Chief Abram Benedict appointed board chair at St. Lawrence College

Abram Benedict has been appointed as the incoming Chair of the St. Lawrence College (SLC) Board of Governors for a one-year term.

Benedict, who joined the board in 2017, has served as Vice Chair since September 2020. According to a release from SLC, he will take on the role of Board Chair today, Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022, to lead the board during the 2022-2023 academic year, succeeding Roger Richard, whose term on the board concluded in August after six years of dedicated service.

Currently, Benedict is the Grand Chief for the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne. In the position of Grand Chief, Benedict leads a Council of 12 members that govern the Mohawk Community of Akwesasne. According to the release, the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne is a progressive First Nation community that straddles the Ontario, Quebec, and New York State borders and delivers a wide variety of services to its over 10,000 members.

A lifetime resident of Akwesasne, who, according to the college, is passionate about youth empowerment and community capacity building, Benedict serves as a Governor for St. Lawrence College and is a current member of the Chairperson’s Indigenous Circle of the Parole Board of Canada. SLC said that Benedict’s excellent community leadership and political experience have allowed him to lead a community government, meet the needs of its people, and raise the positive profile of his community and enhance relations between Canada’s second-largest First Nation Community of Akwesasne and the Governments of Canada, Ontario and Quebec and local municipalities.

“We look forward to working with Chief Benedict as our new Board Chair and know from his time on the Board that he is very committed to helping our students and college succeed,” said Glenn Vollebregt, SLC President and CEO. “His experience and community leadership will be a great benefit to steering the College as we embark on year four of the priorities set out in our strategic plan, SLC in Five.”