In celebration of 10 years of regulating kinesiologists
Jennifer Pereira is the current CKO Council President. She is a professional member who joined Council in 2015 and became the Council President in September 2019.
In celebration of CKO’s 10th year of regulating kinesiologists, Jennifer shared her experience of being the Council President and shed light to the importance of teamwork while leading the profession during a global pandemic.
1. What did becoming the Council President mean to you?
Being the President is what the individual makes of it. At the time, it never crossed my mind that I would lead CKO and the profession through a change in leadership and during a global pandemic. The tremendous support of Council made it possible! As the Council President, I was given the unique opportunity to unite, guide and foster a collective team that embraced teamwork, valued and expected honesty and transparency, and understood that our collective work has a farther reach than any individual could accomplish. I am humbled by the opportunity and value the trust and faith of Council and staff.
2. What was the most fulfilling part of serving on Council?
The most fulfilling part for me has been the ability to create a safe environment where all Council members understand their voice matters and feel comfortable expressing their opinions, even if they are different from the collective voice. When individuals feel safe and valued, they become engaged and with an engaged Council, honesty, transparency, creativity and growth are the outcome.
3. Your role as the Council President was to steer and guide CKO to fulfill its legislated mandate – could you share how you led CKO to protect the public?
A big part of my role was to navigate CKO and Council through the COVID-19 pandemic. My professional practice and expertise in Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) and Human Resources (HR) allowed me to better guide Council through the following:
- Tackling EHS-related requirements when developing and implementing policies and practices;
- Mentoring and guiding CKO through HR-related needs; and
- Maintaining open, clear and transparent communication with respect and compassion during a time of uncertainty.
Despite the many challenges we encountered throughout the pandemic, I was very proud that we all stayed in solidarity and worked towards the same goal – to protect the public by advancing the profession of kinesiology!
4. As we reflect and honour our past and look into the future at our 10th anniversary, is there anything you’d like to share on this special occasion?
Being the Council President is not a position. Instead, it is creating an engaged team and believing that with respect, we can bring out the best of each other as we work towards a common goal – public protection.