Dr. Joseph LeBlanc is a life-long Northern Ontarian, and is currently Director of Indigenous Affairs at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Joseph was previously Executive Director for the Social Planning Council of Sudbury. Before joining the council in 2015, he worked for a diverse range of organizations, including academic institutions, non-profits, and Aboriginal non-profit governance corporations.

He holds an Honours Bachelor of Environmental Studies in Forest Conservation, an Environmental Management Certificate and a PhD in Forest Sciences from Lakehead University. A big believer in asset-based community development and its possibilities, he leads a team of highly skilled personnel, providing planning, research, development, assessment, and accountability services to a wide variety of partners and clients.