OURA AGM, Awards and Professional Development Day

Registration

Please register for the OURA AGM through this ZOOM registration link.

Agenda

Keynote speakers: Anthony Johnson & Dr. James Makokis

Dr. James Makokis is well grounded in all matters relating to Indigenous cultures, traditions, values, and customs. He is one of Canada’s leading experts for Canadians and First Nation communities. Dr. Makokis currently heads one of Canada’s leading LGBTQ2 and Transgender focused medical practices and commits himself to saving lives through his progressive empathetic approach to medicine. He also incorporates First Nation healing practices to connect the mind, body and spirit for his patients. Dr. Makokis is a leading role model within the medical and Indigenous community and regularly consults numerous organizations on mental health, health access, health and wellness, diversity, inclusion, housing, cultural sensitive medicine, patient focused medical practices, health, social programming, social services and social policies for any institute or organization that is working to create a better experience and equal treatment for all. Dr. Makokis provides information on his struggling years as a youth, and his resiliency to become who he is today. Dr. James Makokis and his partner Anthony Johnson also recently became the first Two Spirit team to compete on the Amazing Race Canada and are both getting national attention for their participation on the show, while bringing new awareness to gender, sexuality and First Nation issues.

Anthony Johnson graduated from Harvard University with a Bachelor of Arts in 2008. Johnson’s life has been full of dedicating his career and his time to countless numbers of non-profit organizations, social movements, and councils. He also has a very dedicated career as an international businessman. He has recently taken time to slow down and reconnect with his Navajo Heritage. Ideally he would have found work on the reservation, but because the unemployment rate is around 48.5%, it was next to impossible. Thus, he earned money by providing whatever services he could to whoever they would help. Though this initially started as a means to an end, it turned into a meaningful life experience that has taught him the power of connecting with others. Johnson’s story is one of hope, overcoming adversity, dealing with racism, activism, community engagement and success. His customized presentations can be presented alone or with his partner Dr. James Makokis, who has a very similar story to Johnson.

Johnson’s education and work background is truly inspirational. Johnson delivers sessions that are tailored to the event theme, the desired learning outcomes of the presentation and each member of the audience. His story and his presentations always leave the audience with a stronger understanding of the challenges individuals from the LGBTQ2 and First Nation communities face. He also delivers practical solutions for individuals to better understand their role and responsibility to treat others inclusively and with respect with a strong focus on the importance of prioritizing equality at work and in society. Anthony’s presentations focus on LGBTQ2, sexuality, gender, mental health, suicide prevention, addictions, resilience, health and wellness, self-confidence,  teamwork, leadership and overcoming adversity.

Anthony Johnson and Dr. James Makokis also recently became the first Two-Spirit team to compete on the Amazing Race Canada and received national attention for their participation on the show, while bringing new awareness to gender, sexuality and First Nation issues. They fought hard challenge after challenge eventually to become the winners of Season 7! They are both now speaking across Canada sharing their stories of their experience on the Amazing Race Canada while continuing to raise awareness and advocate for First Nation and LGBTQ2 individuals.

Speaker: Cat Mulvihill

Understanding Your Personality’s Coping Style

When times get tough, our personality’s coping style emerges. Some of us want to put feelings aside and focus on action. Others look for the silver-lining and boost morale. While others want the difficult feelings to be acknowledged instead of being brushed aside.

In this session, you will learn the 3 coping styles described in the Enneagram personality system. You will learn how these different styles can clash, common misconceptions, and how to leverage all 3 coping styles to effectively manage conflict and deal with difficult situations. No prior knowledge of the Enneagram is required for this session.

Cat Mulvihill is a skilled speaker, trainer and facilitator with over 15 years of experience leading workshops and programs. In addition to facilitating professional development sessions for teams, she also teaches how to create more engaging and professional online presentations.

Speaker: Bailey Parnell

Breaking Down & Building Up Resilience

After reviewing hundreds of successful people in all industries, we found that overwhelmingly the number one quality they attributed to their success was being able to bounce back from failure or stress and persevere to meet their goals. In the face of adversity or stress, how easy is it for you to let it slide? Do you naturally run and hide or do you push through? Do you wallow in your stress or strategize a way forward? Lack of resilience can lead to dwelling on problems, feeling overwhelmed, using unhealthy coping tactics to handle stress, and developing anxiety and depression. By developing resilience, you will be better able to manage stress in work and life, build a healthy level of physical and mental wellness, and thrive in adversity.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this session, you will be able to: 

• Practice techniques for reducing stress, recharging and refocusing throughout the day
• Understand the components parts that makeup resilience and practice developing each one.
• Understand the biology of stress and how it contributes to resilience
• Apply strategies for navigating personal and professional stress to focus your priorities and make clearer decisions under pressure.

Bailey Parnell is the Founder & CEO of SkillsCamp, a soft skills training company, and was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women. Bailey is a TEDx speaker with over 2 million views, an award-winning digital marketer, and a businesswoman with a talent for helping people develop the skills they need for success. Her work and expertise have been featured in Forbes, CBC, FOX, Flare Magazine, and more. Bailey did her Masters in Communications and Culture at Ryerson University with research looking into social media’s impact on mental health, the results of which she presented at the World Youth Forum in Egypt and turned into her signature 5 Steps Towards #SafeSocial. 

Next Event

Expanding Diverse Perspectives in Student Recruitment Through Conversation and Reflection

Feb 26 & 1pm.