As vice-president of Indigenous Partnerships, Leslie guides the portfolio in supporting the creation of safer spaces for care through trusting relationships with Indigenous Peoples in the Interior region.
Leslie is a committed First Nations social justice advocate with over 30 years’ experience working with and for Indigenous Peoples. Known for her innovative solutions, she specializes in Indigenous-specific leadership and capacity development approaches that bring long-lasting, progressive and actionable change, resulting in improved social and health outcomes for Indigenous Peoples.
Inspired by her own experiences as an MBA student, as the former executive director of the British Columbia Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres (BCAAFC), Leslie worked with the University of Victoria’s Gustavson School of Business to develop a Masters Degree in Business Administration – Advancing Reconciliation to further advance reconciliation-focused leadership within the not-for-profit social services sector.
As the first Indigenous director of the Provincial Health Services Authority, she led the development of San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety, a cutting edge decolonizing anti-racism training for B.C. health authority personnel. The introductory curricula has trained over 100,000 Canadians.
As the Chair of Central City Foundation (CCF), Vancouver’s oldest foundation, Leslie leads in advancing truth, justice and reconciliation. She is working towards redeveloping CCF properties to focus on housing for Indigenous women, and to advance land back of property titled to Central City to the original land keepers.
Leslie’s Nisga’a formal name is T’en De-entkwill Allugigat, which translates to “Servant Leader for Indigenous Peoples.” She belongs to a Gisk’aast (Killer Whale) house within the Nisga’a Nation, through her mother’s line, and identifies as a Nisga’a Nation member and Canadian.
