Dr. Pamela Roach, PhD, receives inaugural 2021 Glenda MacQueen Distinguished Leadership Award

Congratulations to Dr. Pam Roach, PhD, for being awarded the inaugural 2021 Glenda MacQueen Distinguished Leadership Award. Although she and Dr. MacQueen didn’t work together, those who have worked with both women identify the same calm, thoughtful and gentle-yet-powerful leadership style. Dr. Roach is also incredibly humble about her leadership skills.

“For me it’s always been about doing good work in the right way. I’m happy to support other people and it’s important to do so. I take what I’ve learned from people who meant a lot to me and think about how I can provide that support to others.”

She has been instrumental in leading faculty at the CSM in navigating the path of reconciliation in response to the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. She led the development, implementation and evaluation of PLUS 4: Reconciliation Leadership Foundations, a program within the Practical Leadership for University Scholars workshop series. She was recently appointed the Director of Indigenous Health Education in the ILGH Office where her leadership skills will continue to shine and do good work along the path to reconciliation.

As a Métis scholar and member of the Métis Nation of Alberta, Dr. Roach is aware of what it means to be a role model and an example of a successful leader. She didn’t meet an Indigenous educator until later along her educational and professional journey.  And when she asks grad students who their first Indigenous educator was, their response is often her.

“It’s important to demonstrate that you can exist in these spaces, that you can achieve things and do the work in a way that is ethical.”

Dr. Roach says she will continue to pay it forward and support others in a way that she feels it needs to be done. “I am honoured to have received this recognition and will work to be the kind of leader the community needs me to be.”