Mia Wilkinson
Industry-Education Council Hamilton
554 Main Street East, 3rd Floor
Hamilton, Ontario L8M 1J3
Contact Mia at: mia.wilkinson@iechamilton.ca
Mia Wilkinson is Executive Director of the I.E.C. Hamilton which is the oldest non-profit Industry and Education Council in Canada. In this role she works with a team that acts as a catalyst for innovative community programming, encouraging both business and education to find creative solutions to the common problem of developing an educated and appropriately skilled workforce.
Because of her unique background as an educator, entrepreneur and NGO Director, Mia brings an uncommon passion to facilitate this work and perform these tasks in an effective, nimble and resourceful manner. Her goal is to make I.E.C. a partner of choice for other organizations that share similar goals.
Prior to coming to I.E.C., Mia worked in fund development at the Brott Music Festival and as Director of Enterprise Initiatives at the Royal Botanical Gardens. Although the two organizations were significantly different, they shared the same objective to create a sustainable, self-sufficient organization in the fast changing Arts and Culture environment. Her ability to adapt and acclimatize swiftly was honed while partnering to found Craftco Industries, an entrepreneurial venture that occupied her energy for over twenty years. During that time she worked with a creative team to develop new product; managed an international sales force and strived to create an organization that was socially responsible. Prior to starting this business she was an educator, teaching at Notre Dame Academy, Hillfield-Strathallan College and the Wentworth Board of Education.
A lifelong resident of Hamilton, Mia attended McMaster University and graduated with a degree in English and Sociology. She has continued her education in Conflict Management, Advanced Alternative Dispute Resolution, Negotiation and Mediation at York University and Conrad Grebel University College and is a certified manager with the American Management Association. An active community volunteer, she has served on the Boards of Hamilton Health Sciences; the Y.W.C.A., the Hamilton Civics Hospital, and the Business Advisory Centre; and as fund raiser for Ronald MacDonald House, the Canadian Cancer Society and the Metro Toronto Zoo.