The City of Ottawa has appointed Suzanne Obiorah as its new Director for the Gender and Race Equity, Inclusion, Indigenous Relations and Social Development Service. In this role, she will be responsible for structural changes to improve equity and accountability in the City. Suzanne brings to this role eighteen years of experience in health and social services, extensive experience in leadership and strategic oversight.
Suzanne will be starting her new job on 1 February, leaving her current position at the Somerset West Community Health Centre where she was the Director of Primary Care and Regional Programs.
Alongside community leaders and stakeholders in Ottawa and Toronto, Suzanne has been working to build a provincial health equity agenda for African, Carribean, and Black communities. Most recently, she co-founded the Ottawa Black Mental Health Coalition, bringing key stakeholders and community partners together to establish a regional mental health strategy that improves access to culturally appropriate resources for Black residents in Ottawa.
Black Ottawa Scene congratulates Suzanne on this new milestone in an already exemplary career and wishes her well for the future, as she undertakes this new and exciting journey in community engagement.