DeRico Symonds
DeRico Symonds, an 8th-generation African Nova Scotian, serves as Director of Engagement & Initiatives with the African Nova Scotian Justice Institute (ANSJI). He is the founder and President of Ignite Consulting and has received numerous awards, including the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Award, the Irving & Ruth Pink Award for Youth Development, and the Dr. Burnley "Rocky" Jones Human Rights Award. He is an Impact Race and Cultural Assessor with ANSJI. DeRico has worked with organizations like the Department of National Defense, Canada Border Services, United Way Halifax, and several universities in delivering training's and workshops. He co-chaired the 2022 National Black Canadian Summit in Halifax, sits on the National Justice Action Committee with the Black Opportunity Fund, and is a former commissioner of the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission. DeRico led efforts to create Nova Scotia’s Dismantling Racism and Hate Act, HRM's and Edmonton’s Anti-Black Racism Action Plans, and a policy change enabling employment for individuals with criminal records in HRM. He represented Canada alongside the UN in Senegal. He holds a B.A. in Child & Youth Study and an M.Ed. in Counselling.