Dr. John Strasser
President
Dr. John Strasser is the fifth president of St. Clair College. He officially took up his duties on August 1, 2000.
He was formerly President and majority shareholder of The Paladin Group Inc., which specializes in business management, international marketing and plant processes. He was also president of the Sydney Steel Corporation and has had extensive experience as a senior business executive, technical manager, research scientist and university lecturer.
In his initial meeting with the staff Dr. Strasser commented "It is critical that we, at St. Clair College, work together to create an environment where individuals see themselves as vital participants in the growth of the region. In a small amount of historical time since man first battled with the laws of gravity to build structures, we have evolved from being creators of assets to being the assets. Our education system is so fundamental to the economic health of our society that each educated constituent must be prepared to become a stakeholder and to use their knowledge to ensure community success."
Originally from Sydney, Nova Scotia, Dr. Strasser has a Master of Science from Pennsylvania State University and a Doctorate in Metallurgical Engineering from the Technical University of Nova Scotia, as well as an Associate Degree in Business from LaSalle University.
He has authored or co-authored dozens of papers presented at national and international conferences and symposiums, and has served on numerous business, education and government bodies. A respected scientist, he was inducted as a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum in 1999.
Dr. Strasser was a founding member and first Chairman of the Atlantic Group for Research in Industrial Materials, a partnership of business, educational and research institutions committed to identifying and solving industrial problems. He was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Advanced Materials Engineering Centre in Halifax and the Atlantic Coal Institute.
He also served on the Board of Governors of The University College of Cape Breton (UCCB), was Honorary Co-Chairman of UCCB's $10-million fundraising campaign. He played a key role in securing funds and support for the establishment of a Chair for the Management of Technological Change at UCCB.
Dr. Strasser lectured at Dalhousie University and began his professional career as a Research Scientist with the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources in Ottawa in 1971. In 1973, he joined the Sydney Steel Corporation and in the next 12 years, directed various technical and management functions holding senior positions in the steel manufacturing operations as Manager of the Rolling Mills, Chief Research Engineer and Director of Quality Control. He was appointed Vice-President of Marketing in 1986, and was responsible for increasing international sales while conducting business in more than 25 countries on six continents. As President of the Sydney Steel Corporation (1988-91), he directed the final phase of a $275-million modernization program. Dr. Strasser joined the Canadian National Railway in 1991 and for more than five years provided technical and managerial expertise to national and international railway interests.
Dr. Strasser, his wife Gayle, an elementary school teacher, and their son Kirby, a recent Honors Social Science graduate from John Abbott College in Montreal, now reside in Windsor. They also have an older son, Andrew, who is presently enrolled in the doctoral program in the Department of Bio-Behavioral Health at Pennsylvania State University.
Dr. Strasser has a keen interest in the game of hockey and has authored two books on the subject: Leopards and Lions (A Parent's Guide to Hockey from Novice to the NHL), in 1998, and This is Academy Hockey, in collaboration with his wife Gayle in 1991.