Jamie Snook

Jamie Snook is a leader, politician, researcher and community development advocate. His work revolves around wildlife, management, governance, health and Inuit culture. He is Labradorimmiut (Labrador Inuit), a member of the NunatuKavut Community Council and a proud Labradorian.

He is currently the Executive Director of the Torngat Wildlife, Fisheries and Fisheries Secretariat. The Secretariat is a tripartite funded co-management organization that arises out of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement and Jamie Snook has participated in interdisciplinary and inter-government exchanges by integrating Indigenous knowledge and Western scientific knowledge in decision-making. He has represented the Torngat Secretariat in several national and international forums.

In 2013, driven by his desire to serve his community, Jamie Snook became mayor of the town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. He won the election with 69% of the vote. Since his election, he has become a determined and progressive interlocutor who promotes community well-being, multinationals, Indigenous cultures and encouraged commitment to nature, municipal representation and reconciliation. After his term in 2017, Jamie continued to promote the development of a new wellness centre as a YMCA board member, and the $25M facility is scheduled to open in 2021.

His leadership and communication skills have won him numerous awards. In particular, he was selected for the Governor General's Canadian Leadership Conference (2008), the recipient of the Volunteer of the Year (2008) and the Executive of the Year (2010) awards. He also received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2013 in recognition of his leadership and advocacy for the community. He holds a diploma in business administration, a professional title from the Canadian Institute of Management, a master's degree in analysis and management of ethnopolitical conflicts. In 2016, he started a doctorate in public health at the University of Guelph's Faculty of Population Medicine, motivated by his commitment to evidence-based decision making and supporting knowledge for the implementation of measures and positive changes.