Gimaa R. Stacey Laforme is married with five children and currently resides on the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. Overcoming a difficult early life marked by alcoholism and abuse, he found stability with his grandmothers and started his work career at age 12. His diverse work history includes well-digging, house-building, ironwork (Iron Worker Local 736), administration, and delivering an empowerment curriculum to on-reserve schools. His educational background is in general business.

Laforme's political career began in the late 1990s with his election to the MCFN Council. He served multiple terms as a Councillor before being elected Chief in 2015, a position he held until his retirement in 2023. During his tenure, Laforme focused on improving communication, raising awareness, and building relationships regionally, nationally, and internationally.

Throughout his career, Laforme has established strong relationships with political figures at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels. His ability to collaborate and communicate effectively has facilitated numerous partnerships and memorandums of understanding with governments, regions, municipalities, universities, colleges, and diverse organizations and businesses.

Laforme has met with several members of the British royal family, including King Charles III in 2022. These interactions have underscored his influential role in promoting Indigenous issues and highlighted the importance of Indigenous voices in the broader dialogue between Canada and the Crown.

Laforme is also a celebrated poet and storyteller, using his creative talents to promote and preserve Indigenous culture and traditions. His poetry, often addressing themes of identity, culture, and social justice, resonates with a wide audience. His work has been featured in significant events such as the opening of CBC’s Olympic coverage and collaborations with artists like Kevin Hearn and Josh Finlayson. One of his poems is permanently inscribed on a monument within his community, reflecting his deep connection to his cultural heritage and his efforts to promote reconciliation through art.

His literary contributions include best-selling works such as “Living in the Tall Grass: Poems of Reconciliation” and “Love Life Loss and a Little Bit of Hope: Poems from the Soul.” These collections offer poignant insights into the experiences and histories of Indigenous peoples, aiming to foster understanding and empathy among readers.

In recognition of his extensive contributions, Laforme has received numerous accolades, including the 2024 Friend of the Greenbelt Award and being named an honorary senior fellow at Massey College, a rare honor he shares with the Duke of Edinburgh and the Chancellor of Oxford University. In 2018, De dwa da dehs nye presented him with the Walter Cook Wisdom Keeper Award for exemplifying significant and continuous service to the community with integrity, generosity of spirit, humility, courage, collaboration, "The Good Mind," and traditional ways of knowing and being.

After retiring as Chief, Laforme continues to be active in cultural advocacy and public engagements. He remains committed to advancing Indigenous rights and reconciliation, aiming to bridge the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. He believes that everyone has an obligation to make the world just a little better.

He is involved with the Sacred Trust Foundation, which was started by friends in Oakville to continue his work of making the world better through inclusion, diversity, and friendship. He has accepted a contract with the Hillcore Group as Strategic Advisor, Indigenous Relations, using his skills in strategic planning, systems coordination, and Indigenous ways of being to assist in building relationships and offer advice to the Erika Foundation, raising awareness of suicide and mental wellness issues.

“Instead of thinking of climate change as a problem to be solved, think of Mother Earth as a soul to be saved. If we can do that, we can do anything.”

R. Stacey Laforme

 

Brian Rusch got his start in Rotary as a Rotary Youth Exchange student to Brazil and in his 20s joined the Rotary Club of Hollywood, California USA. He helped charter San Francisco Castro Rotary, Rotary’s first LGBTQ+ cultured club. In 2020, Brian chartered the Rotary Club for Global Action—a unique club focused on international service, made up of members from more than 29 countries around the world. Brian is a founding member of Rotary International’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force which was created to put together a plan to assess the state of DEI in Rotary and amongst its 1.4 million members. He currently serves as vice-chair of Rotary International’s Joint Advisory Council on DEI, responsible for advising the Trustees and Board on the implementation of a diversity, equity, and inclusion action plan.

 

Professionally, Brian strategizes with nonprofits, governments, corporations, and celebrities to help optimize their platforms to be change makers for good. He has run organizations for both Archbishop Desmond Tutu and His Holiness the Dalai Lama, taking the knowledge they have imparted on him to create programs for youth to inspire their own explorations of ethics, and to reshape conversations on peace, equality and forgiveness. Currently, Brian is the CEO of Out For Equality, a US-based nonprofit that provides strategy and resources to grassroots LGBTQ+ organizations fighting for human rights around the world.