Thunder Bay – The City of Thunder Bay has a new Director of Strategic Initiatives and Engagement.
Following an extensive search and hiring process, City Manager Norm Gale is pleased to announce that Tracie Smith will be the new Director of Strategic Initiatives & Engagement.
Ms. Smith was previously the Senior Director of Communications & Engagement at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre where she effectively managed traditional and crisis communications through major incidents, including as the Public Information Officer of the COVID-19 Pandemic Incident Management Team. She also has extensive experience with strategic planning and Indigenous affairs. Before that, she worked in communications and media relations for the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, and Dilico Ojibway Child & Family Services, and also instructed Corporate Communications courses at Confederation College.
Ms. Smith holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Lakehead University, and a Diploma in Broadcasting Radio and Television from Confederation College. She has training in San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety, Ojibwe language and culture, Conversational French and has participated on a variety of local Boards and Committees.
“I’m very pleased that Ms. Smith has accepted the position,” said Norm Gale, City Manager. “She brings a wealth of experience and proven leadership to the Corporation. Her first-hand knowledge of Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario, and her strong relationships with social services, health, Indigenous communities and other sectors, will make a valuable addition to the City’s Executive Management Team,” said Norm Gale, City Manager.
Ms. Smith has over a decade of successful, proven senior leadership in unionized, public sector institutions, with a proven track record of innovation and change management. She was a key player in the growth of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, and the launch of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. She is a community builder, including her relationships with the Indigenous communities of the Thunder Bay region.
In her new role at the Corporation, Ms. Smith will provide leadership as a member of the Executive Management Team. She will also lead the Corporate Communications & Engagement, Indigenous Relations & Inclusion, and Internal Audit & Continuous Improvement/Major Projects departments.
Ms. Smith begins her new role effective September 7, 2021.
