Since 2022, Jennifer has been the Director, Indigenous Relations at the Toronto Zoo. Prior to joining the Zoo, Jennifer has held a variety of positions in the public sector, including the Cit of Toronto (Indigenous Affairs Office and Strategic and Corporate Policy) as well as the Province of Ontario in various policy focused positions.  Jennifer’s journey to her role at the Zoo evolved over her 25-year career in public service, combined with a deep passion for community and transformative change. Her role at the Toronto Zoo is multi-layered and always evolving – from onsite programming and storytelling, nurturing a safe space for community to enjoy and connect with plant and animal relatives, working closely with First Nations advisors and knowledge carriers to braid knowledge systems and decolonizing the Zoo’s business practices. 

 Jennifer is Red River Metis (Bird, Cromarty, Hourie) and a registered citizen of the Manitoba Metis Federation. Her family is from the Anglo-Metis community in Birch Hills, Saskatchewan and later migrated to the Athabasca region of northern Alberta. She has lived in Toronto since 2001.