Phil Ashman grew up in Nigeria while attending school in England. He moved to Canada in 1986 to complete his education and holds a Master of Science in IT Network Infrastructure and Design, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering. Phil spent 8 years working in Information Technology at the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg followed by the University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George. In 2002 he joined Okanagan College as a professor in the newly created department of Network and Telecommunications Engineering Technologies. He spent eight years in an instructional role before moving on to become department chair. In 2013 he became the Associate Dean of Science, Technology and Health and has served as the Regional Dean for the Central Okanagan since 2017. Phil is a director on numerous boards and works actively with employers and community partners to generate learning and employment opportunities for students throughout the Okanagan. One of the departments Phil helped bring to the College was the Animation Diploma program, currently taught out of the Centre for Innovation in downtown Kelowna, which inspired him to learn more about Fine Arts and join ArtsCO. Although his career has been focused on technology, he is a curious lifelong learner and excited to become more connected with the creative community of the Okanagan.