Why Bo Derek is coming to work at Sault College

When Ottawa-based Sound Venture Productions needed a Bo Derek lookalike for a 1999 classical music program featuring Maurice Ravel's Bolero, they hired Nadine Robinson (shown) to play the part.

Today, insiders at Sault College believe they've scored a '10' by hiring Robinson as their new director of communications.

The college's newest hire will move to Sault Ste. Marie from Ottawa to start her new duties on September 8.

Robinson (whose more recent photos suggest she's no longer into the cornrow-braids thing) will be heading a newly organized department in the office of President Tim Meyer, working alongside people like Randy Gaetano and Tanya Running.

And she's superbly qualifed for the job.

After all, she was Preston Manning's executive assistant in the 1999 Gemini-nominated CanWest/Global Movie of the Week Justice.

Okay, Robinson does have actually some heavyweight credentials aside from her short-lived professional acting career.

She has a an International MBA from University of Ottawa (1997 - highest honours, awards for marketing and business plan development) and Bachelor of Commerce degree from Carleton University (1995 - highest honours, senate medal for academic achievement, dean's honour list).

Robinson's curriculum vitae shows that she's currently working as manager of communications and public affairs for the Institute for Connectivity in the Americas, an Ottawa-based crown corporation that hatched from the 2001 Summit of the Americas.

It "strives to create a true hemispheric community by connecting the citizens of the Americas and promoting hemispheric integration through innovative uses of information and communication technologies."

Other positions held over past decade:

Webhancer Corp. Ottawa, Canada Business Development and Product Manager Manager of Sales Operations

Corel Corp. Ottawa, Canada Manager of Internet Sales,

Canadian Embassy Mexico DF. Mexico Internet Specialist - web marketing, training and documentation

Systems Xcellence Inc. Buenos Aires, Argentima Project Manager - Argentina healthcare software project Newbridge Networks Corp. Ottawa, Canada Marketing Analyst - AP intranet project

Deloitte & Touche Ottawa, Canada Accountant

Completely gratuitous personal factoids

- attended the 1999 Academy Awards for reasons that aren't entirely clear, but had absolutely nothing to do with her bit parts on television

- has achieved her PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Certification

- speaks "fluent" English, "advanced" French and Spanish

- also gets by in something she calls "travel" Italian

- has travelled extensively in Nepal, Tibet and India

- practises yoga

- claims to know one magic trick

- nobody seems to know what it is