In 2023, NAIT spent $25,300 to soundproof the private washroom of President and CEO Laura Jo Gunter and adjoining hallway, according to documents obtained by the Nugget through a May 2025 Freedom of Information request. The documents also showed that NAIT’s procurement procedures were not followed when completing the job.
NAIT’s executive offices and the President’s private washroom are located on the seventh floor of the T-building; the entire floor was converted to executive offices in 2019. In 2023, renovations were done to address what NAIT called “deficiencies from the original renovation.” The renovations included turning a former meeting room into a new office and improvements made to “enhance the sound barrier between the washroom and surrounding areas,” NAIT said in an email in December 2024. “This includes the washroom in the President’s office, the corridor between the washroom and meeting room, and in the meeting room.”
On Aug. 20 of this year, NAIT stated through email that sound travel between the renovated areas “posed a concern for the confidentiality of discussions, including in-camera sessions during Board meetings,” and the renovation was to “fix sound travelling in both directions between the conference room and the adjacent bathroom/office.”
NAITSA President Lilly Houcher questioned the necessity of the renovation. “It is difficult to fault NAIT’s President for correcting something that should have been done properly in the first place well before she arrived. However, it is unfortunate that this work had to be done at a time when NAIT can ill afford such expenditures,” she said via email.
The total renovation cost was approximately $29,000, with the “washroom deficiencies costing $25,300.” NAIT declined the Nugget’s request for an interview, instead providing information and a statement via email.
Repair and maintenance projects are “expected to be sourced and managed through the Facilities Management and Development department to ensure compliance with procurement protocols,” NAIT confirmed in an email.
Procurement process sidestepped
Instead of going through NAIT’s FMD department, records show this project was received and approved by two former NAIT staff: Michael Haworth (former Chief of Staff and Director of Strategy) and Nazim Merali (former VP Administration and Chief Financial Officer).
A third former staff member, Board and Executive Coordinator Natasha Ludwig, was included in the email communications with the contractor but was not involved in the project further, according to the records provided.
Haworth and Merali received the contractor’s quote at 1:23 p.m. and approved it less than four hours later, at 5:04 p.m.
According to LinkedIn profile information, Haworth and Ludwig were no longer working at NAIT as of January 2024. Merali was no longer working at NAIT as of November 2024.
The Nugget reached out to all three for comment; Haworth and Ludwig declined to comment and Merali did not respond to our request.
“It is difficult to fault NAIT’s President for correcting something that should have been done properly in the first place well before she arrived. However, it is unfortunate that this work had to be done at a time when NAIT can ill afford such expenditures,” Lilly Houcher, NAITSA’s President, said via email.
For an office or space renovation, NAIT said staff complete and submit an intake form, then the project is reviewed and approved “through the annual budget process including an extensive evaluation of the project need and priority.”
Procurement begins when the budget is approved; this includes “issuing competitive procurement bids or using requests for quotes to prequalified contractors.”
For construction related projects between $20,001 and $75,000, NAIT works with prequalified suppliers “chosen through an open competitive process that evaluates factors such as experience, quality, and value.”
NAIT also said that for construction projects up to $30,000, they reserve the right to “negotiate directly with a single pre-qualified contractor or issue Requests for Quotation (RFQ) to contractors on its pre-qualified list.”
New VP outlines reinforced practices
In a statement provided to the Nugget in May 2025, current VP Administration and Chief Financial Officer Mike High confirmed that “not all procurement processes were followed.” High joined NAIT in January 2025.
“While we cannot speak to the rationale behind previous decisions, we have reinforced processes to ensure that this does not happen again,” he said.
High stated these reinforced processes include “affirmed expectations around procurement and repair practices, with an emphasis on routing all work through NAIT’s Facilities Management and Development department,” “ensuring the Accounts Payable Team requires a signed contract before processing invoices related to contract work” and incorporating “additional controls that will strengthen process integrity.”
Timeline of Project
July 12, 1:23 p.m.
Seagate Contract Management Ltd. sent Haworth and Merali a quote listing two projects; one for $6,600 and one for $18,700. Both projects involved improving the sound barrier between Gunter’s private washroom and surrounding areas. This was the only quote received for this project.
July 12, 1:55 p.m.
Haworth said the quote “looks to be just great” and asked what was needed to get started. He mentions there is not a lot of time for the project, saying, “Whatever you need, we will make it happen.” Merali was CC’d on the email, with Haworth mentioning to Merali that Gunter was informed of the project proceeding.
July 12, 3:09 p.m.
The Seagate employee, whose name was redacted for privacy, asked Haworth if both scopes of work were approved and said they can set up a “site kick off meeting for Monday and let Laura [Jo Gunter] know.”
July 12, 4:33 p.m.
Merali said, “Yes I believe we are going ahead with both scopes?!!”
July 12, 5:04 p.m.
Haworth agreed, saying, “Agreed. Let’s just get ‘er done.”
July 31
An invoice for “work completed to date” was billed to NAIT President’s Office. No signed contract was included in the documents received. The work included installing R22 insulation above the ceiling, caulking corners, adding door sweeps and adding sound detaining drywall to corridor and boardroom walls.
Aug. 31
Invoices for “work completed to date” and “Holdback as per Progress Claims” were billed to NAIT President’s Office.
