NSCAD University is pleased to announce the appointment of Dan Harroun as its new Associate Vice-President of Operations. Harroun will begin his work on April 2, 2024, and he will be integral to the facilitation of NSCAD’s planned consolidation at the Port Campus in 2030.
Harroun joins NSCAD with a rich background in engineering and project management and brings more than two decades of operational experience to the position.
“I was really inspired by NSCAD’s mission statement: Informed by the past, engaged by the present, looking to the future, and guided by the intention to make positive change,” he says. “This vision for NSCAD really resonated with me, and I can’t wait to contribute to its legacy.”
Before NSCAD, Harroun worked with the Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE) where he was responsible for the operation and maintenance of the HRCE site and buildings. His role involved liaising with regional and municipal authorities like Health Canada, Halifax Fire and the Halifax Water Commission to ensure the safe and efficient operations of schools across the city.
Prior to that, he was the Senior Project Manager for Wood Environmental and Infrastructure, where he facilitated the design, construction, and tendering of building and municipal projects. His most memorable experience was a 16-year stint at Hershey Canada, where he managed the engineering operations of the Moir’s Chocolate Plant; facilitating robotic packaging and manufacturing projects, reducing utilities costs by four percent and maintenance expenses by six percent.
“My family best described my role as a chocolate engineer and it was my sweetest job,” says Harroun. “My role started as a plant engineer, supporting operations, and grew to become a member of the leadership team as engineering manager, managing facility operations and the capital program.”
Harroun has also worked with the Municipality of East Hants, Ainsworth Inc., SNC-Lavalin Operations and Maintenance, and Eaton’s Crouse-Hinds. Harroun has a Bachelor of Engineering (Industrial Engineering) and a Bachelor of Science (Mathematics) from Dalhousie University.
NSCAD President Peggy Shannon says she is thrilled to bring Harroun’s extensive experience to the team, especially with the preparations to move the university to a new campus.
“Dan’s experience as an engineer, managing both operations and major capital projects, will be hugely important as we prepare for our consolidation into a new campus in 2030 and undertake renovations to our existing Port Campus,” she says. “His arrival into the AVP Operations role is very welcome and we look forward to working with him.”