Introducing Pari Johnston, CICan’s new President and CEO

Katrina King
Hi everyone. Welcome!

I’m Katrina King, Senior Communications Officer with Colleges and Institutes Canada. We are the country’s largest post-secondary education network. CICan – as we call ourselves for short – advocates, builds capacity and drives knowledge to strengthen Canada’s publicly supported colleges, institutes, CEGEPs, and polytechnics.

Today we have the honour of sitting down with our new President and CEO, Pari Johnston.

Pari brings with her a wealth of experience, having spent 25 years driving the transformative impact of Canada’s skills, research, and innovation ecosystem. Before joining us, Pari served as the Vice-President of Policy and Public Affairs at Genome Canada. A strategic leader, alliance-builder, and advocate for cross-sectoral impact, Pari’s influence has reached parliamentarians, senior officials, industry leaders, community partners, and, of course, YOU, the public. Her professional journey also includes an impressive two-decade tenure at Universities Canada, where she ascended to the position of Vice-President, Policy and Public Affairs.

And her story does not end there.

Outside her professional commitments, Pari is a devoted community advocate. She serves on The Royal’s Board of Trustees, Canada’s foremost mental health care, teaching and research hospital. And, inspired by her own experiences, she founded Housing Through an Autism Lens, addressing housing challenges for autistic young adults in Ottawa.

Lastly, Pari has played a crucial role as a founding board member of The Conversation Canada/La Conversation Canada, the national digital media organization for academic journalism.

Today, we’re peeling back the layers to uncover the person behind the impressive resume. We’ll explore Pari’s background, her journey, and her vision for the future of Canada’s college and institute system.

Without further ado, I’d like to welcome Pari Johnston – the 8th President and CEO of CICan.

Welcome, Pari!

 

Pari Johnston
Thank you so much, Katrina. I’m really happy to be here and doing this podcast with you.

 

Katrina King
Well, we’re very excited and we feel very lucky that we could have you join in podcast so early in the game. So let’s dive right in Pari. As I’ve mentioned, you bring a great deal of unique experience and insights to this organization. Can you share more about your professional background and what led you to pursue a career in the skills Research and innovation ecosystem?

 

Pari Johnston
Absolutely. Well, first, you know, I wanted to start off with the fact that I have spent many, many years at Universities Canada, where it was really the opportunity to sink my teeth into, if you will, on the incredible breadth and depth and strengths of higher education across this country.

I grew up in Saskatchewan, I think as folks know, but moved to Ottawa for Graduate School. Where I studied international affairs, and I had an opportunity early on post-graduation to work as an intern at Universities Canada. That led to an opportunity to actually come on board as a staff member in the International Relations division. And so, I really spent the first part of my career there, becoming very exposed to the incredible global reach of Canada’s postsecondary system. The strengths we bring to partnerships abroad when it comes to sending our students bringing students to Canada, building development cooperation and other training and research partnerships, and so over the years, I really, you know, was able to represent Canada’s higher education system abroad. And it also made me see the same challenges that countries were facing overseas that we were facing in Canada. So, and when always says yes to new opportunities. In my case I did that.

We were starting at Universities Canada to develop a stronger focus on Member relations. And I’m always one to lean in when a new opportunity to grow comes. When I was asked to a shift from my international focus to take on Member relations and really grow the suite of services and supports for the universities and their leadership, I jumped at it. I had a lot of chance over those years to really get into policy developments and policy issues and academic and research issues that matter to Ken’s university presidents.

I’m really excited about being able to work with the Member services team here at CICan for similar reasons, and ultimately, I will continue to develop and grow in the work on the national side of Universities Canada for many years, ultimately serving as Vice President, Policy and public affairs, where I really was responsible for engagement and providing strategic leadership to our overall advocacy agenda on behalf of Canada’s universities.

And I really spend a lot of my time on Parliament Hill talking to decision makers and policymakers about why it matters to invest in research, innovation and, you know, skills development. And I was always so impressed, no matter who you talk to about the interest and understanding how post-secondary institutions in those communities make such a difference. And so, you know, that was really a 22-year career in that space. Along the way, I worked with Canadian colleges. Often, we had different working groups and a lot of very strong partnerships, which I know have only grown and then just to close up Katrina, just to say that you know in the last four years I decided that it was really a time to go a little deeper in an area of transformative science.

And so, when an opportunity to take on the VP role at Genome Canada came along and worked under the really extraordinary leadership of Rob Annan, the CEO there, I jumped at the chance and joined Genome Canada, which is the National Research Investment Organization for Genomics. I joined right during COVID and we really were very active in Canada, S COVID response and the rule of genomics in viral surveillance. And then it really telling this story about why it matters to continue to invest in a genomics agenda for Canada and where and how we could really Marshall Canada, S genomics capabilities and health and in non-humann health areas to benefit Canadians. So I’ve combined that postsecondary system perspective with really understanding or the importance of our research strengths and key areas.

