ACCT Leadership Institute

Intensive Public Appointments Workshop

Are you ready to take on civic leadership roles?
Canadian institutions need your leadership.
Friday, April 22, 2022
4:00 - 7:00 p.m. MT

Saturdays, April 23 and April 30, 2022
8:30 - 3:30 p.m. MT
Please note that April 30’s curriculum is on Board Governance and is a stand alone class. 

Apply by April 18, 2022

Via Zoom Conference

About the Workshop

The ACCT Intensive Public Appointments Workshop is a two-and-a-half day program. We will review public appointments and other opportunities, as well as how to pursue them at the various levels. Participants will hear firsthand experiences from people working in government and those who’ve gone through the process. Participants will leave the program ready to seek out civic leadership opportunities.

Program Outline

Friday, April 22 – 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. (MT)

  • Introductions & Ice breaker
  • Understanding discrimination and the need for systemic change

Saturday, April 23 – 8:30 – 3:30 p.m. (MT)

  • About Civic Leadership
  • Learn about Public Appointment Opportunities
  • Understand ABCs and crown corporations
  • Conversations with Government Representatives, Civic Leaders & Public Appointees

Saturday, April 30 – 8:30 – 3:30 p.m. (MT) – Board Governance 101

Learn about board governance, board structures and how to participate effectively on Boards and Committees.

Why Are We Doing This?

Canadian institutions need your leadership. Similar to other racialized Canadians, Canadians of Chinese descent are underrepresented in public entities such as public Agencies, Boards and Commissions/ crown corporations as well as civil society leadership roles.

Many Canadians of Chinese descent are well-positioned and ready to serve on public entities bringing needed diversity of experiences, perspectives and leadership to enhance decision-making and the development of democratic institutions in our pluralistic and racially diverse Canada.

It is the belief of ACCT Foundation that the majority of Canadians of Chinese descent who possess the qualifications to serve and contribute to Canadian public entities are not ‘aware’ of the opportunities, needs and benefits of civic leadership due to historical and current social context. The ACCT Foundation Leadership Institute offers training programs that include awareness raising, engagements, programming and support to civic leadership candidates.

Why Should You Attend This Workshop?

Who Is This Workshop For?

This workshop will prepare and support Canadians of Asian descent to serve in public entities or civil society leadership roles to contribute to the continuing development of democratic institutions that are more inclusive and reflective of Canada. This opportunity is open to accomplished, public minded citizens and/or experts in their fields.

Program Facilitator

Teresa Woo-Paw
Founder, ACCT Foundation

Teresa Woo-Paw has dedicated her career to promoting active civic engagement and social inclusion. Over 40 years, Teresa has founded 7 organizations including the ACCT Foundation, and served on over 30 committees and boards. She is a social worker by training and consultant by profession, offering diversity training to numerous organizations.

Teresa’s community service has earned her many awards. She is also the first Trustee and Chair of the Calgary Board of Education of Asian Canadian descent (1995-99), as well as the first female Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta and Cabinet Minister of Asian Canadian descent (2008-15). Teresa was appointed Chair of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation by Governor in Council in 2018.

Facilitator for the Board Governance session on April 30, 2022

Bruce Randall
Founding Executive Director of Calgary Region Immigrant Employment Council

A community-builder, lawyer, corporate professional, and non-profit leader with 40 years of progressive experience across Canada, Bruce helps organizations and individuals develop and grow – supporting infrastructure and governance alignment with organizational goals; team building; stakeholder engagement; and strategic planning and execution. Currently the Executive Director of the Calgary Region Immigrant Employment Council (CRIEC), Bruce is a proud member of CRIEC’s founding group. CRIEC delivers highly effective employment-related mentoring programs connecting newcomer professionals with Calgary-region corporate mentors.

Bruce retired as an active lawyer in 2004, having served as the lead in-house legal advisor for several large Canadian public companies, namely The Forzani Group Ltd. in Calgary and CCM, The Hockey Company in Montreal. Previously, Bruce was in private legal private with law firms in Toronto and Montreal.

Bruce’s community leadership includes serving as the Board Chairperson of Miskanawah Community Services Association; co-founder and Board Director of Influence Mentoring Society (providing mentoring support for Indigenous students in post-secondary schools); Board Director with Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies; and committee member of BlackNorth Initiative, Alberta Chapter.

Raised in northern New Brunswick, Bruce’s life has been influenced, informed, and inspired by that special place.

Special Guests

Deputy Minister Daniel Quan-Watson
Deputy Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada

Deputy Minister Daniel Quan-Watson will discuss Crown Corporations / civic leadership opportunities in public entities.

Deputy Minister Daniel Quan-Watson is the First federal Deputy Minister of Chinese descent. His appointment at Crown-Indigenous Relations and Indigenous Affairs is his fifth appointment as a Deputy Minister, having been Deputy Minister (and previously Associate Deputy Minister) of Western Economic Diversification, Chief Human Resources Officer for the Government of Canada and Chief Executive Officer, Parks Canada. He wrote an open letter on systemic racism in response to Rex Murphy’s National Post column “Canada is not a racist country, despite what the Liberals say”.

Much of his career has focused on work with Indigenous peoples and issues, having been the Senior Assistant Deputy Minister for Policy and Strategic Direction at the former Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Director General of the Aboriginal Justice Directorate at the federal Department of Justice, and Director of Aboriginal and Territorial Relations at INAC’s Northwest Territories Regional Office. With the Government of British Columbia, he was Director of Treaty Implementation and Settlement Legislation where he led the development of the Nisga’a Final Agreement Act (British Columbia) among other major initiatives and, with the Government of Saskatchewan where he was responsible for first negotiations between provincial Department of Education and what was then the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations.

