Jolene Bursey - President  

Jolene has dedicated over 23 years of philanthropic service to the communities she has resided in, many which involve children and elderly issues. She has an undeniable passion for her community and her Inuit heritage.  Jolene is President of Nattiq, a company that provides Information Technology and Information Management consultants to both the public and private sector. Previously, Jolene has worked in public affairs and in the area of international trade and Standards. Raised in a remote village on the Lower North Shore of Québec, as a young teen she left the village to further her education, which included studies in France and then to Ottawa where she earned a degree in international trade. She is a Certified International Trade Professional (CITP) and member of the Forum for International Trade Training. In addition to being President of the Ottawa Inuit Children’s Centre Board she sits on a number of community development organizations. Jolene and her husband Rob have three children. She shares with them her enthusiasm for history, art, culture & the outdoors, especially in the winter!
 
Jessica Tomic-Black- Vice-President

Jessica has been working at Larga Baffin for over 6 years now.  She enjoys meeting the many people that come down from Baffin Island.  Jessica's father's family is originally from Kuujjuarapik, QC.  Before working at Larga Baffin, Jessica completed the Inuit Art Foundation's Cultural Industries Training Program before going to Carleton University to get her Undergraduate degree in Art History.  She also completed the Aboriginal Training Programme in Museum Practices at the Canadian Museum of Civilization.  Jessica has been on the OICC's Board of Directors for one year.  Jessica's daughter - Emma - is in the Head Start Program and has been enjoying her time at "school" with her friends.

Connie Johnson- Secretary

Connie was born in Nova Scotia and moved to Ontario as a teenager where she completed high school and graduated from a private business college in Kingston.   After living in many parts of Canada and Europe as a military wife, Connie settled in Ottawa in 1974.  Connie is a mother of three children and grandmother to three.  She is raising her Inuk granddaughter who attends the Youth Program at OICC.    In 2003 Connie retired from the regular work force after many years spent in Administration and Human Resources for a high tech company.  Shortly after that she started volunteering at the Inuit Head Start School where her granddaughter attended.  When the Parent Council of the Head Start incorporated in 2005, Connie volunteered her services as a Board member.

Richard Budgell- Treasurer  

Richard has lived in Ottawa since 1988.  He grew up in Labrador and is a beneficiary of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement.  He has worked for the federal government since coming to Ottawa.  From 1994 to 2003 he was the national program manager of the Aboriginal Head Start in Urban and Northern Communities program, through which Sivummut Head Start receives funding and support.  In 2002 he received the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal, for exceptional public service.  He is deeply committed to improving the lives of Inuit children and families in Ottawa.  He currently works as a director in the Treaties and Aboriginal Government sector of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.

Maatalii Okalik-Syed- Director

Maatalii Okalik-Syed is originally from Pannituuq, Nunavut and has resided in the Ottawa area for seventeen years. She is currently a student at Carleton University pursuing her honours degree in Human Rights and Political Science with a minor in Aboriginal studies. An active member in the Inuit community, Maatalii has worked with Inuit youth for the past six years, has given numerous presentations for conferences and other academic gatherings, and participates in many community initiatives. At the municipal level, she assisted in the creation of the Equity and Inclusion Lens for the city of Ottawa to ensure that the City’s policy creation and monitoring reflects Inuit’s values, needs, and voices. Guiding her decisions and actions by Inuit Societal Values based on Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, traditional Inuit knowledge, Maatalii dedicates her education and community work to identify gaps and solutions to community and social betterment for Inuit in Ottawa and across Canada.

Teevi Mackay - Director

Teevi was born in Arctic Bay and grew up in Iqaluit, Nunavut. Teevi is currently enrolled at Carleton University and recently graduated from the Nunavut Sivuniksavut Training Program. Teevi has worked with the Government of Nunavut and has also worked with the Inuit Relations Secretariat, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.
Teevi's daughter Isabelle attends the Head Start Program. Isabelle thoroughly enjoys the Head Start Program, especially singing Inuktitut songs and taking care of the pet rabbit.  Her daughter will graduate in June 2011.
 
Yvonne Hakitnak Niego-Akavak - Director
 
Yvonne grew up mostly in the arctic in the remote and isolated community of Baker Lake Nunavut. She was recruited from there, first as an RCMP summer student and matron and soon joined in 1991 as a regular member of the RCMP. She has served in her home community several times, as well as Iqaluit, and Yellowknife, NWT. During some leave she took to raise her three children, Yvonne also worked at the territorial and municipal levels of government in a variety of roles - teaching, recreation, consumer affairs, and finance – mainly in Baker Lake and Kimmirut.  Since moving to RCMP headquarters in Ottawa in 2005, Yvonne has worked in National Aboriginal policy, National Security Threat Assessment, and is currently working in the Canadian Police Information Centre, which is a national police service.  She now has 18 years of policing experience, proudly serving, among others, the same population that she grew out from.  It is her experience moving south that urges her to strive to help other Inuit cope and adjust to the urban lifestyle, so that children and families can healthily enjoy what the city has to offer as she and her family continue to do.

Andrea Carter- Director

Andrea is originally from Gjoa Haven and moved to Ottawa in 2001 with her son Paulo, to take the Nunavut Sivuniksavut Program and decided to stay for more opportunities here in Ottawa after she graduated in 2002.She has a wonderful common-law partner Andre, and they have 2 girls and 1 boy. Both of her older children attended the Inuit Head Start and her youngest attends the Tumiralaat Inuit Child Care Centre. Her previous board experiences were involved with youth committees in the Kitikmeot region. She was also president for her local youth committee until she came down to Ottawa. Andrea was also the first youth to sit on Gjoa Haven’s Hamlet Council but resigned to come to Ottawa. Andrea enjoys most of all spending time with her kids, as they all enjoy the outdoors. During the summer the family does a lot of camping and fishing. She enjoys meeting people and travelling. Andrea likes to experience new things and take advantage of what is out there.

Reepa Evic –Carleton- Ex- Officio

Reepa Evic-Carleton is an Inuk woman originating from Pangnirtung, Nunavut. She has been working as a trauma and addiction therapist at Tungasuuvingat Inuit. She is strongly committed to helping fellow Inuit develop healthier lifestyles by ending dependency on drugs and alcohol and recover from the effects of substances and trauma.  Reepa is often called upon for her traditional knowledge, especially lighting the qulliq, a traditional stone lamp for opening meetings.  

Jennifer Woods- Ex-Officio

Jennifer Woods is the proud adoptive mother of Micah, her Inuit son who comes from Pangnirtung, Nunavut.  In the interests of learning about and retaining the Inuit culture for her son, she and Micah have participated in the Sivummut Head Start program for the last four years.  Jennifer has volunteered as a parent, and now as a Board Member of the Ottawa Inuit Children’s' Centre.  She is a manager in the federal government in the field of Information Management, and lives in Ottawa.