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MEMBER PROFILE
If there is such a thing as a natural
born leader, there’s a good chance
Norma McDonald-Ewing is one of
them.
Since joining Conestoga College full time in
1998, she has held a variety of positions that
have not only sharpened her educational
skills but fed into her passion of helping
others learn and grow.
“Throughout my career, I’ve witnessed
how learning can change lives – whether
it’s through structured programs or
experimental learning opportunities that
come from working closely with others,” says
Norma, the College’s Associate Vice President
of Employee Experience & Development. “A
lyric from The King and I resonates deeply
with me: ‘if I become a teacher, from my
pupils I will learn’. This quote captures my
gratitude for the many students, coaches,
and colleagues I’ve learned from throughout
my career. They have shaped who I am as a
leader, and I view each learning experience
as a two-way street.”
She believes her ‘knack’ for teaching began
while growing up in Rockton looking out for
her two younger sisters.
“I think I came by it naturally,” says Norma,
adding she also was heavily involved as a
youth in community activities and worked
a couple of summers as a teen at Camp
Tawingo near Huntsville where she learned
valuable leadership skills from its founder
Jack Pearse. “He really believed in whole
person leadership.”
This experience led her to work as a summer
camp director for the City of Kitchener, the
place where she would eventually kickstart
a very successful career after obtaining a
degree in recreation and leisure studies and
business from the University of Waterloo,
followed by a master’s degree in business at
‘Leadership must serve Wilfrid Laurier University. She spent about
a decade working for the City of Kitchener,
including two years as its Services and
the community’ Resource Development Supervisor.
“I learned how leadership must serve the
community and prioritize listening and
- Norma McDonald-Ewing – Conestoga College collaboration,” says Norma, referring to
her time there. But looking to expand her
wheelhouse, she made the leap from public
service to teaching full time a variety of
courses under the continuing education
PHOTOS BY BRIAN RODNICK
42 Winter 2025 www.cambridgechamber.com