The Honourable
Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and the National Capital, Southwestern Ontario and
Toronto Regional Groups of the Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC) are pleased to
announce that the 2021 Lieutenant Governor's Medal of Distinction in Public Administration, Ontario's
highest honour for public service, has been awarded to Marian Jacko.
Marian is the
Acting Assistant Deputy Attorney General of the Indigenous Justice Division of the Ontario Ministry of
the Attorney General. She previously served as Acting Assistant Deputy Attorney General of the Victims
and Vulnerable Persons Division in the Ministry of the Attorney General, as well as the Children’s
Lawyer for Ontario, becoming the first Indigenous person appointed to that role. Marian has also acted
as legal counsel in the Motherisk Commission and for the Ontario Ministry of Attorney General.
As a lawyer
trained in both Anishinaabe and Canadian law, Marian endeavours to amplify the voices of historically
marginalized communities and vulnerable people in Ontario. Marian's vision and distinctive leadership
style, rooted in the Seven Grandfather Teachings of the Anishinaabe and informed by the Teachings of the
Medicine Wheel, has shaped the work of the Ministry of the Attorney General for over 20 years. She has
spearheaded many anti-racism initiatives within the Ministry of the Attorney General, including the
introduction of mandatory Indigenous cultural competency, anti racism and anti-colonialism education for
all staff during her time as Ontario Children’s Lawyer. In recognition of her outstanding career
achievements & exemplary leadership, Marian was awarded the Indspire Award for Law & Justice in
2020 and the Law Society of Ontario’s Laura Legge Award.
Marian
demonstrates a strong commitment to community service, serving as President of the Little Native Hockey
League and as President of the Board of Directors of Anishnawbe Health of Toronto, in addition to
coaching several youth hockey teams.
The Lieutenant
Governor's Medal of Distinction was presented to Marian Jacko by the Lieutenant Governor at a ceremony
in Toronto on October 19, 2022. Since 1990, the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario has partnered with the
National Capital Region, Southwestern Ontario and Toronto Regional Groups of the Institute of Public
Administration of Canada to recognize excellence in public service in Ontario by awarding the Lieutenant
Governor's Medal of Distinction in Public Administration.
Contact: Spencer
Sandor, Member of the Board of Directors, IPAC Toronto Regional Group at [email protected] for more
information.