Increased collaboration is the goal

The Ktunaxa Nation Council is beginning a leadership development initiative this week which will last six months and have senior staff test new roles in order to increase collaboration.

Directors of the five main sectors of operation—Lands and Resources, Education and Employment, Social Investment, Economic Investment and Traditional Knowledge and Language—are being reassigned to different sectors.

They will be taking on new portfolios and relying on staff for support, as they bring fresh eyes to the work of Nation rebuilding at the government level.

“This is an exciting opportunity and a key step in the CAO succession planning and mentorship goals the nation council has identified,” said Shawna Janvier, KNC Chief Administrative Officer. “The sector directors have expressed a desire for better cross-sector collaboration for many years—this will create the day-to-day reality, and the new space, for this to be able to happen.”

Janvier said the reassignments were made with an eye to give directors a chance to deploy their strengths in new areas, and to also challenge themselves to grow. “When they return to their sectors again in February, they will have a better understanding of how other sectors work—and a better understanding of themselves as leaders.”

She said the KNC is emphasizing ‘leadership’ as opposed to ‘authority,’ and that leadership capacity is something that all people can develop.

These are the details of the reassignments:

Donald Sam from Traditional Knowledge & Language will be going to Economic Investment;

Codie Morigeau from Education & Employment will be going to Traditional Knowledge & Language;

Justin Paterson from Economic Investment will be going to Social Investment;

Debbie Whitehead from Social Investment will be going to Lands & Resources;

Ray Warden from Lands & Resources will be going to Education & Employment.

“The directors will be fully immersed in their acting director roles for the duration of the reassignment and be participating in their new sector councils as of their start date,” Janvier said.

“We are all here for the same reason – Q̓api qapsin kin ‘itkin hin ‘isti Ktunaxa – and doing everything with the intention of improving the lives of the Ktunaxa people,” she said. “This collaborative venture will create new opportunities for growth and truly make the KNC a learning environment for everyone. I am looking forward to supporting them and I know that staff are also looking forward—maybe with some trepidation, but also with some excitement—to what’s ahead, and what could be ahead in these next six months.”

Janvier said the KNC appreciates the support of all internal and external partners as it develops together and puts collaboration into practice.

For information about the sectors:

Social Investment
Economic Investment
Education and Employment
Land and Resources
Traditional Knowledge and Language

Photo submitted

Ktunaxa Nation Council

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