Lessons Learned from 30+ years in the Ottawa Police Service 

Tuesday, Oct 11, 2022
7:00 p.m. on ZOOM*

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  Jill Skinner

* Master of Arts in Leadership, Royal Roads University

* Member of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces (M.O.M.)

* Police Exemplary Service medals for twenty and thirty years of service.

* Retired Deputy Chief, Ottawa Police Service

Jill completed her Master of Arts in Leadership at Royal Roads University. She received the Governor General of Canada Member of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces (M.O.M.) and the Police Exemplary Service medals for twenty and thirty years of service. She is married to Tony and is the proud mother of four children, grandmother of five, and great-grandmother of one.

Jill will share with us some of the lessons she learned from her career, with a focus on three general themes.

1)      Stretching Yourself
2)      Mentoring is Necessary
3)      Be Kind to Yourself and Others

While the themes relate to her experience as a female in a male-dominated industry, they are applicable in many situations. Jill hopes her storytelling method of delivery will entertain us while also causing us to reflect.

Career in Ottawa  Police Services

Jill Skinner retired as Deputy Chief in 2018 from the Ottawa Police Service after 37 years of service.

Jill's extensive career included  a significant portion working in investigations involving vulnerable victims of sexual assault, child, and elder abuse. As the Emergency Operations Superintendent she was responsible for all major events in the city, including the annual Canada Day events across the city and the “Occupy Ottawa” protests.

As Deputy Chief, she was the executive lead for the October 22^nd attack on Parliament including the murder of Corporal Nathan Cirillo. Jill was the driving force behind the creation of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police Victims of Crime Committee. She was also a member of the CACP Counterterrorism Committee. She is a qualified Hearing Officer for Ontario police discipline tribunals. She was a Crisis Negotiator and managed the team for several years. She was one of the influential forces behind the Critical Incident Stress Management Peer Support Team and employed those skills in deployment to the 1998 Swiss Air Crash in Peggy’s Cove.

Community Service and Volunteer Work

Jill was a Board member with the Pinecrest Queensway Community Health Centre for 12 years, and she joined the Board at Nepean Rideau Osgoode Community Resource Centre two years ago. She is a vocal advocate for community-based health services especially mental health. Mrs. Skinner volunteers on the Ontario Court of Justice Indigenous Peoples Court (IPC) Strategic Development Committee. Jill was also a community volunteer with community partners on the Bay Ward Task Force on Gun Violence, is the Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator in her community, and is on the Executive of her Community Association, Queensway Terrace North.

She was the volunteer Chair for the 2022 Royal Ottawa Run For Women. She is operating the Ottawa office of Investigative Solutions Network (ISN) specializing in workplace investigations and organizational reviews of police services.