 

Katrina King
That’s so great. Thank you for sharing those insights. It’s clear that your experiences have really been instrumental in shaping your perspective. And of course, we’re excited to see how those perspectives will influence our work together here as a network.

 

Pari Johnston
Absolutely.

 

Katrina King
So thank you in a similar vein, what inspired you to join colleges and institutes Canada and what aspects of our mission really resonate with you the most?

 

Pari Johnston
Well, you know, and it’s really, you know, I feel in a way that everything that I have been able to learn and achieve and the and the relationships that I’ve been able to build and the impact that I’ve been able to have and the growth I’ve had is a leader really all came together when I saw this opportunity at colleges and institutes Canada, I followed Denise’s career with great admiration and the impact of CICan and what its members were really doing both in Canada and abroad. And so it just seemed like this perfect fit with what I had, you know, my own career path and what I thought I could bring to this incredibly important national organization.

You know, I really see myself as a steward, Katrina, a steward of an important National Association and the aspirations of our Members from coast to coast to coast and at a time when I think the value proposition of Canada’s colleges and institutes, Seiji Polytechnique, is has never been higher. So what attracted me was the mission, the mission of this association and the Members to build stronger communities for a stronger Canada and to extend that expertise into building stronger communities through college education and training and applied research in partner countries. The closeness as anchor public institutions in communities right across this country. I’m so excited to be able to get out on member campuses soon and really experience the innovative and dynamic work going on .

I mean this team too. I knew that I was going to be joining a very, very high performing, highly connected team and my first week here has just only reinforced that. This was absolutely the best choice I could have made, and I really think in closing that you know we are driven by very strong values of access, of ensuring that the opportunities of a college, uh, uh, you know, our learning institutions are offering an education to students no matter where they live, no matter what. If they have some learning challenges, or if they are not highly represented in post-secondary education, that the mandate to serve those communities is really close to my own value system.

 

Katrina King
Ah, that’s so fantastic. Thank you, Perry. And I’ll say that although we haven’t known you very long, or at least I haven’t known you, your passion in this space is palpable, and it’s already being felt in the virtual halls and the physical halls of this office. So, it’s appreciated, and we thank you for that.

 

Pari Johnston
Terrific.

 

Katrina King
And so, beyond your professional commitments, you’re actively involved in community advocacy, so such as your work with the Royals board of Trustees and housing through an autism lens. Do you want to tell us a little bit more about these experiences and how these experiences have influenced your perspective on both post-secondary education and community engagement?

 

Pari Johnston
Absolutely yes. I am a proud member of the Board of Trustees of the Royal, which is the only specialized mental health hospital training, you know, training institution and research hospital in Ottawa. And it comes from very deep lived experience in terms of our own family. Having had, you know, experience with with a loved one in in the Royals Youth program, my son and I was able to just through that experience, want to be able to give back my own learnings. I brought a certain skill set, but also just feeling how important it was to cause my son was at a very vulnerable age.

That transition from teenage to adulthood, and this is exactly, you know, for the post-secondary system, even though I know many of our college members offer learning for more mature students, you know, still, that cohort of young adulthood is such a transitional, vulnerable time for many folks, particularly when there is mental illness. And, Andrew, my son, was going through an experience, which inspired me to give back to ensure that one of our most important communities. At the Royal I was able to bring a family experience but also the experience of somebody who’s passionate about public policy and but also who could help think about how we connect better with the post-secondary institutions in our city, the work that CICan and Universities Canada has done. And I was quite involved in that at the time to ensure there’s integrated support for students who are suffering from mental health challenges is critical.

And I’m such a strong advocate of mental health is health and that we need to invest much more in integrated mental health services and supports and mental health research. There’s amazing research going on at the royal with Ottawa U and others, so that was part of it.

Katrina, I would say with respect to the linked work that I initiated as a parent with respect to housing and autism is again, my older son was, you know, struggling to find. We were struggling to find housing for him when it was clear that he would want his own space as somebody who, like any young person, doesn’t want to live with their mom forever but also, they need support. And there was really very little. And so, I thought, well, what can I do about it? I was able in our case to renovate our garage so he could live there in a coach house, but that’s somebody with privilege and financial means and I was very sensitive to the fact that that’s not necessarily the case for many families. We were lucky to be able to get a two-year funded what was called Solutions Lab from the CMHC to really investigate the lived experience in housing for autistic adults. And we’ve created a blueprint from all that research because we are really it was, came from the stoinries, the lived experience of stories of autistic adults across the country to create a 7-point blueprint of what it what could ingredients for uh, you know, thriving in housing for autistic adults. And it’s now being continued by the Accessibility Institute at Carleton University.

