Support Manager

James Connery is a dedicated professional known for his dedication to the field of education and professional development. With a dynamic career spanning over a decade, James has made a lasting impact as a Private Career College director, operations manager, curriculum writer, indigenous liaison, instructor, and Provincial Representative for the Manitoba Association of Career Colleges.

Throughout his career in the sector, James has always believed that the best educational opportunities are found within our sector, and that many potential students with socioeconomic factors would benefit greatly if they only knew about our institutions.

Outside of his professional pursuits, James volunteers his time as a board member for Karate Manitoba and can often be found on the golf course with his grandchildren.

In reflecting on his journey, James Connery remains a firm believer in the potential for education to create positive change. His legacy is one of educational advancement, advocacy, and a tireless commitment to fostering a brighter, more skilled, and inclusive society. He truly believes in the profound impact that one dedicated individual can have on the world of education and beyond.

James joined NACC in July of 2023.

Victoria Ventura – Communications and Stakeholder Manager

Victoria is the Communications and Stakeholder Manager, responsible for supporting a high-quality experience for NACC’s member colleges through communications, marketing, and client service. She joined the NACC team in August 2021.

Victoria believes in the power of post-secondary education to create fulfilling careers for individuals.

As a communications and administration professional with 8+ years of experience in the post-secondary sector, she is known for creating systems and coordinating projects to drive successful outcomes for students.

Victoria holds a BA in History, as well as an Advanced Diploma in Business Administration and Human Resources. She is based in Ottawa, Ontario.

Adèle Conn – Executive Assistant

Adèle is a retired Executive Assistant with over 40 years experience.  She left retirement behind in September of 2021 to join the NACC. 

Adèle taught Administrative Procedures part-time at Algonquin College in Ottawa for several semesters – an endeavour she truly enjoyed.  She was a Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) with the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP). As a member, Adèle took on many volunteer roles including guest speaker, roles on the Ottawa East Chapter Board including President of the Chapter.  As President of Central Canada Division, in April 2015, Adèle was invited to ring the bell to start the Toronto Stock Exchange.

She is an avid crafter who enjoys playing with her Cricut Maker machine and her sublimation printer to create greeting cards, mugs, t-shirts, signs, and a myriad of other fun things.

Austin Moulton – Engagement Associate

Austin is the Engagement Associate, and is responsible for curating and creating marketing content as well as supporting our team in high-quality experiences of NACC’s member colleges.

With 5 years of customer satisfaction experience in Public Relations, Austin is a driven, compassionate organization leader dedicated to helping NACC achieve industry prominence.

Austin holds a Diploma in Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, which he graduated with honours in 2022. He joined the NACC team in April 2022.