Johanne Charest, Regional Deputy Commissioner
Johanne spent the first 20 years of her career in the Canadian Armed Forces, where she gained experience in many fields as an Electrical Mechanical Engineering officer. One of the highlights of her career was her deployment to Ethiopia in 2005, where her main duties included assisting the African Union through contract management, in support of the mission in Darfur.
In 2009, Johanne began a new career as a public servant with the Government of Canada. She worked in a number of public service roles, primarily in the area of corporate services. In 2018, Johanne joined the Canada Border Services Agency as the District Director for Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. In June 2020, she was appointed Regional Director General for the CBSA Atlantic Region, before joining the Correctional Service of Canada as Regional Deputy Commissioner in March 2023.
Johanne has a long-standing commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. She is CSC’s national 2SLGBTQIA+ Champion, former regional Federal Youth Network Champion, and a longstanding volunteer in many organisations. She is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012), the Deputy Minister/Chief of Defense Staff Award for Management Excellence – People Management category (2017) and in 2021, she received the Pride Network’s Change Agent Award for Public Service.
Johanne and her wife Jennifer live in Prince Edward Island where they enjoy spending time gardening and reconnecting with nature.
