SE'MA',t, David Dick

Biography

Hello! My name is David Dick, SÉMÁ,t, and I am the Associate Director, Campus Community Engagement with IACE. I'm member of the Songhees Nation with deep family connections to the W̱SÁNEĆ communities, Klahoose, and Ditidaht First Nations, as well as ancestral roots in Switzerland and Norway. I'm the eldest of four born to Dr. Baptiste (Skip) Dick – LEXIXELEK and Linda Dick.

My wife Joy Charleson and I have four adult children—Brianna (Gordy), Jeff (Patti), Shauntelle, and Kielynn—and are proud grandparents to Matti, Sabbi, Ralph, and Baby Gordy.

I hold a Bachelor of Arts in First Nations Studies from Vancouver Island University, a Certificate in Indigenous Governance and Leadership, and a Diploma in Cultural Resource Management from the University of Victoria.

I bring more than a decade of experience with Parks Canada, Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, where I served as a Policy Analyst III / Cultural Program Assistant and later as a First Nation Program Assistant. After leaving the federal government, I contributed to cultural development initiatives and served as Manager of the Marine Department for Pauquachin First Nation.

I later joined the W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council, where I established the QENTOL,YEN / W̱SÁNEĆ Marine Guardian Program in 2021. My leadership supported a successful community‑led monitoring plan for endangered whales, strengthened partnerships with like‑minded organizations, and helped renew cultural connections between W̱SÁNEĆ people and the KELŁOLEMEĆEN / Resident Whales, earning recognition at the national level.

Outside of work, I enjoy walking my family dog and spending time outdoors. I recently discovered a passion for hiking and completed my first major trek—the 7‑day, 6‑night West Coast Trail—as my introduction to hiking.