So as you can see, sit was kind of a culmination of a lot of my interests and I’m I tried to be a systems connector and dot connector and I’m hoping I can bring some of that spirit into this new role.

 

Katrina King
Of course. And I’m sure you will. It’s really inspiring to hear about your work within communities – especially how your own experiences have given you important insights in areas like mental health, accessibility, and it sounds like inclusion kind of as well. Which of course, as we know, we’re kind of key priority areas within the College and institute system as well. So yeah, it’s really fabulous to hear.

I know this is a big question, but is your vision for the future of Canada’s college at colleges and institute system, and how do you plan to contribute to its growth and success during your tenure as eighth President and CEO of CICan?

 

Pari Johnston
Yes, big question on day four, but umm it is it is and and what I’ll say Katrina is you know I have a lot to learn and and especially from our members. So one of you know, one of my first priorities is really going to be to build on the incredible foundation of work that you and all the team under Denise’s leadership and the board’s leadership have really driven. But to spend some time listening to Members, what are their strengths? Aspirations? Challenges? How can we deliver even greater value? In the context of a disrupted and changing landscape, both politically, both geopolitically in terms of, you know, more constrained financial environment in terms of government spending, some of the very important concerns that we’re seeing in terms of social polarization, climate, obviously the climate crisis, there’s just a lot of different drivers that are really adding a lot of pressure to our colleges and to, for me, the association really needs to understand where some of the trends are going. What are members are really most looking for in terms of value from our association and how we can better really tell the story of the impact that colleges are having on the lives of Canadians.

And so I’m going to be doing a lot of listening, a lot of member engagement, meeting partners meeting, you know, our funders, meeting partners abroad to really understand where, but certainly a couple of early thoughts that I’ve been sort of discussing and was discussing with the board as I was coming in where you know there’s a real opportunity, I think, uh, for the strengths that the colleges and polytechnics, institutes and seizure bring in Canada’s research and innovation ecosystem, particularly as it relates to how that links up to industrial strategy and industrial transformation. Transformation as we look at areas like clean green growth, the energy transition areas of biomanufacturing and electrification, I really think that there we could even build stronger links here with what we can offer and bring solutions to the table.

I’m interested in building on the very strong work and partnerships to continue to advance indigenous reconciliation engagement through work with the colleges. There’s already been terrific work there. We have some important memberships and partnerships, but I think it’s in another area where it’s our responsibility to continue to work in partnership and in respond to the defined priorities of indigenous. Metis and Inuit communities across the country.

So, there are some areas where I’m particularly focused on, and I want to learn, you know, from the team and the Members about what we’re going to be able to do together to build a shared future for Canadians through the colleges.

 

Katrina King
Perfect. I think that all sounds wonderful and that you did a very good job at answering such a big question. As you say, and only day four. So, appreciate your answer to that on that kind of positive and energizing note, are there any messages or pieces of advice you’d like to share with our Members, our partners with the broader community as you embark on your new role?

 

Pari Johnston
Well, what I would say really is please reach out. I am very, very interested in, as I said, hearing from Members getting out on campuses. I really am looking to sit down with our partner or existing partners, but also looking at where we should be expanding some of our partnerships with the cities, for example, with national indigenous organizations with.

Organizations that really could see where we have some shared interest and purpose. So I would say, you know, reach out, I certainly will be doing that.

I’m looking forward, for example, to our Spring Conference in Calgary. I’m going to have a chance to meet so many of the Member institutions and our partners in that very dynamic city. We’re so excited to be partnering with Satan, both Valley and that conference.

I would say that I really just want to say the colleges and CICan are continuing to be very much a partner that wants to bring solutions to the table in areas of key public policy like housing, like industrial strategy, etcetera. So please see us as a resource see us as a convener of capacity in this in this country around key public policy issues and please knock on my door because I’ll be knocking on yours.

 

Katrina King
That’s awesome. And I’ll put a bit of a plug in here too. And Perry, I know you’re very active on social media.

Of course, CICan. We’re always communicating kind of where you are, where we are. So, encouraging all our listeners to follow both us and yourself on social media to keep track of where you are across the country over the coming months.

 

Pari Johnston
Absolutely.

 

Katrina King
Again, thank you so much. You’re obviously your honesty and your enthusiasm make us feel very inspired for our work together. As I’ve said before, and so we wanted to switch gears a little bit here and to add a bit of a splash of fun and spontaneity to our conversation, and also put you in the hot seat we wanted to conduct a quick round of rapid-fire questions. They’re meant to be very fast and kind of you can answer with the first thing that comes into your head.

 

Katrina King
So, if you’re ready, I will start. Awesome.

 

Pari Johnston
I’m ready.

 

Katrina King
What is the first thing you want to achieve at CICan?

