I am delighted to announce the appointment of Audrey Rochette to the role of assistant vice-president Indigenous initiatives, effective June 23.
Audrey Rochette
Audrey is Anishinaabe from Waabadowgang-Whitesand First Nation. She comes to York from Sheridan College where she served as the associate vice-president Indigenous engagement and education external. As part of Sheridan's leadership team, Audrey focused on building meaningful relationships rooted in the spirit of reciprocity to help advance the college's strategic plans. She currently sits on several committees in different sectors committed to reconciliation work. She is the daughter of a residential school survivor.
Audrey has also held roles at George Brown College and with the City of Toronto. At George Brown, she served as director, Indigenous initiatives, where she led the college's efforts to implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's (TRC) Calls to Action and oversaw Indigenization measures as part of the college's Vision 2030/Strategy 2022 initiative. Audrey worked with the City of Toronto as a business analyst where she provided critical evaluations to inform programming and measure success, and secured Indigenous partnerships to advance the city's commitment to reconciliation.
Audrey's passion for Indigenous relations was cultivated through her roles in the Indigenous community as the senior development officer with Indspire, an Indigenous-led registered charity that invests in the education of Indigenous nations, and with imagineNATIVE, the largest Indigenous film festival in the world.
I would also like to extend my gratitude to Susan Dion for her leadership and dedication to the portfolio of Indigenous initiatives since September 2021. Her contributions have been vital in fostering an inclusive and decolonizing culture at York. Anushiik, Susan, I wish you continued success in future endeavours in the Faculty of Education.
Please join me in welcoming Audrey to York and to her new role. I am confident that she will lead Indigenous initiatives - and York - in meaningful ways toward decolonizing, Indigenization and reconciliation. Please visit the website to learn more about Indigenous initiatives.
Thank you, merci, anushiik, miigwech.
Laina Y. Bay-Cheng
Vice-President Equity, People and Culture
This story was originally featured in YFile, York University's community newsletter.
