Valerie Gideon
President, Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario and Deputy Minister, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs
Dr. Valerie Gideon is a member of the Mi’kmaq Nation of Gesgapegiag, Quebec and a proud mother of two girls.
She currently holds the position of President of the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario and Deputy Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs. In addition, she is leading the Indigenous Federal Employees Chairs and Champions Circle, as well as championing the work that the Knowledge Circle for Indigenous Inclusion has been leading on accessibility for Indigenous employees. She is also continuing to lead efforts to attract Indigenous talent with a particular focus on the senior levels. With her PhD in Communications, Valerie is also champion of the Communications Community.
From 2020-2023 she was the Associate Deputy Minister of Indigenous Services Canada and prior to that from 2018-2020, she was the Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, First Nations and Inuit Health Branch (FNIHB), Indigenous Services Canada. From 2012-17, Valerie held the position of Assistant Deputy Minister, Regional Operations, Health Canada. In 2011-2012, she was Director General, Strategic Policy, Planning and Analysis at FNIHB. From 2007-2010, she held the position of Regional Director for First Nations and Inuit Health, Ontario Region, Health Canada.
Prior to working at Health Canada, her experience consisted mainly of working in First Nations health advocacy as Senior Director of Health and Social Development at the Assembly of First Nations and Director of the First Nations Centre at the National Aboriginal Health Organization. She was named Chair of the Aboriginal Peoples’ Health Research Peer Review Committee of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research in 2004.
She graduated from McGill University (Montreal) in 2000 with a Doctorate degree (Dean’s List) in Communications (dissertation pertaining to telehealth and citizen empowerment). She previously completed a Masters of Arts in 1996 at McGill. She is a founding member of the Canadian Society of Telehealth and former Board member of the National Capital Region YMCA/YWCA.
