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A lawyer in Halifax is hoping to “set an example for young girls and woman” by becoming the first woman to host the position of chair for Dalhousie’s University Board of Governors.

Candace Thomas, who graduated from Dalhousie Law in 1995, was chosen this month by her fellow board members to become the new chair.

“I hope young people can aspire to whatever it is that they want to achieve and whatever that happens to be it is achievable with hard work and commitment,” said Candace Thomas, who graduated from Dalhousie Law in 1995.

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Thomas has been serving as a member of the Board of Governors for the last eight years.

According to Dal’s website, the board members are “responsible for the overall conduct, management, administration and control of the property, revenue, business and affairs of the university.”

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Supporting diversity and inclusion

As the chair, Thomas will be presiding over all board meetings and act as the adviser for the president.

Thomas is also chair of the Board’s Governance and Human Resources Committee, and a member of the advisory group for Dal’s strategic initiative on diversity and inclusiveness.

She says Dalhousie is making “great progress” in its effort to have a more diverse board.

“It has become increasingly diverse in the last eight to 10 years and not just the gender diversity but we have a deep and broad diversity on the board,” Thomas said.

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She’s also a member in a lot of societies outside of the university, like the East Preston Empowerment Academy Society and the International Women’s Forum.

“I have always been involved in community life. That’s something that was instilled in me in my upbringing,” said Thomas.

“And I do always look for things that really do relate to what I value,” she added.

Helping ‘to alleviate’ people

Thomas says she values education the most.

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“Trying to help, to alleviate people who are less advantaged than others is important. Obviously, social justice also matters to me and literacy and so I get involved in organizations and causes that mean a lot to me personally.”

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She said her time on Dal’s Board has also given her a new perspective on the impact the university has in people’s lives.

“I personally think that Dalhousie is a jewel in this region, and probably even in this country, that people probably don’t realize its significant role that it plays in this region, like our economy,” she said.

Thomas will begin her role as chair in July and will serve a three-year term.