Mandate and members

Who are the current federal members of the Advisory Board?

• Huguette Labelle (Chair)

  Huguette Labelle holds a PhD (education) degree from the University of Ottawa, and has honorary degrees from 12 Canadian universities and one from the University of Notre Dame, United States. She is a Companion of the Order of Canada. In addition, she is a recipient of the Order of Ontario, the Vanier Medal of the Institute of Public Administration of Canada, the Outstanding Achievement Award of the Public Service of Canada, the McGill University Management Achievement Award and La Francophonie’s Ordre de la Pléiade.

  Ms. Labelle is Emeritus Governor of the University of Ottawa, and was Chancellor of the University of Ottawa from 1994 to 2012. She is currently Vice-Chair of Global Financial Integrity, a member and former chair of Transparency International, a board member of the Global Centre for Pluralism and a board member of the Aga Khan Museum. Ms. Labelle is also a member of RESOLVE’s Natural Resources and Energy Leadership Council and Advisory Board, and of the University of Ottawa Campaign Cabinet, as well as a former board member of UN Global Compact.

  Ms. Labelle served for 19 years as deputy minister in various Canadian government departments, including Secretary of State, Transport Canada, the Public Service Commission and the Canadian International Development Agency.

• Melissa Blake

  Melissa Blake was elected to six consecutive terms, beginning in 1998, for the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. She was first elected as mayor in October 2004 and concluded her final term in 2017.

  Being the top elected official for one of Canada's largest municipalities brought with it tremendous challenges and opportunities. Wood Buffalo is the heart of Canada's energy industry and is often subject to global scrutiny. When the 2016 Horse River Wildfire forced the evacuation of 88,000 people, Mayor Blake’s strength and dedication earned the hearts and minds of Albertans, Canadians and the world. In Wood Buffalo, she worked hard to get her citizens "home".

  Ms. Blake has served on numerous committees in addition to her regular council duties, including those related to development, protective services, community services and affordable housing. She has also served on two provincial associations.

  Ms. Blake brought a range of experience from her corporate career to elected service, including public affairs, materials and services, and human resources. She holds a Bachelor of Administration degree from Athabasca University and has received numerous awards for her work.

  She resides in Fort McMurray, Alberta, with her husband and two sons.

• François Rolland

  The Honourable François Rolland was appointed a Superior Court of Quebec justice in 1996 and Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Quebec in 2004, a position he held until he retired in 2015.

  Following his retirement, the Quebec government appointed Mr. Rolland as Director of the Voluntary Reimbursement Program, where he served until the program ended in November 2017. He also presides over private mediation and arbitration mandates involving mostly commercial matters, including large multi-jurisdictional class actions.

  Mr. Rolland, Advocatus Emeritus, is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a founding member of the Institut québécois de réforme du droit et de la justice since 2018 and its Vice President since 2024, a member of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA), a founding member and former chair of the Judges’ Forum of the CBA, and a past president of the CBA’s Quebec Branch and of the Young Bar of Montréal. Mr. Rolland was awarded the Louis St-Laurent award for his exceptional contribution to the CBA and the CBA’s Centennial Medal.

  A board member of the Canadian Forum on Civil Justice, Mr. Rolland is also a member of the International Insolvency Institute and a Commissioner of Ethics for the Barreau du Québec. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Centre d’accès à l’information juridique from 2015 to 2021, including Vice President from 2017 to 2019, and was Chair of the Board of Directors of Éducaloi from 2017 to 2023. He also taught ethics at the National Judicial Institute for 10 years.

  The Honourable François Rolland graduated from University of Montréal in 1974 and was called to the Barreau du Québec in 1975. Before his appointment as a judge, he was a partner at the law firm Fasken Martineau, practising mainly in the field of commercial and civil litigation.

  In 2019, he joined Langlois Lawyers as Senior Counsel, Mediator and Arbitrator.

Who are the current provincial or territorial members of the Advisory Board?

Alberta

• Both positions are currently vacant

British Columbia

• Both positions are currently vacant

Manitoba

• Sofia Mirza

  Sofia Mirza has been practising law with Fillmore Riley LLP since 2002 and became a partner in 2012. She currently serves on several boards, including Manitoba’s Advisory Council on Economic Immigration and Settlement, the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority of Manitoba, the Muslim Legacy Fund, Economic Development Winnipeg and the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce. She is a past president of the Manitoba Bar Association, a former guest instructor at the Faculty of Law at the University of Manitoba and at other colleges in Canada, and an elected executive member of the Immigration Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association. Ms. Mirza is also a frequent speaker at conferences on immigration law matters. She applies her martial arts expertise as a 5th degree black belt and 2019 member of Team Canada in Shotokan Karate, along with her legal background, to serve as national arbitrator for the International Shotokan Karate Federation of Canada.

