Portrait
Name
Penny Polchies
Location
St. Mary’s First Nation, BC
Description
Millicent (Penny) Polchies is the Economic Development Manager with the Joint Economic Development Initiative (JEDI). In this role, Penny leads a team providing all aspects of Indigenous economic development and sustainability; they also build support within the realm of Indigenous entrepreneurship. A big believer in sustainable Indigenous economies, Penny supports communities that strive for success.
Penny has spent 25 years in Indigenous economic and labour market initiatives, where she created a provincial network of employment and training officers (ETOs) and facilitated the creation and implementation of their career practitioner certification and training. This was done in partnership with the Canadian Career Development Foundation (CCDF) and resulted in one of the largest Indigenous groups in Canada becoming certified ETOs.
Indigenous inclusion is essential to Penny. She is a strong advocate for inclusion in the workplace and equal opportunity for business development. Penny brings awareness to the systematic barriers that the Indigenous population faces. In support of this, led JEDI to the creation of JEDI’s Indigenous Reconciliation Awareness Module, focusing on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action #92.