Keynote Speaker: Corporate Responsibility in Reconciliation with Denise Baxter
About the Event
Please join Denise Baxter, Vice-Provost of Indigenous Initiatives, to learn how to work towards reconciliation in your organization. Participants will explore ways to demonstrate a commitment to Indigenous relations through their leadership actions, employment initiatives and recruiting activities, business development and relationship building with Indigenous businesses, and through their community engagement.
Date: Wednesday, March 8
Time: 7 to 8 p.m.
Location: OA 1022, Simcoe Hall, Lakehead University | 500 University Ave., Orillia
About the Speaker
Denise has served as Vice-Provost of Indigenous Initiatives since 2017. She also teaches in the Department of Indigenous Learning and Department of Continuing Education. Denise is completing her PhD in Equity and Indigenous Education at York University. As an established education leader, Denise has worked in multiple contexts including public school boards, the Ministry of Education, Lakehead University, and First Nations private schools for the past 28 years. Within each of these contexts, she has built capacity and partnerships with multiple community stakeholders. Her work with the community has involved education conferences, workshop presentations, and traditional pedagogy. She currently serves on three services boards in Thunder Bay, as Trustee for Keewatin Patricia DSB and an EDI advisory committee provincially.
A Marten Falls First Nation member, she maintains that preserving and practicing cultural traditions and ceremony keeps her connected to the community, Indigenous cultures, traditions, and protocols. She works to establish networks, strengthen relationships with Indigenous communities and governments, and build capacity between Indigenous, public, and private partners which have supported multiple initiatives that advance educational outcomes for Indigenous students.