Board Member

Dr. Wanda (Wuttunee) Charles, a member of the Red Pheasant First Nation, is an internationally recognized professor and researcher specializing in Canadian Indigenous economic development. For the past 37 years, Dr. Charles has concentrated on various Indigenous studies, including Economic Development, Governance, Entrepreneurship, Community Economic Development, Sustainable Development, and the Social Economy. Dr. Charles served as a faculty member in the Native Studies department for over 30 years, progressing through the ranks of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Full Professor, and earned the title of Professor Emerita in 2022. She was also the director of Indigenous Business Education Partners (IBEP) for 20 years. In 2018, Dr. Charles received the Indigenous Faculty Award of Excellence from the University of Manitoba, and in 2011, she was named one of Canada’s 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network. She has garnered numerous other awards for distinguished service and academic achievement. Dr. Wanda Charles holds a Bachelor of Commerce, a Bachelor of Law, and a Master of Business Administration from Calgary, Alberta. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Manitoba in 2001.