Lovisa leaving local college campus

Fort Frances campus of Confederation College will be saying goodbye to its long-time manager this summer, but Don Lovisa won’t be going to far.
Lovisa will be accepting a position as director of the School of Access and Literacy in Thunder Bay, which will include overseeing all the college’s regional campuses as well as the distance education and continuing education programs.
He will be moving there in August.
“I’m very excited. It is a brand new portfolio at the college and it is a senior level position,” he said Friday. “It’s a big change but it will be a welcome change.”
Lovisa only found out he had the job last week. He told his staff at the Fort Frances campus immediately.
“They were the first to know,” he noted. “They were very excited for me but also a little anxious themselves. Change always causes people to be a bit anxious.”
Lovisa originally came to Confederation College by working with the Northwest Enterprise Centre. He was a business advisor for the college for three years and eventually rose to manager of the local campus—a position he’s held for the last 10 years.
Reflecting on his 14 years at the campus here, Lovisa said he is proud of many changes.
“This beautiful campus,” he said, thinking back to life before moving into the multi-use complex that also house Fort Frances High School and the Townshend Theatre.
“And the relationship with the community and the way the community supports the college,” he noted. “It’s been a great success here in Fort Frances with things like the ‘practice firm’ and it’s all because of the wonderful people here.”
Bev Johnson, sports services officer at the local campus, said Lovisa will be greatly missed.
“It’s been great working with him, it’s been a wonderful 15 years. You work with him, not for him,” she stressed.
“I’ll miss his sense of humour and easy-going manner. He’s a great guy to work with. He never gets angry,” Johnson remarked. “He’s always easy-going and upbeat and optimistic.”
“In a sense, he will still be the boss. We just won’t get to see him every day,” she added.
There’s still no word on who will replace Lovisa as manager of the Fort Frances campus.
“It will be one of my first responsibilities. I’m going in next week to talk with the [human resources] department,” Lovisa said.
Still, he admitted it will be hard to leave Fort Frances for a new challenge.
“I’m a local boy so I’m going to miss my family and friends here. It’s the people component, the people and relationships that I will miss, but I’m not going to be that far away,” he reasoned.
“There will be an opportunity to come back into the community and work with my colleagues.”