Janyne Hodder became Acting President of University of The Bahamas on 1st July 2023, returning to the institution where she began her career in higher education.
Ms. Hodder was President of the former College of The Bahamas from 2006 to 2010.
In 1995, she was the first woman appointed to head a university in Quebec, Canada, when she was named Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Bishop’s University, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, where she served until 2004.
She later served as Vice-Principal, Inter-Institutional Relations at McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada (2004–2006), before returning to The Bahamas.
Previously, she had held senior positions at the Quebec Ministry of Education, including Assistant Deputy Minister for services to the English-speaking community.
She began her career in The Bahamas, at Queen’s College, the Bahamas Teachers’ College and the College of The Bahamas and has permanent residency status in The Bahamas.
A leader in education, higher education, and in public administration, she has effectively led institutions and worked with staff, students, community and volunteer groups, administrative boards, the private sector and governments with a focus on developing a shared vision, establishing performance goals, creating effective management teams and ensuring sound governance.
She has also assumed consultancy mandates with a focus on educational policy, programme evaluation, strategic planning and governance for governments and organisations, primarily in Canada and The Bahamas, but also in Kosovo, South Africa and Malaysia. She has served on numerous boards in the education and not-for-profit sectors.
She is the recipient of a Doctor of Civil Law (honoris causa) 2007 from Bishop’s University, Canada, and was awarded the Queen’s Jubilee Medal in 2002 for service to the community. In April 2023, Bishop’s University named its new student residence Janyne Hodder Hall in recognition of her service.