St. Francis Xavier University is pleased to announce Dr. Mila Mulroney ’04 as its 11th Chancellor. Dr. Mulroney is a StFX honorary degree recipient and a highly respected Canadian philanthropist.
“StFX University and the Xaverian community are very dear to me for many reasons,” said Dr. Mulroney. “StFX is where my husband Brian was first inspired to get involved in politics and public service, introducing him to a strong set of values that guided him along his journey to becoming Canada’s 18th Prime Minister,” she added. “Over the past 50 years, I have spent a lot of time on campus, and I have met so many wonderful Xaverians from across Canada and beyond. I am humbled and honoured to become the 11th Chancellor of StFX and to continue the work of advancing this one-of-a-kind institution.”
“On behalf of the StFX Board of Governors, we are privileged to have Dr. Mila Mulroney step into the role of Chancellor,” said Dennis Flood ’80, Chair of the StFX Board of Governors. “Mila’s national and international profile and demonstrated leadership will prove to bring invaluable strengths to the university moving forward over the next several years.”
Dr. Mulroney immigrated to Canada from Sarajevo, Yugoslavia in 1958 to join her family and father, Dr. Dimitrije Pivnicki, who was pursuing graduate studies in psychiatry at McGill University. Dr. Mulroney has been widely credited for playing a vital role in the political career of her late husband, the Right Honourable Brian Mulroney, the 18th Prime Minister of Canada.
Much of her time is now devoted to volunteer work, such as the welfare of children, particularly children with disabilities. She sits on the Board of Cystic Fibrosis Canada, a cause for which she has raised both awareness about the disease and millions of dollars to fund research, and she is a volunteer for Chez Doris, a women’s shelter in Montreal. For over 16 years, she served as co-chair of the annual Taste of the Nations Gala, an event that raises money to provide school lunches and after school mentoring programs for over 20 schools in Montreal. She is a former member of the Boards of Astral Media, Le Cercle Entreprendre, the Foundation for Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, McGill Music school, Frontier College (now called United for Literacy) and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens. Dr. Mulroney also holds an honourary degree from St Thomas University in Fredericton, N.B.
Dr. Mulroney received an honorary degree Doctor of Laws from StFX in 2004. “I am delighted that Mila will become our 11th Chancellor,” said StFX President Dr. Andy Hakin. “Mila is the right person for this position. She has a long history as a philanthropist and dear friend to StFX,” he added. “Mila‘s philanthropic work is vast, and her ability to connect to people is remarkable. She has the expertise needed for this important role.”
Dr. Mulroney was on hand at StFX in 2019 for the grand opening of the Brian Mulroney Institute of Government, Canada’s preeminent centre for undergraduate education in the areas of government, public policy and research. The Mulroney Institute is home to two research chairs named in her honour. The first, Mila Mulroney Research Chair in Women, Policy, and Governance Leadership, is dedicated to issues related to women within a broad range of policy and governance models. The second, Mila Mulroney Research Chair in Women and Politics, explores the representation and experiences of women holding political offices at all levels of government. Both chairs focus on advancing knowledge affecting the lives of women today.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to recognize and thank Mr. John Peacock, the 10th Chancellor of StFX, for his years of support, encouragement and philanthropy,” added Mr. Flood. “John has done a remarkable job in generating momentum, properly setting the institution up for the next leader, Dr. Mila Mulroney.”
Mila Mulroney begins the role of StFX Chancellor effective immediately. An official installation ceremony is scheduled for December 2024.
