Grand Council Treaty #3 welcomes new CEO

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Grand Council Treaty #3 has officially welcomed a new administrative leader.

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On Sep. 17, GCT3 announced that Lucas King will be taking on the role of the organization’s Chief Executive Officer. King has been a longtime employee of the organization, starting out in 2016 with its Territorial Planning Unit (TPU) before recently stepping in to serve as its Acting Executive Director (ED).

Whereas the organization previously functioned through an ED model, King’s hiring marks the beginning of a new CEO-based model that will “strengthen organizational leadership and enhance our strategic capacity,” GCT3 wrote on Wednesday.

In a statement posted on the GCT3 website, King described himself as stepping into the role “with deep humility and great excitement” and that he is “honoured to continue to work with such a passionate and dedicated team.

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“I look forward to working alongside the leadership and staff of the Grand Council Treaty #3 to support and uplift the Nation’s vision, values, and inherent rights,” he said.

“The commitment of the staff, the strength of communities, and the wisdom of knowledge keepers and leadership are imperative in protecting the Treaty and asserting jurisdiction and Anishinaabe Inaakonigewin.”

Notably, King also identifies as a settler-Canadian, meaning he is a non-Indigenous person. With this in mind, he credits Treaty 3’s many Elders, as well as the rest of GCT3’s knowledge keepers and staff for helping him learn more about the culture over the years.

In this opening message as CEO, King acknowledged that nibi (water) is life and that it “connects us all,” adding that he himself spends most of his spare time on the waters of Lake of the Woods, and that doing so has taught him even more about his worldview.

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“As we move forward together, I am committed to fostering a collaborative and supportive environment where every voice is valued,” he continued.

“I believe that leadership is about listening, empowering, and standing together. The strength of the Anishinaabe Nation in Treaty #3 lies in the unity, culture, and collective vision for the future that provides the foundation of Nationhood.”

GCT3 says that the transition away from an ED-based leadership model to a CEO-based model reflects the organization’s “commitment to excellence, accountability, and the well-being of our communities and Nations.”

“While this change in title and scope signifies a shift in our organizational leadership approach, day-to-day operations and program delivery will continue uninterrupted,” the organization added on the 17th.

Prior to King assuming a leadership role, GCT3’s ED was Deborah Lipscombe. The reasons for her departure from the organization have not been disclosed.

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