About The Royal Canadian Geographical Society
About Our President
Established in 1929, the Society has evolved to make Canada better known to Canadians and to the world.
Photo: David Barbour
As The Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS) marks
its 75th anniversary this year, it is also marking another
important milestone by appointing Gisèle Jacob
as its first female president.
“My greatest challenge will be launching the
Society into another 75 years,” says Jacob, a
former public servant who has been a Society governor
since 1994.
Now retired, Jacob held senior-management positions
at the Canadian Human Rights Commission and Environment
Canada. She was also vicepresident of public affairs
for The Mining Association of Canada and was appointed
chair of the Geographical Names Board of Canada in 1999.
Her work at the Society includes a six-year stint as
vice-president, along with positions on the awards,
lectures and géographica committees, among others.
She says geography is of interest to Canadians who
want to know what’s happening both within and
outside their borders, and she believes the work of
the RCGS in explaining the country to its population
is important.
“The Society has a vital role to play in promoting
geographic education,” says Jacob, “and
in helping Canadians of all ages understand their place
in the world.”
— Jacques Krzepkowski
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