  Ms. Mirza, King’s Counsel, is a recipient of the Canadian Bar Association, Immigration Law Section’s Volunteer Appreciation Award and was twice recognized as Lawyer of the Year in Immigration Law by Best Lawyers in Canada. She attended the University of Manitoba, where she obtained a Bachelor of Science Major, a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws.

• Ash Modha

  Ash Modha is the CEO, Chairman and Founder of Mondetta Clothing. With its global headquarters in Winnipeg, his company designs and manufactures apparel globally for retailers worldwide.

  In addition to leading Mondetta Clothing, Mr. Modha has also been involved in several non-profit endeavours and organizations, including the Board of Directors for the Health Sciences Foundation, the Bank of Canada’s Blue Ribbon panel, the Royal Bank Young Advisory Council and the Premier’s Economic Advisory Council, and has chaired an image task force and the Minister’s Trade Advisory Council. He currently sits on the Board of Governors at Balmoral Hall School, is a member of The Associates’ IDEA Committee and is a board member of the Business Council of Manitoba, for which he co-chairs the Truth and Reconciliation Committee. Most recently, he joined Premier Wab Kinew’s advisory team and now co-chairs the Premier’s Business and Jobs Council.

  Mr. Modha graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics.

New Brunswick

• Both positions are currently vacant

Newfoundland and Labrador

• Both positions are currently vacant

Northwest Territories

• Both positions are currently vacant

Nova Scotia

• Heidi Jamieson-Mills

  Heidi Jamieson-Mills is a Chartered Professional Accountant and holds the position of VP of Finance for the IWK Health Centre Charitable Foundation. Prior to the IWK, she held the position of Senior Vice President Finance, Reporting and Treasury at Sobeys Inc where she had been employed since 2004. Previously, she worked for Grant Thornton LLP as an Accountant and Tax Manager. She is also a past member of the Board of Trustees for Crombie REIT.

  Ms. Jamieson-Mills serves her community as Treasurer and Director of the Pictou County Community Health Centre Society. She is also past Treasurer and Director at the Aberdeen Health Foundation Society from 2017 to 2023. She has also held the Treasurer and Vice Chair roles at Tearmann Society for Abused Women, and been a Director for Highland Community Residential Services Foundation and the Race on the River, Dragonboat Society. Prior to this, she also served on several boards and groups such as the Finance Committee for the Atlantic Film Festival, the Plaid Marquee Film Society, the Pictou County Historical Society and Toastmasters Truro.

  Ms. Jamieson-Mills was recognized as one of the Women’s Executive Network Top 100 Most Powerful Women (Professional Category) in 2020, as well as one of Atlantic Canada’s top 50 leaders under 35 in 2010.

  She attended Dalhousie University and graduated with honours with a Bachelor of Commerce Co-op, concentration in Accounting.

• Corrine Sparks

  A descendant of early Black settlers in Nova Scotia, Corrine “Connie” Sparks grew up in rural Nova Scotia and graduated from Mount Saint Vincent University with an economics degree. She went on to earn a Bachelor and a Master of Laws degree from Dalhousie University. After graduation with her LL.B, she practiced in a small law firm, specializing in family, real estate and civil litigation law; at this time she also served on the board of several organizations ranging from the Nova Scotia Home for Coloured Children to the Canadian Mental Health Association.

  In 1987, Ms. Sparks was appointed to the Nova Scotia Family Court, becoming the first African Nova Scotian to be appointed to the Bench, and the first African Canadian female to serve on the judiciary in Canada. For several years, as part of the new judges training program offered by the Canadian Association of Provincial Court Judges, she lectured in the areas of gender, racial discrimination and the courts. She also served as chair of the education committee for the Nova Scotia Provincial Judges’ Association.

  Internationally, Ms. Sparks has been honoured to work with the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ), along with other international organizations. Throughout her career as a Family Court judge, for nearly thirty-five years, she has helped to promote judicial education, both at the provincial and national level. Her work with the IAWJ, Canadian Chapter, in particular, in keeping with its mandate, has helped to advance equality and human rights for women. Ms. Sparks has served on the board of directors; and was one of the founding members of the IAWJ, Canadian Chapter.

