Bonnie Johnston has dedicated her career to serving children and families. Her focus is on continuous improvement of outcomes for vulnerable children, youth and families through collaborative leadership, strategic systems thinking and integrated, cross-sector leading practices.
Bonnie began her career as a nurse in an aboriginal community in northern Alberta. She has held a variety of increasingly responsible roles in the public health and acute care sectors, including Director of Child and Adolescent Health for the Calgary Health Region which included responsibility for pediatric inpatient and critical care health services at the Alberta Children’s and Peter Lougheed Hospitals. From 2002-2012, Bonnie was the CEO for Calgary and Area Child and Family Services, responsible for Child Protection Services, Family Support for Children with Disabilities and Child Care Licensing and Subsidy. In 2012 Bonnie followed her passion for creating transformational systemic change by becoming the inaugural CEO of the Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre, completing her five-year commitment with the Centre in 2017. Since that time she has been involved with Not In My City, an organization founded by Paul Brandt, focused on raising awareness and collective action on human trafficking with a focus on child sexual exploitation and sex trafficking. She serves as a Board member with Hull Services, the University of Calgary Faculty of Nursing Community Advisory Council and the Bishop’s Advisory Committee for the Prevention and Management of Sexual Abuse of Minors and Vulnerable Adults.
Bonnie holds a master’s degree in health services administration from the University of Alberta and a bachelor of nursing degree from the University of Calgary.