Adapting with the Evolving Community | David Fransen (BA 1976, MA 1977)
“My first exposure to the University of Waterloo was at Grebel,” reflected David Fransen (BA 1976, MA 1977), encapsulating Conrad Grebel University College’s impact on his life. In fact, David recalled, “the only time I crossed the creek was to go over to Hagey Hall or to the library – it was my initial perspective of the Waterloo campus.” Since graduating, David’s career has taken him to many places and positions beyond Grebel – including to the other side of campus 30 years later – serving as a senior executive in government research and education while working across Canada and the US.
David’s post-secondary education began in 1971, when he began working on a Bachelor of Theology degree at Canadian Mennonite Bible College in Winnipeg. After graduating from CMBC, he and his wife, Barbara, came to Grebel. For the newlyweds (celebrating their 50th anniversary this summer), "this was our first foray into our life together.” At the University of Waterloo, David obtained an Honours BA and MA in History. While not a resident of the College, David expressed gratitude for the way in which Grebel was a very comfortable, nurturing, supportive place to begin life in both an academic and personal context.”
David attributed his enthusiasm for the public service work that was eventually to become his career to time spent with Frank Epp, former professor and president of the College, as both Frank’s research assistant and master’s thesis student. “Frank was working on a history of the Mennonites in Canada and specifically asked me to do research on conscientious objection during the Second World War,” David reflected. “He told me to go out and interview as many people as I could find, and this research project is what opened the door for me to pick that as my MA thesis topic.” These initial interviews, as well as David’s thesis, are still available in Grebel’s library and archives.
Through his investigative thesis, Canadian Mennonites and conscientious objection in World War II, David learned about the actions of Mennonites in Canada during the Second World War, and the various ways in which their commitment to service was manifested. During the interviews and his process of discovery, David learned of leaders who went to Ottawa and said “‘we want to serve, but we want to serve in a way that doesn't force us to undermine our faith – we want to serve in a way that's consistent with it.’” This feeling of obligation and responsibility to the broader Canadian society from a position of foundational faith resonated with David and animated him to “see value in public service and becoming a public servant.”
After finishing his master’s degree, David obtained his PhD in History from the University of Toronto in 1984 and moved to Ottawa with his wife and their two young children so that he could conduct research for his dissertation. He began a concurrent placement at the Department of Finance, “opening the door to a career in federal public service,” where he spent the bulk of his career in many departments and in progressively senior positions. He is appreciative of his studies at Grebel that introduced him to this field of work, stating that "it was my initial exposure to an intellectual framework that said, ‘there’s a whole world of possibility and responsibility that you might want to think about.’”
In 1999, David became the Director General of the Centre for Healthy Human Development at Health Canada, chairing committees and boards responsible for various health programs and strategies. He then returned to Industry Canada as Associate Assistant Deputy Minister in the Spectrum, Information Technologies and Telecommunication Sector and eventually became Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) of the Industry Sector, where he advised and delivered programs associated with Canada’s major economic sectors. David became both ADM of Policy at Industry Canada and the Director of Investment Canada in 2004, the latter of which gave him responsibility for various policies for the Government of Canada. He also chaired many boards and committees over these years, such as the founding Board of Governors of the Council of Canadian Academies, the Board of Directors of the Standards Council of Canada, the Canadian Commercial Corporation, and the Minister’s Expert Panel on Commercialization.
David returned to UWaterloo in 2006 as the first Executive Director of the Institute for Quantum Computing, and as Associate Vice-President (Strategic Relations). He compared his first experience on campus in the seventies to where he was then, in 2006 – on the exact opposite side of the campus. “I mean, we were in a building literally on the other side of the tracks,” he stated. David further explained, “I saw a whole part of the campus I had never seen before, and in a way, it represented the evolution of my career – from arts and history to public policy, science and technology.”
In 2008, David was appointed Canada’s Consul General in Los Angeles, where he promoted business connections in different economic sectors and facilitated university research collaborations between Canada and the US. After retiring from his extended term in 2014, he and his wife returned to Waterloo, where he started consulting. He also participated on various boards, and remains on one, as chair of the Waterloo Economic Development Corporation.
Now retired, David claims that in addition to his nine grandchildren, "hockey is my passion.” “I play three times a week and have two grandsons who play in Toronto – I spend a lot of time going there to watch hockey games.” David feels “incredibly blessed” by his family, spending time with his two children and nine grandchildren. The ages of his grandchildren range from two to sixteen, and David explained, “we’re experiencing life again – it’s so much fun watching them, being part of the lives of young people growing up, being part of those stages of development. We couldn’t ask for a better circumstance.”
Echoing the sentiments of many other alumni, David suggested that students today should value the diversity at Grebel and “embrace it – use it to understand worlds and people that are different from you, and the one you come from, because it will make you a better, stronger person.” David remembered how he felt during his time as a student and advised, "don't be overly critical of your uncertainty as to who you want to become – life is going to be full of changes, and don't be frightened by them.” David’s fulfilling career exemplifies how there is “a lot to be gained by embracing the uncertainty.”
By Natasha Forth
David Fransen (BA 1976, MA 1977) has more than three decades of leadership and advisory experience. He has spent a rewarding career in public, private, and academic sectors, working in various technological and economic fields. Grebel was a beginning point for David’s academic and personal life, as he connected there shortly after marrying while he earned his BA and MA degrees. Today, he lives in Waterloo with his wife, Barbara, and enjoys playing hockey and visiting his two children and their families.
David's story is part of Grebel's 60 Stories for 60 Years project. Check out our 60 Stories page for more articles in this series. If you would like to nominate a Grebel alumnus to share about their experiences at Grebel, please submit a nomination form.