  Her work has earned her numerous awards and recognition including the prestigious Weldon Award for Unselfish Public Service from the Schulich School of Law, the Bertha Wilson Touchstone Award from the Canadian Bar Association, the Harry Jerome African Canadian Achievement Award for Excellence in Law, and the Elizabeth Fry Society “Rebel with a Cause” Award. She was also inducted by the Dalhousie Law Alumni Association to the Bertha Wilson Honour Society and is the recipient of an honorary doctorate from Mount Saint Vincent University.

Nunavut

• Jeremiah Groves

  Jeremiah Groves was born and raised in Iqaluit, where he now resides. Throughout his life, Mr. Groves has been passionate about Canadian history and the environment. He is an avid outdoorsman and harvester, and provides country food for his family and residents of Iqaluit, a passion that speaks to his deep commitment to traditional Inuit culture and values.

  Mr. Groves has held positions with the Government of Nunavut and was the Director of Operations with Qikiqtaaluk Corporation before he joined the Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA) as Executive Director in 2015. During his time with the QIA, he has overseen the expansion of both QIA and Inuit interests across the region in the areas of mining, marine protected areas and fisheries reconciliation. He is committed to ensuring that the QIA benefits all Inuit of the Qikiqtani Region for generations to come.

  Mr. Groves attended Nunavut Sivuniksavut in Ottawa, Nunavut Arctic College (Environmental Technology Program), St. Mary’s University (Project Management Studies) and Queen’s University (Analytical Services Unit).

• David Omilgoitok

  David Omilgoitok, from Cambridge Bay, is a management executive and a former senior public servant. Since 2012, he has been the President and CEO of Kitikmeot Corporation, the business development arm of the Kitikmeot Inuit Association. In this position, he serves as a board member overseeing a number of the Corporation’s investments and works with a broad group of northern Indigenous peoples pursuing telecommunications interests.

  Mr. Omilgoitok was formerly Chair of the Board of Qulliq Energy Corporation. Before that, he spent 22 years in public service with the governments of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. From 2000 to 2010, he served as Deputy Minister of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs and as Secretary to Cabinet for the Government of Nunavut.

  Mr. Omilgoitok holds a diploma in business administration from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and is an alumnus of the Banff School of Advanced Management.

Ontario

• Both positions are currently vacant

Prince Edward Island

• Both positions are currently vacant

Quebec

• Both positions are currently vacant

Saskatchewan

• Dale Eisler

  Dale Eisler has an extensive background in the federal public service and in Canadian journalism. He spent 16 years in senior positions with the Government of Canada, including Assistant Secretary to Cabinet (Consultations and Communications) at the Privy Council Office. He was also Assistant Deputy Minister for the Energy Security, Prosperity, Sustainability Task Force at Natural Resources Canada, Assistant Deputy Minister of Communications at Finance Canada and Consul General for Canada in Denver, Colorado.

  Before joining the federal government, Mr. Eisler spent 26 years as a journalist in Saskatchewan and Alberta. He is also the author of three works of non-fiction and one historical novel that is based on his family history and became the basis for a feature film. His most recent book, From Left to Right, Saskatchewan’s Political and Economic Transformation, was shortlisted by the Writers’ Trust of Canada for the 2023 Shaughnessy Cohen Award as political book of the year. It won the Jennifer Welsh 2023 Saskatchewan Book Awards for scholarly writing.

  Mr. Eisler received the 2013 Joan Atkinson Federal Public Service Award of Excellence. He is a senior policy fellow at the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Regina and the Principal of Anton Group. He holds a Master of Arts from Vermont College (Union Institute) and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Saskatchewan.

• Jennifer Molloy

  Jennifer Molloy has been CEO of the Royal University Hospital Foundation since March 2022. Prior to this role, she held several positions at the University of Saskatchewan, including Director of Development of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine and Development Officer at the College of Law. She has also held fundraising positions at St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation and the Canadian Red Cross.

  Ms. Molloy, a Certified Fund Raising Executive, served as President of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (Saskatoon Chapter) and volunteered as a director on the boards of READ Saskatoon and Haven Family Connections for several years. She also served on the boards of the Lakeview Community Association, the Parents’ Child Development Cooperative and the Kidney Research Foundation of Saskatchewan, to name but a few.

  Ms. Molloy is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Sociology) from the University of Saskatchewan. She resides in Saskatoon.

Yukon

• Both positions are currently vacant