Mohammed Hashim
Executive Director of Canadian Race Relations Foundation

Mohammed Hashim has worked as a labour organizer and human rights advocate for over a decade. He has dedicated his career to supporting equity, inclusion, and community empowerment. He is currently the Executive Director of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation and a member of the Board of Trustees of the United Way of Greater Toronto. Mr. Hashim is also a founding advisor of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network.

Anne-Marie Pham
Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Diversity & Inclusion

Anne-Marie Pham is currently the Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Diversity & Inclusion, a national charity that supports workplaces, schools and communities to be equitable, inclusive, diverse and accessible, to see diversity as an asset and not an obstacle.

She brings a unique set of skills and perspectives having worked as a Diversity and Employment Equity Manager for Spectra Energy, Diversity and Inclusion HR Advisor for the City of Calgary, and National Coordinator for the Racism Free Workplace Strategy, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada. She has provided dynamic presentations, training and consulting services to clients and partners from a wide range of industries in the business, public and non-profit sectors.

Anne-Marie has a master’s degree in public administration (MPA), a BA in Sociology and a senior HR Professional certification with the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM). She is also a certified administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory (Tool).

Anne-Marie is committed to building community, supporting civic participation, mentoring and leadership development especially among immigrants, visible minorities, women and youth. She co-founded the Calgary Vietnamese Youth Association, the Calgary Diversity & Inclusion Network and the Asian Professional Network of Calgary. She also chaired the Vietnamese Youth Action Committee of the Vietnamese Canadian Federation, building community leadership with over 300 youths in 10 cities.

She received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee award for her community service in 2013 and the Government of Alberta Centennial Medal in 2005.

Anne-Marie has experience on many boards and committees. Her most two recent appointments were with the Board of Directors of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF), a Crown Corporation dedicated to working towards the elimination of racism and all forms of racial discrimination, and the City of Calgary’s Anti-Racism Action Committee.

Albert Wong
Citizenship Judge

Albert was appointed Citizenship Judge by the Government of Canada in June 2014. As an independent decision-maker, Judge Wong conducts hearings and presides over citizenship ceremonies in the Greater Toronto Area.

Judge Wong had over thirty-nine years of service in the Canadian Armed Forces. He served in various public affairs positions with the military across Canada; on a UN peacekeeping mission in Eritrea and Ethiopia; with a multi-national headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark; and with a Strategic Advisory Team in Afghanistan. He attained the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
He also served as the Chief Aide-de-Camp to the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from April 2013 to December 2020. He was awarded the Vice-Regal commendation in 2014.
Judge Wong is a 2012 recipient of the Chinese Canadian Legend Award, the 2015 Transformation Award for Public Service, the 2015 NAAAP 100 Award by the North American Association of Asian Professionals, and the 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award by the Cambridge Food & Wine Society.

He was named the 2016 Person of the Year by the Transformation Magazine.
Born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Judge Wong emigrated to Canada in 1971.
An active community volunteer, Albert has made valuable leadership contribution to several organizations including as Chair of the Mississauga Board of Chinese Professionals and Businesses (CPB) and currently supports various other community boards and organizations.

Patti Pon
Calgary Arts Development President & CEO

Calgary Arts Development President & CEO Patti Pon is a veteran community and arts champion with an extensive track record of leadership and service in Calgary and beyond.

Patti has deep and diverse experience in the arts sector, having served in senior leadership positions at the EPCOR CENTRE for the Performing Arts (now Arts Commons), Alberta Performing Arts Stabilization Fund, and Alberta Theatre Projects, among others. She has been President & CEO of Calgary Arts Development since 2013 and led the organization through the process of doubling its budget in 2019.

In the community, she just completed her full term on the board of The Calgary Foundation, serves as a board member with Toronto based Agora Foundation (publisher of the online journal The Philanthropist,) and recently was elected as the first woman of colour to the board of the Calgary Stampede. She was a founding board member of the Asian Heritage Foundation (Southern Alberta) and served on the steering committee for imagineCalgary as well as on the Board Chair of Canada’s oldest public radio station, CKUA Radio Network. She also served as a board member for the Calgary Bid Exploration Committee and related entities who explored the potential for Calgary to submit a bid for the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Patti has been awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and was the 2013 Harry and Martha Cohen Award, recognizing significant contribution to Calgary’s theatre community.

What is civic leadership?

Civic leadership is the means to address the opportunities and challenges communities face. While many may see civic roles as those pertaining to municipal, provincial, and federal roles, it is actually more than that.

You can be a civic leader by participating in your community association’s board, in your local library boards etc. If you have the passion to help others and solve society’s puzzles, you have the makings of a civic leader.

How to Apply

Submit your completed application to events@acctfoundation.ca

Please include:

  • Current resume/CV and cover letter, providing your reasons for applying and how you are ready to take on civic leadership roles

Selection Process

The program selection committee includes 3-5 people from various sectors of Chinese Canadian descent.

Please note, successful candidates will be contacted.

Program Fee

$100 for all 2.5 days
 
$50 for April 30 Board Governance class 
 
Please indicate in your application if you are taking the full course or just the Board Governance portion.

Apply today by emailing events@acctfoundation.ca