Smith alumni elected to University Council

Kingston, Ont. – Five alumni of Smith School of Business have been elected to the University Council of Queen’s.

Queen’s University alumni elected 10 new representatives to the council during an online vote in June. The University Council is one of three governing bodies at Queen’s. Members act as key ambassadors of the university, as well as advisers to the university’s two other governing bodies – the Senate and Board of Trustees – on matters affecting the well-being and prosperity of the university.

Seventy-two candidates expressed interest serving terms on the council.

The successful Smith candidates elected to council are: 

• Richard Baugh, MBA’14. Since graduating from Smith, Baugh has participated as a guest speaker at events hosted by clubs and associations at Queen’s. As a member of the University Council, Baugh says he hopes “to bring forward ideas and initiatives to the university in a more formal, structured manner that can hopefully enhance the student body, the reputation of the school and strengthen the Queen’s brand as one of inclusion.” Baugh is senior manager, investments at Reserve Properties. 

• Abdul-Aziz Garuba, AMBA’12. Garuba is director, cost transformation at RBC Capital Markets. He is also an advisory board member of the Queen’s Black Alumni Chapter, president emeritus of the Association of Urban Financial Professionals and host of the Made To Lead podcast. He wants to use his role on the council “to continue to promote diversity and inclusion within the university, with a particular focus on attracting more black students to all programs at Queen’s as well as increasing the number of black faculty and administration staff.” He also wants to drive exposure of the university among international African students and professionals. 

• Kasmet Niyongabo, EMBA’20. Bursaries helped Niyongabo obtain his engineering degree at Queen’s. Today, as donors to the university, he and his wife help ensure others have the opportunity to enjoy the Queen’s experience. Niyongabo, who is manager, integrated planning and dynamic scheduling at Nutrien, says he understands the struggle that some students go through to obtain their degrees and that he wants “to make sure that those students, and any other student attending Queen’s, are given a chance to reach their true potential.”

• Precious Nyarko-Antwi, MIB’18. A fascination with cultural diversity spurred Nyarko-Antwi to pursue her education in four different countries. These experiences gave her the opportunity to interact with people from different cultural backgrounds and appreciate the beauty of what it means to be a global citizen. She believes that promoting a culturally diverse environment is imperative. As a member of the University Council, she hopes to “create a platform that bridges the gap between such diverse environments and that of the university’s community.” Nyarko-Antwi is a customer experience associate at TD. 

• Kofi Adow, EMBAA’17.  As a strategy and operations consultant, Adow conducts complex analyses to address performance barriers and chart a path forward to realize benefits. On the University Council, he hopes to use his experience “to help grow our financial standing through local partnerships, quality, relevant thought leadership, and high alumni engagement. I am optimistic that we can make a difference for our students and alumni through strong advocacy of our value proposition.” Adow is currently executive consultant, organizational development and change management at Plaster Group, LLC.