Giving back as Campaign Chair
Nancy McCain (’82)
Giving back is in Nancy McCain’s DNA.
“I grew up in a family where it was strongly felt that you had to do something, to give back,” she says. “My parents and all of my siblings believe deeply in this ethos. My brother Stephen (’81) is a big supporter of Acadia as is my sister Margie (’77). Many in my family went to Acadia, and that’s one of the main reasons I chose to go there – the family connection.”
“Going to a school like Acadia fosters that sense of community and that desire to be part of something bigger.” McCain’s father attended Acadia as have many other members of her large family including two of her children. “And I suspect that there will be more in the next generation” she adds. “We all had such a great experience; we want to share it.”
“Going to a school like Acadia fosters that sense of community and that desire to be part of something bigger.”
After completing her MA in Arts Administration at New York University, McCain worked at Sotheby’s in London and New York and then at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto. She is past President of the Board of The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery in Toronto and past Board Chair of the Canadian Art Foundation. She now serves as Chair of the Arts Access Fund and as a board member at Soulpepper Theatre Company and the National Gallery of Canada Foundation.
In 2007, she joined Acadia’s Board of Governors. “As a member of the Acadia Board of Governors living in Toronto, I had to put my mind to what I could do to play my role on the board,” she says. “I can’t be in Wolfville all the time, so the question was how to make an impact? I decided to introduce Acadia – what I think is the value and experience of the school – to the schools where my children attend and many others in Ontario. We bring principals, headmasters, headmistresses and heads of guidance to our home to meet with Acadia representatives. We have also worked hard to introduce Acadia to interested students by bringing them together with faculty members and past graduates.”
“The profound personal growth that happens at Acadia is perhaps rarer and more relevant today than ever before.”
For McCain, it seems like only yesterday that she stepped onto Acadia University’s campus as a student. “I was excited, a little anxious, but mostly eager to see what lay ahead. It was a true learning journey in every way – academically and personally,” she says. “Acadia gave me friendships, skills, and insights that are still a big part of my life.”
She is proud to be the Chair of Campaign for Acadia.
“This campaign will be the most ambitious fundraising initiative in Acadia’s storied 180-year history, and I’m delighted to be working closely with the Campaign Cabinet of distinguished Acadia alumni,” she says, reinforcing that everyone is committed to achieving the campaign’s fundraising goal of $75-million.
“This bold initiative will have a transformative impact on our students and Acadia,” McCain says. “The profound personal growth that happens at Acadia is perhaps rarer and more relevant today than ever before.”