Establishing Organizations.

Setting Up a Self Government

After working in progressively responsible roles on the team that negotiated the Deline Self Government Agreement, as Implementation Director, Stephanie led the technical establishment of the Deline Got’ine Government during the 18 months after the Agreement’s successful ratification. She led a team of community based organization leads and a group of outside technical experts to plan and execute the self government’s establishment.

Supported by strong community based political and organizational leadership, the role required internal planning and implementing technical requirements associated with combining the legal authorities of existing organizations with new self government powers as articulated in the provisions of the self government agreement and the Implementation Plan. Read more here.

Creating a Health Research Support Organization

Stephanie was recruited by executives representing the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Tlicho Government, and Government of the Northwest Territories to work with them to conceptualize, secure funding for, and establish the NWT’s SPOR SUPPORT Unit, Hotii ts’eeda. Funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and hosted by the Tlicho Government, the unit’s goal is to support improved health outcomes for residents by promoting NWT health research and capacity development that will strengthen health policy and primary care, with an emphasis on the health of Indigenous people.

Stephanie brought her in-depth understanding of NWT Indigenous governments and modern treaties, well-established academic credentials and record of achievement, and deep relationships with communities across the NWT, to help convene and facilitate a vision of a partner-centred, Indigenous-focused unit that is responsive to NWT realities and community priorities. Now in its tenth year of operation, after securing partner commitment through facilitating a shared vision, Stephanie led a team that established its functional and organizational design and set-up, and for the first five years led the day to day operation and administration of the unit as its founding Scientific Director. This role then evolved into that of Scientific Lead as she stepped back from operations while continuing to lead strategic and policy direction.