Jesse works at the intersection of First Nations rights, environmental protection and major project development. He serves as the Senior VP, Research, Innovation and Legal Affairs for the First Nations Major Projects Coalition, a non-political and business focused coalition of over 150 First Nations working to advance First Nations economic participation in major projects across Canada.
Jesse has previously served as Director of Policy and Indigenous Relations for the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and as Director of Rights Implementation for the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada. In those roles, he contributed to the establishment of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas, the reform of Canada’s environmental assessment processes and the passage of federal legislation to implement the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Jesse has also advanced First Nations rights and interests internationally as a Senior Indigenous Fellow at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and he has served as a law clerk at the Federal Court of Canada. He holds degrees from the University of Guelph, the University of Ottawa and the Harvard Law School. Jesse is a member of the National Board of the Liberal Party of Canada and he serves as Chair of the Indigenous Relations Council of the Canadian Nuclear Association.
As a proud citizen of Canada, the Anishinabek Nation and the Oneida Nation (Wolf Clan), Jesse is committed to the achievement of reconciliation through the implementation of rights, treaties and responsibilities.
