Staff Profiles
Michele Guerin
British Columbia Regional Manager
Michele’s journey with BC First Nations began in 1985 and included work for the BC Tribal Forum, the BC Aboriginal Fisheries Commission and the First Nations Summit (FNS). In the mid 90s she contracted with Canada, BC and the FNS as an advocate of modern treaties and aboriginal rights issues. In that role she addressed diverse audiences throughout BC that included municipalities, regional districts, Chambers of Commerce, Union groups and service clubs (Rotary, Kiwanis, & Lions clubs).
For ten years she also owned and operated a gillnetter ‘Fisherchick’ on the Fraser River during salmon season. Michele represents the gillnet sector as part of a permanent exhibit at the Vancouver Maritime Museum called ‘Fishing for a Living’ and was profiled in a book called ‘Saltwater Women at Work’.
In the late 1990s she returned to school to focus on studies in political science and subsequently obtained her law degree. In 2003 she began work with the law firm of Ratcliff & Co. as a student and completed her Articles. Upon her call to the Bar, she accepted an Associate position with Ratcliff and practiced in the area of aboriginal law. Then, inspired by the valuable services the NCFNG provides to BC First Nations, she joined the incredible team of professionals at the Governance Centre in January 2008.
It is Michele’s view that one challenge for First Nation governments is to preserve our strong traditions and teachings as we co-exist in modern society. Likewise, our youth struggle with that challenge on a daily basis. Michele has additional responsibilities as a mother of five young adults and as a new grandmother. For that reason, she shares the vision of the Centre to “create a new memory in the minds of our children”.
Michele is a member of Musqueam First Nation (Coast Salish Tribe) and resides in North Vancouver BC with her husband Gary Dimock.