Denise Andrea Campbell | |
|---|---|
| Born | Port Antonio, Jamaica |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Known for | Leading the Toronto Community Crisis Service Youngest president of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women |
Denise Andrea Campbell [1] is a Canadian civil servant who is the executive director of the Social Development, Finance and Administration Division (SDFA) at the City of Toronto. She was also the youngest president of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women.
Campbell was born in Jamaica and moved to Canada at age 5. [2] She grew up in South Oshawa and attended GL Roberts CVI. As a teen, she won numerous awards including the YTV Achievement Award for Public Service and winning the National Law Essay Contest for her writing on Sexual Assault and the Treatment of Women in the Legal System. After high school, she went on to earn a Honours B.A. in Political Science at the University of Ottawa and a Masters of Voluntary Sector Management at McGill University.
Campbell begun working on social justice issues in high school and went on to make a career out of her commitment. Early on, she helped build The Students Commission as a national leader in youth engagement and worked internationally on race and gender policies in numerous United National Forums and the African Union.
At age 19, Campbell was ohost for a season of the show, Girl Talk, on Women’s Television Network (WTN) and she hosted thirteen documentaries on international developments, Global Villagers. [3] .
Campbell has received numerous awards and acclamations for her work and activism over the years. She was named in the Who’s Who in Black Canada and Women in Canadian History poster and curriculum, and awarded the John Brooks, Women of Distinction and Harry Jermone Awards for leadership at age 19 and a second Harry Jerome Award for 30 years later for Professional Excellence. In 2021, Toronto Life named her one of Toronto’s 50 Most Influential People for her work developing the Toronto Community Crisis Service. She’s an avid media spokesperson, a former TV host, and a published author and photographer. [4] .
In the wake of federal NDP Leader Jack Layton’s passing, Campbell created a photography book, “I Am Jack Layton: A People’s Tribute of Love, Hope and Optimism,” which documented the one-year anniversary. [5] .
She became the youngest president of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women in 2001, but resigned soon after given fundamental difference with the Executive about how to solve NAC’s financial challenges as the organization faced financial crisis. [6]
Campbell joined the City of Toronto in June 2004 where she has successively moved through roles from youth and community development, to becoming the Executive Director of the City’s Social Development, Finance and Administration in 2019, [7] [8] which manages $34 million alternative service to improve responses to mental health emergencies. The Toronto Community Crisis Service was launched in Spring 2022. [9] In 2016, working with Mayor John Tory, she led the development of the City’s Toronto Action Plan to Confront Anti-Black Racism. In 2021, she spoke of how much work was needed to tackle racism and encouraged the city staff to collaborate with organizations that were already addressing problem before starting new initiatives. [10]
In November 2024, Campbell was awarded the Lieutenant Governor’s Medal of Distinction in Public Administration, Ontario’s highest honour for public service. [11] .
Campbell is married and has twin boys. [9]