THUNDER BAY – NEWS – The Thunder Bay Police Services Board is pleased to announce the appointees selected to represent the community as members on its Governance Committee.
The members include David Paul Achneepineskum, CEO of Matawa First Nations, Denise Baxter, Vice Provost of Indigenous Initiatives at Lakehead University and Coralee McGuire-Cyrette, Executive Director of the Ontario Native Women’s Association.
The structure of the Governance Committee was revised earlier this year to include three members of the Board and to add three members from the community. The changes were made to ensure that important governance decisions are being represented not just by the Board, but informed and assisted by the community’s voice. Community voice in the recruitment of a new Chief of Police and in the development of critical policies of the Board is vital as the Board moves forward.
Denise Baxter and Coralee McGuire-Cyrette will be appointed for a term of two years, and David Paul Achneepineskum for a term of three years. Their appointments are effective on October 21, 2022. The first priority for the committee is the recruitment of a new Chief of Police.
“The Board is very honoured to have Denise Baxter, Coralee McGuire-Cyrette and David Paul Achneepineskum join our Governance Committee. Their knowledge, experience and community involvement is significant and we welcome their expertise in the decisions we will make as a Board. We would like to thank the many individuals that came forward to offer their time, experience and insight to the committee. We were extremely fortunate to have so many strong offers of service and support and it is clear that the community is very engaged in this process,” states Malcolm Mercer, Acting Administrator, Thunder Bay Police Services Board.
David Paul Achneepineskum, CEO of Matawa First Nations states, “With the support of the Matawa First Nations Chiefs Council and Matawa First Nations Management Board of Directors—I am pleased to accept the 3-year appointment as community member of the Thunder Bay Police Services Board Governance Committee (TBPSB-GC) which will work towards modernization.
“Having been a resident of Thunder Bay for over three decades and with my lived experience as an Indigenous person, I am aware of the systemic changes that are needed to achieve the goal of re-establishing a police service that better meets everyone’s interests and needs. We must come together as one to make Thunder Bay the best place to live, work, play and to further educational goals. I look forward to working with the TBPSB-GC and TBPS senior management to achieve this end,”