Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Specialist, City of Markham

Joanne Kinya Baker is the City of Markham’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion specialist. She is currently leading the City’s Update of its Diversity Action Plan. With a background in Psychology and Social work, Joanne is a practitioner and educator in the areas of governance, DEI, anti-racism and community development. Joanne describes herself as a social justice and change advocate and has had a prolific career having worked across refugee camps in Africa on behalf of the United Nations and other organizations, as well as in municipalities across Canada. Some of Joanne’s achievements in the DEI space include establishing municipal Welcoming and Inclusive Communities through the Coalition of Inclusive Municipalities, creating Equity policies and securing grants and funding for equity work with communities. Joanne practices her municipal Diversity, Equity and Inclusion through a community-centered lens, and looks forward to sharing some best practices in community engagement.