8th Annual Forum
SPEAKER BIOS
October 8-10, 2024 | Terrace, BC
KEYNOTE 1 | Topic: Step into the River: A Framework for Economic Reconciliation
Sxwpilemaát Siyám
Chief Leanne Joe
Sxwpilemaát Siyám, also known as Chief Leanne Joe, of the Squamish Nation, is one of sixteen Hereditary Chiefs of the Squamish Nation and the first female Chief of her Lackett Joe Family. She shares her traditional name with her late father, Sxwpilem Siyám, Chief Philip Joe. Sxwpilemaát Siyám is also a descendent of the Kwakwaka’wakw speaking people and carries the traditional name of Q-Gee-Sea Loud and the Thomas family of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation. Sxwpilemaát Siyám was born and raised on the beautiful shores of North Vancouver while having close relations to her roots on the east coast shores of Vancouver Island. Her family lives in her husband’s ancestral territory of the Sylix and Nlaka’pam speaking people, aka Merritt, BC.
Sxwpilemaát Siyám holds space in many organizations, focusing her work on Economic Reconciliation, rematrician and education. She owns her own consulting company, Siyam Consulting. She currently serves as a Trustee for the Squamish Nation Trust, Board member of the New Relationship Trust and the Women in Leadership Foundation and advisory to other committees. Her educational background includes a B.A. in Business, CED Certificate, and other related training and experience.
Her greatest role is being a mom. Her son is paying witness to the legacy work she embodies every day.
W: www.siyamconsulting.com | E: hello@siyamconsulting.com |LinkedIn: /chief-leanne-joe
KEYNOTE 2 | Topic: Indigenous Financial Sovereignty: Trends and What’s Next
Bill Lomax, LL.B., MBA
President and CEO
First Nations Bank of Canada
Bill Lomax is the President and CEO of the First Nations Bank of Canada (FNBC) and a member of the Gitxsan Nation. Bill grew up in Terrace, B.C. and studied in Vancouver before heading south to spend 22 years working on Wall Street and in Private equity in the United States. As a graduate of UBC’s law school and after obtaining his MBA at Columbia University, Mr. Lomax began his career as a lawyer facilitating land claim negotiations for the British Columbia Treaty Commission. He later worked for the Canadian Federal Department of Justice before entering the investment sector in the United States, working for firms such as Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs.
Lomax believes the First Nations Bank of Canada will be a catalyst to create economic growth that is inclusive and sustainable in Indigenous Nations and communities. His deep experience in the US will serve him well. He worked with Native American Tribes across the US and was entrusted with over $5B in Indigenous investment and banking assets over the course of his career.
The First Nations Bank of Canada is a federally chartered bank, with decades of experience serving Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples throughout Canada. The FNBC has 10 branches and 11 community banking centres in six provinces and three territories and more than $1B in holdings.
GUEST SPEAKER 1 | Topic: State of the North
Joel McKay
Joel McKay is the CEO of Northern Development, a regional development corporation focused on stimulating economic growth in Northern British Columbia. Joel joined Northern Development in 2012, where he handled the Trust’s communications and marketing and research. Prior to that, Joel was assignment editor at Business in Vancouver Newspaper and a journalist specializing in coverage of B.C.’s natural resource industries. Since assuming the role of CEO in 2016, the Trust has more than doubled its assets under management to exceed $600 million, modernized its identity, programs, and systems, and positioned itself as a key public sector partner for communities and senior orders of government on important initiatives such as broadband connectivity, ground transportation, agriculture, and community development.
Joel is an award-winning journalist, public relations professional, and author. He currently serves as Chair of the Board of Governors at the University of Northern British Columbia, and previously served on the board of Destination BC, where he chaired the finance and audit committee. He was born and raised in the Lower Mainland. Today, Joel calls Prince George home where he lives with his wife and two daughters. He spends his spare time fishing and writing fiction.
GUEST SPEAKER 2 | Topic: Crafting Change: Integrating Indigenous Values in the Workforce
Mary French
Mary is a Coast Salish connector, communicator, and relationship builder with deep public and private sector ties across many regions of Canada.
Originally from Homalco First Nation on Vancouver Island, Mary has had a distinguished career in law enforcement serving as an RCMP police officer, where her work had a particular focus on community, family and children’s safety.
Mary has also served and advocated as an outreach worker within the school system, supporting children at risk in finding educational success. Most recently, Mary has played a strategic role in a major Canadian energy project, where her work focused on enhancing community safety, Indigenous engagement, and Indigenous economic opportunity for many Indigenous communities in Western Canada. In all contexts, Mary is a fierce advocate for Indigenous partnerships, engagement, and building forward-looking and practical solutions that enhance future opportunities for Canadian communities and workers.
Mary’s commitment to her family is and always has been a priority.