 

Pari Johnston
Well, I really want to get to know the team and if I can learn everybody’s names before Christmas, I’ll be really happy because it’s a big team.

 

Katrina King
Do you have any hidden talents?

 

Pari Johnston
No, but I have a green thumb. I love gardening, but no, I don’t know if that’s a talent, but it’s a passion.

 

Katrina King
In three words or less. Describe your leadership style.

 

Pari Johnston
I would say authentic collaborative and human centered.

 

Katrina King
Are you a morning person or a night owl?

 

Pari Johnston
Oh well, if I’m honest, I’m a night owl. I’m a forced morning person because I get up to try to work out in the morning, but my trainer sees me usually with a cup of coffee in my hand.

 

Katrina King
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in your career?

 

Pari Johnston
Well, I’ve learned I’ve learned that it’s important to say yes when new. Really intriguing opportunities come along that that my inner voice might be saying. Ohh. You know, am I ready? Just to put myself out there and say yes to it and you know, I think sometimes women leaders, we second guess ourselves and I have learned to trust that voice that says you can do this.

 

Katrina King
Are you currently reading any books, and if so, which one?

 

Pari Johnston
Yes, I’m in a book club with some friends, so we through them. I’ve read such amazing books. We finished a book, the latest book by Barbara Kingsolver called Demon Copperhead, which just blew me away. It’s set in the Appalachians, and it’s an incredible family story about the impact of the opioid crisis, but beautiful writing.

Katrina King
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Pari Johnston
Well, I had an executive coach a couple years ago and she talked to me about the importance of the competency of pause and means I was good at a lot of things, but she wanted me to develop that leadership trait of being able to stop, reflect and think and build in pause into my life. And I and I never thought about it as a competency, but it really, really is.

Pari Johnston
And it’s one that I have really tried to hold dear now and keep exercising the muscle of building the competency of pause.

Katrina King
If you had a magic wand, what’s one thing you would change about the college and institute system?

Pari Johnston
Well, I think that you know what? I it’s really more about what I would like to see and that is increased investment. You know the need to invest in the post-secondary system and the institutions to ensure that we can provide the Community building rules we need to be able to play particularly in a changing economy.

So, if I could wave a magic wand for. Uh, you know, strong, a strong policy agenda and investment agenda that supports sustainable funding for post-secondary. Uh, naturally, but certainly in certain provinces. I would absolutely do that, and certainly, it’s going to be a big focus for me and the Members, and the team is m and the team is making that case, you know, and supporting those conversations provincially through our regional, provincial associations, but also federally as well for applied research and other areas where we just need to continue to invest. We need to see it as an investment in our future.

Katrina King
What excites you most about the future of postsecondary education?

Pari Johnston
Well, you know, when I have again a lot to learn here, but I was. I’ve already had a chance to be in a few campuses. I was at Bull Valley’s campus a couple of weeks ago when I was out in Calgary for some other meetings and I just like the dynamism, the innovative new programs, the energy that I could feel on campus was palpable. And so, I’m really excited about the continuing ability to work with community partners with industry, with you know the, the partners that are Members work with to say, here’s the learning. Here’s the curriculum we need. Here’s the programs we need. Or here’s the problems we have. Can you help us solve them quickly and nimbly? I’m just very excited about learning about more about what’s going on about them, but I that’s just what excites me. I think there’s the dynamism and the innovative sort of spirit on the college campuses is something that really excites me.

Katrina King
Thank you for that. Those are all my time questions. You did wonderfully. Thanks for playing along.

Katrina King
And then it concludes our time together today. But before we go, do you have any final thoughts or messages you’d like to share?

Pari Johnston
Thanks, Katrina. This is really fun and I would just say that I’m really looking forward to getting out across the country over the next number of weeks and months. I encourage anyone who’s interested in connecting with me. If you hear this podcast and want to get in touch, please do. I’m really open to conversations about how CICan be, you know, a good partner. And so yeah, I just. I’m really excited to get going and would love to hear from folks umm, you know, so reach out.

Katrina King
Well, thank you so much, Pari. And again, good luck over the coming weeks. We look forward to getting to know you better and we thank you again for your time.

Pari Johnston
Thanks, Katrina.

Katrina King
Thank you so much, Pari!

It’s been an absolute pleasure diving into your incredible journey. Thank you for your time and openness. Your commitment to innovation, community advocacy, and transformative leadership truly sets the stage for an exciting chapter in the history of CICan.

To our listeners, thank you for joining us for this special episode. We hope you enjoyed getting to know Pari a little better. Keep an eye out for the amazing initiatives and innovations she’ll be leading here at CICan, as well as more engaging conversations and updates from our organization.

Until next time, take care and stay inspired as we continue building better futures for people and communities. Goodbye.