**CONTACT NORTH MEDIA RELEASE**

Contact North | Contact Nord Board of Directors and staff welcome new board member, Alan Spacek. 

“Alan’s extensive knowledge and experience in community development, post-secondary education and governance are very valuable as Contact North | Contact Nord plans its next major phase of development,” said Board Chair, Paul Taillefer.  “Contact North | Contact Nord is preparing for double-digit growth in the more than 525,000 requests for services it responds to annually from underserved Ontarians in 600 small, rural, remote, Indigenous and Francophone communities working towards a diploma, degree or a certificate or upgrading their skills via online learning in their community.”

“Our staff in 116 online learning centres across Ontario actively recruit students and support more than 62,000 student registrations in online learning programs and courses from Ontario’s 24 public colleges, 22 public universities, 9 Indigenous institutes, 76 district school boards, 200 literacy and basic skills providers and 50 skills development training providers,” commented Maxim Jean-Louis, President – Chief Executive Officer, Contact North | Contact Nord. 

Alan Spacek is Mayor of Kapuskasing, President of the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM) and a member and Chair of the Board of Governors of Northern College. He is Chair of the Kapuskasing Economic Development Corporation and Police Services Board. He also serves as President of Énergie Kapuskasing Energy, and was formerly Vice-Chair and board member of the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation.