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About
Sharon

Knowledge is Power

My M.A. and Ph.D. were both interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary in scope. As a result, I was invited to teach in numerous university departments from Indigenous studies and art history to nursing, social work, and social sciences, developing courses on:

  • Social Change in Canada, including the development of the welfare state and the evolution of healthcare policy
  • Indigenous ethnography and history in Canada, including colonization, policy development, legislation, decolonization and reconciliation
  • Intersectional feminist exploration of contemporary social issues, their historical origins, and political implications

It was within this context that Premier Gary Doer recruited me to run for office in 2007. My academic background helped shape policy and legislation for nearly a decade.

Using That Power for Good

The application of my knowledge and transferable skills started early in my tenure in the Manitoba Legislature, beginning with revisions to the Child Care Safety Charter draft legislation. As a new member of the Legislative Review Committee, I identified gaps and presented solutions to improve preventative and responsive protocols when acrimonious child custody dynamics disrupt the safety of the childcare centre.

I wrote two first-in-Canada laws before being appointed to cabinet: an unprecedented and unrepeated accomplishment. Both bills have been replicated in other jurisdictions, and the Service Animal Protection Act was the foundation for a federal law amending the Criminal Code.

As Minister of Healthy Living, I focused on creating and expanding preventative programs with grassroots food security, mental health, 2SLGBTQI+, and seniors organizations. Significant was the establishment of AFFIRM food security in Northern Manitoba, in collaboration with the Minster Indigenous Affairs, First Nations leadership, and Indigenous communities.

As Minister of Health, I oversaw a $6 billion budget and over 1200 departmental staff, including 100 direct reports and 5 regional health authority CEOs. Daily responsibilities included media interviews and scrums, issues management and briefings, and direct engagement with stakeholders, departments, and front-line healthcare providers.

In my role, I consistently delivered responsive strategic organizational change, driven by: collaborative leadership, and community engagement, demonstrating agility in addressing issues management and strategic planning, and reducing expenditures. As a result, I was able to:

  • Implement recommendations from the Brian Sinclair Inquiry findings on systemic racism in healthcare, stressing the need to meet people where they are, and with dignity and respect.
  • Double Manitoba’s HPV vaccine cohort with only a 33% cost increase
  • Purchase of 6 MRIs for the cost of 5
  • Rebuild an accessible hospital entrance correcting design flaws of the initial build and doing so within the remaining project budget surplus
  • Establish the Ministers’ Advisory Group on Mental Health, composed of mental health activists, Regional Health Authority leadership, and frontline providers to improve responsiveness and support for those in crisis, and their families.
  • Expand surgical and psychological healthcare services for transgender Manitobans

Giving My Clients the Generalist Expert Advantage

These diverse experiences and accomplishments, and the insight derived from them, provide my clients with unique advantages for client and industry-specific solutions in government relations, healthcare systems and service delivery, policy analysis, workplace mental health and neuroinclusion, including:

  • Effective strategies to engage government and build relationships that evolve in tandem with changing political climates
  • Insightful analysis of legislation, policies, and programs relevant to their growth and success, including multijurisdictional comparatives
  • Successful strengthening of client workplace culture, government relations, and service provision with comprehensive analysis and customized policy, programming, and resource documents
  • Innovative review and revision of organizational health policies and EAPs increasing responsiveness and efficacy, with specialization in mental health and neurodiversity
  • Enriching workplace culture, organizational mission, and mental health and neurodivergent well-being through empowering peer perspective trauma-informed executive mentoring and leadership workshops
  • Experienced political and legislative mentorship for those considering running, or currently in office, to successfully manage challenges, responsibilities, and transitions
  • International content expert and media contributor via op-eds, interviews, panels, academic conference presentations, publications and keynote addresses.