Jessie Williams
Biography
Jessie is a citizen of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation). Leaning on the wisdom gained from her lived experience, educational attainment, professional journey, and elder teachings, she has developed a passion for being a relationship holder, a bridge, a connector. The teaching that guides her in this work comes from her language, Nch'u7mut (to be one, to be in unity). Jessie strongly believes in need for people from diverse walks of life to come together for the health and wellbeing of all.
Having obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration, and a Master of Educational Administration and Leadership in Indigenous Education has inspired a meaningful career focused on empowering Indigenous presence, perspectives, and capacity. Jessie spent a decade working in Educational Administration, in k-12 and Post-Secondary contexts, in Indigenous and Non-Indigenous environments. Having previously served as the Director of Indigenous Relations for the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Simon Fraser University, and Manager of Education for her Nation, she comes with extensive experience in building and delivering reconciliation and decolonization efforts. She achieves this by taking great care to develop reciprocal and strategic partnerships with others across multiple sectors and industries. Jessie most recently served as the Director of Business Development and Communications for the New Relationship Trust, an Indigenous non-profit organization dedicated to empowering First Nations in British Columbia. Jessie is currently the Dean, Indigenous Initiatives at Vancouver Community College where she is focused on advancing institution wide Indigenization initiatives, building and strengthening partnerships with Indigenous communities, organizations and stakeholders.
Jessie is also a board of director and vice-chair for the Minerva BC Foundation which provides leadership development programs for women and girls, and partners with organizations to advance gender parity in British Columbia. You’ll often see her as a guest speaker or facilitator focused on equity, diversity, and inclusion from an Indigenous perspective.
“With an open heart and open mind, I warmly welcome this opportunity to uplift the impactful work of the Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women studies."