OUR CHILDREN OUR WAY - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Executive Director of Métis Family Services Adam
Adam Calvert is the Executive Director of Métis Family Services Adam has worked for over 20 years in public and social services primarily with Indigenous children, families and communities on the unceded territories of the Syilx, Ktunaxa, Secwepemc, Lhtako Dene, Lheidli T'enneh and Coast Salish. He holds a Masters of Social Work Degree from UNBC.
Job Titles:
- Policy Advisor
- Policy Analyst
Cheryl Williams is Gitxan and serves as the Executive Director of Gitxsan Child & Family Services Society. Over the past 7 years as Executive Director Cheryl has grown the organization to assume a much larger role in design and delivery of culturally appropriate programs and services.
Cheryl holds both a Bachelor and Masters Degree in Social Work.
Job Titles:
- Elder - Advisor
- Member of the Tseshaht First Nation and a Recipient of the Order of British Columbia
Debra has made significant contributions and continues to direct her positive energies as a committed, responsible, and strong leader with over 30 years' experience working with and advocating for the health and wellbeing of First Nations peoples.
A member of the Tseshaht First Nation and a recipient of the Order of British Columbia, Debra Foxcroft is the daughter of Jeanette Gallic and the late James Gallic, and granddaughter of the late Jessie Gallic (nee, Campbell) and Je (Jimmy) Gallic. She is also a sister, auntie, mother and grandmother; a proud and strong Tseshaht women who approaches her work with honesty, integrity and strong values.
Judy Wilson formerly served as Kukpi7 (Chief) of the Neskonlith Indian Band since 2007 and as a Council member for eight years prior. Over those 25 years she has gained knowledge, experience and an extensive background in First Nations land rights/specific claims, human rights, children & family jurisdiction, emergency management and supports a wide range of issues including MMIWG2S, climate action, justice reform, environmental & animal rights etc.
Kayla (center) with her gran, Alice (left) and grandpa, Gus (right)
Job Titles:
- Director of Ayás Méńmen Child & Family Services Department
Kelley is the Director of Ayás Méńmen Child & Family Services Department where she leads over 70 staff to fulfil the mandate to provide proactive prevention and education strategies to Nation families; negotiate family service, voluntary care and special need agreements with families in need; provide guardianship services to children in care; and to represent Squamish interests.
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Management Consultant ( Project Management and Strategic Planning )
Mary is Gitk'san and Carrier from Takla Lake First Nation, and is a proud member of the Luxgaboo Wolf Clan. She is the Executive Director of Child and Family Services at Carrier Sekani Family Services (CSFS) where she oversees the provincially delegated programs, youth services, family preservation, maternal child health, and the Highway of Tears Initiative, as well as violence prevention programs.
Mary holds the Hereditary Chiefs name Maaxswxw Gibuu (White Wolf). She has been raised to live her culture, customs, laws and traditions. Mary has long espoused that in order for nations to be revitalized; nations have to heal from the atrocities that occurred through colonization. She maintains that all services, programs and initiatives developed to benefit First Nations have to be built on a cultural foundation.
Mary holds an Executive MBA, Indigenous Business and Leadership from Simon Fraser University and received the Dean's Convocation Medal for being in top five percent in her class. Mary is Chair of the Directors Forum.
She is a relentless advocate for human, Indigenous, and women's rights and has served on various provincial, national, and international committees. She represents BC on the Board of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada and has acted as a Steering Committee member of the First Nation Early Childhood development Council. She has been a member of the Provincial Ministers Advisory Council on Aboriginal Women, and works tirelessly to inform people about the Missing and Murdered Indigenous women in Canada.
Job Titles:
- Administration & Communications
Michelle (right) with her Mother Misty Morningstar (left)
William Yoachim - Sqwulutsutun - is the son of the late Ivy Wyse, and grandson to Eva and Alfred Wyse. Bill completed his BSW at the University of Victoria and has worked in Indigenous Child and Family Services since 1998. A proud member of Snuneymuxw First Nation in Nanaimo, he has served as Executive Director of Kw'umut Lelum since 2008.
His early career in youth outreach and social work, along with the snuw'uy'ulh imparted on him by his family and community, gave Bill the foundation to lead the agency through expanded levels of delegation, to provide the full range of services mandated by the Child, Family and Community Service Act to all of its nine Member Nations.
Bill is exceedingly proud of the culturally-informed and compassionate services offered by Kw'umut Lelum's 85+ staff. Coast Salish teachings and values guide every aspect of practice, but the guiding principle of the organization is nutsumaat shqwaluwun - together with one heart and one mind.
Under Bill's leadership, the agency's unique approach has resulted in significant decreases in the number of children coming into care, and their focus on family unity means that many of their children and youth remain within their family systems and tied to their community and culture.