Conestoga College’s board of directors says it has taken the first steps in the search for a new president and CEO. It will be the school’s first leadership change in nearly 40 years as John Tibbits has been at the helm of the college since 1987. In an internal notice to staff, the board indicated it is looking for a firm to help with recruitment efforts. Qualified organizations are asked to submit proposals by Sept. 25. The message also said the goal is to have a new president and CEO appointed in March 2026. Tibbits’ tenure saw significant growth at the college, but also tumult and criticism. “I think it’s time for a change,” Leopold Koff, president of OPSEU Local 237, which represents various faculty, counsellors and librarians at the college, said. “It’s not that the accomplishments of the current president have been all bad. There have been some great things done and accomplished, and we recognize and acknowledge that. But I think it’s time now, after this amount of time, that a change of position, the change of perspective, is due.” Under Tibbits’ leadership, the college’s enrolment numbers soared, largely due to international students. But the growth came with criticism that it happened too fast and the community wasn’t able to support so many students. Housing shortages, for example, were highlighted when a regional councillor met a student who came to Kitchener from India and was living in a house with 13 people. Since the introduction of international student caps by the federal government, Conestoga College has seen its enrolment numbers drop. Subsequently there have been layoffs and program cuts, including some changes just as the latest semester started. “Students came to orientation and were told, ‘Guess what? Your program is suspended.’ And faculty also expecting to start teaching, that they prepared to start teaching, ‘Oh, you’re not teaching,’” Koff said. Tibbits also made headlines in 2024 when he used colourful language in a spat with Sault College’s president. It led to a defamation lawsuit and calls for Tibbits to retire. Koff said the layoffs and other scandals have all been felt by those who work at the college. “The last year has been extremely challenging.” At the same time, Tibbits’ salary has climbed. According to the Ontario Sunshine List, Tibbits’ salary in 2024 was $636,106.70 – a significant jump from 2023, when he made $494,716.07. In March 2025, the Board of Governors announced Tibbits’ contract had been extended until the end of 2026, while noting they were planning a path for succession. “As a presidential search is a complex undertaking, succession planning has been underway for some time,” a Conestoga College representative wrote in an email to CTV News on Monday. “Today’s message to employees about the request for proposals for a recruitment service to support the President & CEO search is the next step. Once a search firm is engaged, the firm must identify, engage and evaluate potential candidates. As we progress further along, the college will be in a better position to provide greater clarity on the stages and timelines. The Board of Governors and the President are committed to ensuring a proper and seamless transition, however long the succession process might take. This is in line with the Board of Governors’ succession roadmap to ensure the college is able to continue to serve our communities.” As for Koff, he is unconvinced a new president will be selected by March. “These kinds of things don’t always go exactly to timescale or schedule. So that date of March may or may not come to pass.”
