Dean MacInnis is honoured to serve as the 45th President of the Canadian Association of Principals (CAP), bringing more than 30 years of experience in education—and over two decades in school leadership—to this national role. He is privileged to be the Principal of École Sir John Franklin High School, located on Treaty 8 Chief Drygeese Territory in the Akaitcho region, the traditional territory of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Dean has spent his entire educational career with Yellowknife Education District No. 1, shaping a deep commitment to community and public education in the North.

He holds a Bachelor of Education from St. Francis Xavier University and a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of New Brunswick. His contributions to northern education were recognized in 2015 when he was inducted into the NWT Education Hall of Fame.

Dr. Couros is an internationally recognized leader, innovator, and speaker who has given hundreds of keynotes and workshops around the globe on diverse topics such as open education, networked learning, digital citizenship, and critical media literacy. He is also a passionate advocate of openness in education and demonstrates this commitment through his open access publications, considerable digital presence and contributions, and highly successful MOOCs and open boundary courses. Dr. Couros has received numerous awards for innovation in teaching and learning.