The Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Richard Girard will assume the role of Executive Director of the Polaris Institute effective April 15, 2013. He succeeds Tony Clarke who founded Polaris in 1997 and has served as Executive Director for the past 15 years.

Richard Girard joined the staff of the Polaris Institute in 2003 as a researcher and went on to become research coordinator and then research and communications coordinator. During the past 10 years, he has played a key role in developing Polaris’ corporate profiles along with several major studies and reports. Richard has also participated in building national and international coalitions and partnerships and regularly represents the Institute at international events. Richard holds a Master’s degree in political economy from Carleton University and is fluent in English, French and Spanish.

As founder of Polaris, Tony Clarke will carry on for the foreseeable future as President of the Institute’s Board of Directors and will continue to play the lead role for Polaris on certain special projects.