National Capital Region's Top Employers (2026) Magazine - Magazine - Page 16
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NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION’S TOP EMPLOYERS (2026)
Carleton has a strong focus on wellness and growth
L
eanne Wilson likes to
joke that she feels like
she grew up at Carleton
University.
Since joining the
university in 2008 as a support
clerk in the facilities department,
Wilson has steadily worked her
way up through the department
to her current perch as assistant
director of space management
and capital planning. She credits
some of that trajectory to the
university’s support for continued
growth and development.
“I’ve been very fortunate along
the way; I’ve always had, at every
part of my career, a mentor who’s
challenged me and helped me
grow through my progression at
Carleton,” Wilson says. She’s also
taken advantage of the university’s
free tuition and professional
development funding for
employees, allowing her to take
a French course and achieve a
project management certificate.
Wisdom Tettey, president and vice-chancellor at Carleton University, speaks at a welcome event.
I’ve always had, at every
part of my career, a
mentor who’s challenged
me and helped me grow
through my progression
at Carleton.
— Leanne Wilson
Assistant Director,
Space Management and
Capital Planning
In 2019, she participated in
the first stream of the Carleton
Leader development initiative.
The initiative has three streams
that individuals can advance
through, and Wilson says the
second is on her development
roadmap.
“It was a really pivotal moment
in my career, because I recognized
that no matter what level you’re at,
everyone has the opportunity to
be a leader at Carleton,” she says.
Duane McNair, vice-president
of people, finance and operations,
says leadership development is a
key element of focus for university
employees. “Carleton developed
our own leadership development
initiative to provide leadership
capability, to foster a positive
work environment, and encourage
innovative and transformative
practices,” he says.
Each cohort gathers a group
of faculty and staff from across
the university, bringing academic
and administrative leaders
together to explore leadership
in a Carleton context and giving
employees the opportunity to
build relationships with people
they don’t work with day-to-day,
he says. “It’s an engaging and a
transformative experience. Many
of my colleagues have completed
it and speak very highly of it.”
McNair notes each department
also has a professional
development budget that
can cover some of the cost of
continued learning and a $50,000
career development fund that
employees can draw upon to
pursue professional development.
Carleton employees, their
dependants and children can also
access university programs with
free tuition.
Carleton also has a strong
focus on health and well-being,
McNair says. The university’s
healthy workplace initiative
has lunch and learn workshops
on topics like friendship in
adulthood, menopause, and
managing chronic illnesses, plus
monthly wellness challenges and
lunch-hour leagues for basketball,
pickleball, squash, volleyball,
hockey and more.
The university also gives
employees at least 22 vacation
days per year, the option to take
