Special Update: CNAR's New Executive Director - Jennifer Bertrand

Dear CNAR community,

After an extensive nationwide executive search, we are pleased to announce Jennifer Bertrand, MA,CAE, ACC, as CNAR’s new Executive Director. Jennifer will assume her role at CNAR on May 2nd, 2025.

Jennifer is an accomplished executive leader with over two decades of experience in the public and not-for-profit sectors specializing in strategic leadership, governance, professional regulation, and organizational transformation. As a Certified Association Executive (CAE) and Associate Certified Coach (ACC), she is recognized for her ability to lead complex change with clarity, empathy, and purpose, creating environments that foster innovation, strategic alignment, and meaningful engagement across diverse stakeholder groups.

Most recently, Jennifer served as Executive Director of the Canadian Alliance of Regulatory Bodies of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists to guide the organization through a period of significant growth and evolution. Prior to this role, Jennifer had the privilege of supporting the College of Opticians of Alberta as Chief Executive Officer and Registrar and helped to lead the organization through its legislated transition to a single-mandate regulatory college. Jennifer has also held multiple senior roles in the engineering and geoscience technology profession, including Registrar of the Association of Science and Engineering Technology Professionals of Alberta and Managing Director of Technology Professionals Canada. With a collaborative leadership style, Jennifer is known for fostering trust, navigating change with creativity and care, and aligning people and purpose through effective governance and policy frameworks. Her board and committee service includes roles with organizations such as Technology Accreditation Canada, the National Alliance of Canadian Optician Regulators, the Alberta Federation of Regulated Health Professions, and the Canadian Society of Association Executives. 

Jennifer is excited to join the CNAR team and contribute to its role as a unifying force in Canada’s regulatory landscape. She looks forward to championing high-quality programming, fostering inclusive and meaningful engagement across professions and jurisdictions, and strengthening CNAR’s impact through collaboration, thought leadership, and strategic growth. With a deep appreciation for the complexities of regulation and the people who steward it, Jennifer is committed to advancing CNAR’s mission and supporting its members in navigating the evolving needs of the public and the professions they serve.

Thank you to all who supported us during this period of transition, particularly my incredibly dedicated fellow Board of Directors and the extraordinary CNAR staff.

Sincerely,

Alice Kennedy, BN, MBA, FCCHL, FCHSRF

CNAR Board Chair