Charles Cirtwill is the founding President and CEO of Northern Policy Institute (NPI). He joined NPI in September 2013 after twelve years with the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies. An alumnus of Dalhousie University, he earned a BA in Political Science, an LLB, and an MPA focusing on quantitative and qualitative assessment of public policy and programs.
A resident of Thunder Bay, Charles has spent the last decade building NPI into the go-to think tank for information and analysis about the many regions of Northern Ontario. He continues to travel regularly throughout Northern Ontario. This allows him to meet with individuals and groups to directly discuss the issues that affect them and their communities.
As President of NPI, Charles has served on multiple ministerial and regional public policy initiatives. These include the Minister's Northern Transportation Task Force, the CSA Technical Committee on Indicators for Rural Community Well-being, and the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association Economic Development Working Group. Charles was also heavily involved in the community engagement efforts of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada during the design and implementation of the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot.
He has worked tirelessly to make NPI not just an independent, evidence-driven voice on public policy but also a direct contributor to building human capital in Northern Ontario. One of his proudest accomplishments is Experience North, NPI's summer placement program. The program has “graduated” 78 participants in the last decade, 90% of whom are still working and thriving in Northern Ontario.