Ian McKinnon, VHS 1966 Policy Specialist

Ian McKinnon, VHS 1966   Policy Specialist

All it took was one year at Vic High, and maybe the family connection, (his brother Peter graduated in 1968), to convince Ian to volunteer with the Vic High Alumni. Active with the Alumni for over 13 years, he’s supported Alumni work in many ways, and currently acts as Alumni liaison to School District 61. He also provided heritage information and support to the current seismic upgrading of Vic High.

Ian is also a proud grad of the University of Victoria and Yale University, and has held senior positions in both the public and private sector focussing on public policy issues and research. He’s the former Chair of Canada’s National Statistics Council, and a long-standing member of the National Advisory Committee on Social Statistics.

In the private sector, his positions included President of Decima Research, a survey research firm specializing in public policy issues which conducted many international research projects. In Canada’s federal government, he worked in the Privy Council Office and the Prime Minister’s office, and in BC he has served as a deputy minister.

Internationally his work also included volunteer teaching with CUSO (Canadian University Service Overseas), election readiness advising with the Jimmy Carter Center in China, and consulting for the Prime Minister’s Office of Vietnam.

For the past decade, he has been president of a consulting firm specializing in public policy and statistical research.