Wayne Helgason

Wayne Helgason has a passion for volunteerism and for reaching out to marginalized groups to address diversity issues within organizations. For the past ten years, he has held the position of Executive Director of The Social Planning Council (SPC) of Winnipeg. In this capacity, Wayne aworks to broaden the partnership base among the SPC’s many stakeholders with a focus on action-oriented research and support for community groups. Previous to this, Wayne was the Executive Director of the Mama wi wicha itata centre, an Aboriginal child and family resource centre in Winnipeg.

 

Wayne is a well respected local lecturer on such varied topics as children at risk, poverty, employment and training, Aboriginal self government, human rights and social security reform. In addition, he has been a contract lecturer at the University of Toronto-Faculty of Preventative Medicine, the Banff School of Management and the Canadian Centre for Management Development in Ottawa.

 

Wane holds a Bachelor of Arts from Carleton University (1973) and a Certificate in Negotiation and Nation Building from Harvard (2001). He is the winner of a number of awards, including the Queen’s Jubilee Medal and the 2000 Social Justice Research Award from the Catholic Centre for Catholic Studies, University of Manitoba.

 

A committed volunteer, Wayne has held numerous volunteer positions over the past 15 years, including President of the National Association of Friendship Centres (1993-99), President of the Aboriginal Council of Winnipeg (2000-03), President of the Centre for Aboriginal Human Resource Development (1999-present) and board member of the United Way of Canada-Centreaide Canada (2001-present).

 

Wayne is a band member of Sandy Bay First Nation, and he and his family live in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

 

Wayne joined Volunteer Canada’s board in May 2005.