End Homelessness Winnipeg appoints Rattray as CEO

End Homelessness Winnipeg has selected a former journalist and public servant as its new chief executive officer.

The organization announced it appointed Jennifer Rattray to the position in a news release Thursday, describing her as a “recognized champion of systems change, equity and reconciliation.”

“Ending homelessness requires partnership, accountability, and a shared commitment to dignity. I look forward to working alongside community and government partners to advance solutions that create meaningful change for our unsheltered relatives,” Rattray said in a statement.

“This work is urgent, there is a humanitarian crisis on our streets every day, and together we can and must do better.”

Rattray will take the helm of the organization as the Manitoba capital grapples with record-high homelessness levels, End Homelessness Winnipeg said, referring to its latest street census.

Rattray is a member of Peepeekisis Cree Nation in southern Saskatchewan. She began her career as a journalist, before transitioning into the public sector.

Her resumé includes a decade of experience as associate vice-president at the University of Winnipeg.

She was executive director of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and a special representative to Canada’s minister of Crown-Indigenous relations, the release stated.

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Rattray also served as an assistant deputy minister with the provincial government and also worked with the Southern Chiefs’ Organization.

“Her values, experience, and record of results make her uniquely suited to lead End Homelessness Winnipeg at this critical time,” the organization’s board chair, Samantha Brown, said in the release.

The Free Press requested an interview with Rattray Thursday to discuss her vision for the organization, and her opinion on the city’s biggest challenges surrounding homelessness.

A spokesperson said Rattray would not be available to speak to media until next week because she is “using the next few days for structured onboarding, internal briefings, and meetings with staff and the board to ensure alignment on priorities and organizational direction.”

End Homelessness Winnipeg announced it had launched a search for a new leader last August, after the tenure of former CEO Jason Whitford ended.