Gillian Robinson joined VIU in April 2022 as our Director of Strategic Communications. She oversees internal and external communications and institutional events for the university.
Prior to VIU, Gillian was the Manager of Communications at the Resort Municipality of Whistler. She has worked in several corporate communications roles, from BC Hydro to Metrolinx, Ontario’s transportation agency but began her professional career as a broadcast journalist. She has worked for CKNW, Global National on GlobalTV, CBC News’ The National and CTV News in a variety of roles including reporter, producer, and assignment editor.
We pulled Gillian aside to ask her five questions about her experience and time so far at VIU:
You have worked in many different industries, what brought you to postsecondary education?
When I saw the role advertised, I was really intrigued about VIU’s mandate. I am a first-generation learner, and I grew up in an environment where very few women I knew had careers or a postsecondary education. My family were news addicts though, and I remember watching television anchors such as Doriana Temolo and Deborah Hope on BCTV and thinking to myself that it seemed like a reasonable career. I wasn’t sure at the time what the path to a journalism career looked like though. My one on ramp to postsecondary at the time was Kwantlen College’s music program because it was a space I felt comfortable in. Once I was in postsecondary, the path to the journalism career I wanted became clearer and more accessible. Looking back, I can see just how transformational graduating from university and then BCIT’s Broadcast Journalism program were to the trajectory of my life. (Not to mention that I met my husband while working for Global National!) Because of this, VIU’s open access approach to postsecondary education resonated with me. I strongly believe that postsecondary education is transformational and should be as barrier-free as possible.
What do you enjoy about working in communications?
I spent a good chunk of my journalism career working as an assignment editor, which is a senior role in newsrooms. The assignment editor is one of the first people to arrive in the newsroom, outside of the overnight and morning show people, and it is the role that determines what events and issues reporters will cover that day and how the station will handle breaking news. It’s not unlike being an air traffic controller, with many planes taking off, in the air and landing all at the same time.
When it comes to communications for organizations, you are still the hub of news-sharing and also tasked with responding to crisis situations. As an organization, there is also the additional challenge of ensuring your communications are noticed in an information landscape that is increasingly fragmented by multiple and ever-changing channels.
I like to think that my journalism and past communications experience is a toolbox that I carry around with me. When presented with a communications need or crisis, I can open the toolbox, look at the variety of tools that I have collected and know which are the best suited for this situation, or whether we might need to look at developing a new tool. No two situations are ever the same, so you need to be thoughtful, analytical, and creative all at the same time.
What are you enjoying most about working at VIU?
I really enjoy the diversity of people that I get to work with, and I’m not just saying that because VIU Voices is an employee publication! I appreciate the vast expertise we have on our campuses in every area. It has been exciting to see the VIU Experts List get off the ground and to hear more and more of our faculty being interviewed and sharing their expertise in the media.
It has also been rewarding to lead a department that includes institutional events. DiscoverFest was such a highlight. We had an idea for an event that we hoped would bring hundreds of people to the Nanaimo campus to see the best VIU has to offer but we couldn’t know in advance if it would be successful. The departments and teams put a ton of work into the event, and it paid off in heaps. The most rewarding part for me was seeing how excited the VIU employees who participated were to see so many people from the community come onto our campus, many who had never been here before.
Any interesting stories to share from your journalism days?
I think the most bizarre story was when I worked for the Westerly News in Ucluelet/Tofino. In small towns and you get to know everyone when you are the local reporter. One Sunday afternoon, I got a call from the General Store, who told me that if I headed down to the government dock right away, the Coast Guard would take me out to a boat that had just grounded itself in the Ucluelet Harbour. I headed down, but just missed them. While I was on the phone with the Coast Guard who were then on the scene, they started yelling at the boat’s owner who was pouring diesel all over the boat and trying to light it on fire. Turns out he didn’t have insurance and didn’t want to cover the cost of a salvage. His arson attempt was not successful, and he was arrested. That was front page news for sure.
The most embarrassing story was when I was working in Toronto and was late to cover former Governor General of Canada, Adrienne Clarkson, who was touring a downtown neighbourhood. I jaywalked across the street right in front of a Toronto Police car. The officer turned on his lights and siren, called me over and yelled at me in front of probably five news outlets and the Governor General. Fortunately, I did not get a ticket. I guess he figured the embarrassment was enough.
The only story my teen daughters really care about though is that I met Michael Bublé one summer when I was producing remote broadcasts at the PNE. He was a guest on the show- this was long before he became a household name. They think that is the coolest. He was nice!
How are you finding mid-Island life?
It’s fantastic. I am from the lower mainland and my only recollection of Nanaimo growing up was a short bit by Dave Gerry, a Vancouver broadcaster, who did a piece once called, “Nanaimo: It’s a swinging town!” I don’t remember what exactly was so swinging about Nanaimo in the video but now that I live here, I have to say I completely agree! I love the friendliness of the community, especially how everyone wants to know, “What are you getting up to after this?” and they sincerely do want to know.
We are an outdoorsy family, and the mid-Island suits us perfectly for easy access to our favourite activities: skiing, surfing, and camping. I have lived coast to coast, from Ucluelet to St. John’s, NL and this really is a special place.
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