About the Indigenous applicant advisor

Ellen Newman is Kwagiulth, Haida, Salish, English, Irish, Scottish, and Swedish in heritage. Ellen’s traditional name is Kugwi'sila’ogwa (Cue' gwee' see' la' o gwa). She has worked for the BC Public Service since 2018.

As the Indigenous applicant advisor, Ellen supports Indigenous applicants, informs improvements to remove barriers in hiring and promotes accessibility to public service employment opportunities. 

Previously, her career was in the non-profit sector, minus one year as an Indigenous Youth Intern in the inaugural year of the program. Over her career, Ellen has worked in direct service, policy, curriculum development and support for public sector board governance. She firmly believes in contributing to her community via volunteerism and is a past board member for Surrounded by Cedar and the Victoria Native Friendship Centre. Ellen holds a Bachelor of Social Work from Toronto Metropolitan University (recently renamed).