Cordelia Clarke Julien
Assistant Deputy Minister, COVID Agri-Food Secretariat, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
Sector: Public Sector
Discipline: Health/Community Services
Year: 2020
Magic Moment: A ‘magic moment’ was my involvement in the establishment of the Places to Grow Act, 2005 and the impact it was going to have in driving the development of our communities in the future.
Key Influence: My mother. As a professional woman in male dominated spaces herself, she coached me on how to stay true to self.
Tony Dean. Admired his ability to stay focus on the real objectives and not get distracted by ‘noise’.
Next Big Challenge As An Industry: As one of the fastest growing and most diverse regions in North America, there are many challenges that the industry will need to continue to tackle when it comes to growth management (e.g. goods and people movement, economic development, housing, environmental, etc.) in ensuring the effective utilization of lands and development. I believe the next big challenge is finding ways to embed the concept of intersectionality (i.e. taking into account people’s overlapping identities and experiences in order to understand the complexity of prejudices they face) as we look to build better communities that are equitable, non-oppressive, and reflect as well as celebrate the true diverse nature of the city-region.
Secret Talent: I am an amazing kids birthday planner.
On Championing Others… My championship of other women and men in the industry have taken many forms including but not limited to internships, formal and informal mentorship, 1:1 career pathing advice (especially for persons of colour), and connections through guest lecturing.
One word that captures you: Innovative. I am a self-described change agent who does not think outside the box but rather blow up the box!