James Fleck Appointed as Vice-Chair to Board of Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation

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Gatineau, Quebec, November 1, 2012 — The Chairman of the Board of the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation, LGen (ret’d) Bill Leach, is pleased to welcome James D. Fleck of Toronto to the Board of Trustees. Mr. Fleck is a successful entrepreneur, a respected academic and one of Canada’s leading cultural philanthropists. He brings to the Board a wealth of experience as a director in the corporate and non-profit sectors.

The order-in-council appointment was announced by the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, the Honourable James Moore. The Corporation’s 11-member Board oversees the operation of the Canadian Museum of Civilization and the Canadian War Museum, Canada’s national museums of human and military history. Mr. Fleck was appointed to the Board of Trustees, as Vice-Chair of the Board.

Mr. Fleck is currently Chairman of Business for the Arts—Canada’s national association of business leaders who support the arts—and President of the Art Gallery of Ontario Foundation. He is also Professor Emeritus of Strategic Management at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto.

“James Fleck is highly respected in Canadian business circles, in the halls of academia, and in Canada’s arts and culture community,” said LGen (ret’d) Leach. “We are honoured to welcome him to the Board as Vice-Chair.”

Mr. Fleck has enjoyed successful careers as an entrepreneur, professor and public servant. He was the founder of Fleck Manufacturing Inc., a producer of wire and cable products for the appliance, automotive and electronic industries. He led the company for 40 years until its acquisition by Noma Industries Limited in 1994. He has also served as Chairman of several other companies, most tied to the computer software industry.

Mr. Fleck has a doctorate in business administration from Harvard University, which he attended as a Ford Foundation Fellow, and helped found the Faculty of Administrative Studies at York University. Early in his career, he served as a deputy minister in the government of Ontario.

Mr. Fleck is the recipient of many honours, including the Edmund C. Bovey Award for Leadership Support of the Arts; the Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Voluntarism in the Performing Arts; and the Angel Award for philanthropy in the performing arts, presented by the International Society of Performing Arts. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1997.     

The Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation operates the Canadian Museum of Civilization, the Canadian War Museum and the Virtual Museum of New France. As part of their mandate, the Museums function as centres for research and public information on the social, military and human history of the country. Their principal role is to preserve and promote the heritage of Canada for present and future generations, thereby contributing to the enhancement of Canadian identity.

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