The Brian Mulroney Institute of Government (Mulroney Institute) at St. Francis Xavier University (StFX) is pleased to announce The Hon. Sandy Silver (BA 94) as the inaugural Victor Dahdaleh Practitioner-in-Residence.
Mr. Silver, the former premier of Yukon and MLA for Klondike, will facilitate conversations between academics, practitioners, students, and the general public on the big issues society faces locally, nationally, and at a global scale. He will also support the skills development of StFX students wishing to pursue careers in government, policy, politics, and civil society.
"As the inaugural Victor Dahdaleh Practitioner-in-Residence, I have the honour of defining the position with the help of the extraordinary team at the Mulroney Institute for long-term success," says Silver. "I am looking forward to working with faculty, students, and staff, and I am excited to be back at my alma mater contribution to the community."
The Mulroney Institute's Practitioner-in-Residence program offers a unique experience for political, government, and NGO practitioners to reflect on their work and share lessons learned with StFX students, faculty, and the local community. Our program provides time to capture learnings that could benefit others and the space to encourage real experimentation, especially on critical issues of policy creation and implementation.
"We welcome a diversity of practitioners working on topics of governance, government, policy, politics, and the state," says Dr. Lynda Harling Stalker, director of the Mulroney Institute. "We seek people who are willing to engage with the StFX community, share skills, experience and practice, mentor students, and to collaborate on events and public activities."
The in-person residency program will begin November 6, 2025.
About The Hon. Sandy Silver
The Hon. Sandy Silver was first elected to the Yukon's 33rd Legislative Assembly as the Member for Klondike on October 11, 2011. He was re-elected to the 34th Legislative Assembly on November 7, 2016, and the 35th Legislative Assembly on April 12, 2021.
Mr. Silver served as premier from December 3, 2016, to January 14, 2023. In addition, he was also Minister of the Executive Council Office (which includes Indigenous relations and intergovernmental relations) and Minister of Finance during that time.
Originally from Antigonish, Nova Scotia, he lived in Dawson City for over 20 years and has recently returned to Nova Scotia. While living and working in the Klondike, Mr. Silver was an active and involved educator in the First Nations community. He supervised practicums for the Yukon Native Teacher Education Program, worked on converting and restoring oral history from analog to a digital format, and was involved with the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in Justice department and the restorative justice process including Community Group Conferencing. He worked with youth and mentored a number of at-risk teens in the community and was a dedicated participant and volunteer in the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in Moosehide Gatherings.
The Hon. Sandy Silver holds a degree in Psychology with a concentration in Mathematics from StFX and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Maine.
