Janet King

Janet King

Chair, PermaFrostNet and Vice Chair, Canadian Light Source

Dr. Janet King is currently the Chair of the Board of Directors for the NSERC PermafrostNet, and Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for the Canadian Science Policy Centre.

Janet joined the federal public service in 1995 as a research scientist with the Geological Survey of Canada (NRCan).  Her research focused on bedrock geological mapping of the Precambrian rocks of the Northwest Territories, defining ancient mountain belts, identifying the world’s oldest rocks, and contributing to the assessment of regional mineral potential.

Janet subsequently held increasingly senior positions in policy development, regulation and operations at NRCan, Health Canada, Innovation Science and Economic Development, and Western Economic Diversification Canada.   She returned to her Northern passion as ADM of Northern Affairs (now CIRNAC) where she led work to devolve northern lands and resource governance and to establish the Canadian High Arctic Research Station.  She continued her Northern focus as President of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) contributing to economic development across Canada’s three territories, and as a member of the Board of Directors for Polar Knowledge Canada, a federal agency dedicated to polar science and knowledge of the Arctic.

From 2018-2020 Janet was Associate Deputy Minister at Public Services and Procurement Canada, responsible for the Laboratories Canada, an initiative to revitalize federal science laboratories.

Janet retired from the federal public service in August 2020.