Jude Gerrard

Jude was born in Sheet Harbour and is a member of the Millbrook First Nation. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance/HR) degree from St. Mary’s University, a Bachelor of Education degree from Acadia University, and is in the process of completing his Master of Education in Equity and Social Justice degree at Acadia. 

He has worked for several federal departments including the RCMP, Correctional Services Canada, and Veteran’s Affairs. He has also worked for many departments within the Nova Scotia public service, including Education and Early Childhood Education, (where he helped established Treaty Education in Nova Scotia) Communities Culture and Heritage, and the Office of Equity and Anti-Racism Initiatives, where he helped with Canada’s first Equity and Anti-racism legislation.

Jude has worked at a number of post-secondary institutions in Nova Scotia and served on the National Indigenous Education Advisory Committee for Colleges and Institutions Canada. He has been a speaker at national and international conferences on systemic oppression and racial identity. He has trained with international equity leaders in Cultural Proficiency, Cultural Humility, and was the first Canadian to be trained as a facilitator in Beyond Diversity2, Courageous Conversations about Race, and received an Award of Recognition from the Pacific Educational Group for his work in reducing the achievement gap for First Nation and African Canadian students.

Most recently he received his Certified Diversity Executive designation from the Institute for Diversity Certification in Indianapolis, Indiana and was the first Mi’kmaq employee to be awarded the NS Premier’s Award of Excellence.

Gerrard also has an active artistic practice, and his painted drums are on display in collections across Canada, the United States, and Italy.