Dr. DOROTHY ABIKE GREEN-WILLS
Dorothy Abike Green-Wills was born in Pottersville, Dominica, on March 16, 1933. She is the daughter of the late Andrew Hugh Green of Canefield Estate, Dominica. Her father died when she was five; and with the untimely death of her mother from breast cancer, Dorothy was left orphaned. With a bequest from her father and mother, Dorothy migrated to Canada at seventeen and enrolled at Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, Nova Scotia. There she completed the Bachelor of Science degree in 1956, and was awarded the Governor General's Gold Medal for the highest academic performance that year. This was the beginning of a truly remarkable career of one of Dominica's renowned daughters, who earned the distinction as "one of Canada's leading educators and community leaders."
Dorothy was an outstanding student. While working full time, sometimes holding down two jobs, and raising her children, Dorothy earned a Masters degree in Social Work at McGill University and a Masters in History at Howard. But she found her passion in teaching and education; and went on to do a Masters in Education at Concordia University; and in 1979, earned her PhD in Philosophy of Education from Pacific Western University in California. As her writing and achievements attest, Dr. Green-Wills has had a brilliant academic career, retiring as Dean of the Faculty of Applied Technologies at Vanier College in Quebec, the first black female Dean in Canada.
Dorothy began her career as a high school teacher, and was responsible for developing a very successful training and placement program for slow learners in her school's Commercial stream. When she moved to Vanier College, Dorothy established the Special Care Counselling Program at Vanier. That Program now has a reputation of producing excellent Child Care Workers, many of whom have gone on to be successful Guidance Counsellors and Therapists. With a string of achievements to her credit, Dr. Green-Wills was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Applied Technologies at Vanier. There, she enhanced the Faculty's programs with new talent from among women and minorities, integrating the Faculty in the process.
Because of her expertise, leadership and integrity, Dr. Green-Wills has been called to serve on several Canadian national committees. She served with distinction on various Canadian government councils examining the multicultural mix and the participation levels of minority groups in Canada. One such committee was responsible for helping to formulate a multicultural policy for Canada resulting in increased recognition of the plight of "Visible Minorities". A colleague writes that Dorothy "has brought invaluable good sense and wisdom to a large number of community and professional organizations across Canada, all of which she has served with generosity of spirit, dignity and commitment".
But above all, it is this generosity of spirit, empathy and compassion that have distinguished Dorothy's life. She has consistently been a champion for the voiceless and underprivileged, regardless of race, gender, class or ability. She was responsible for designing and delivering a Special Care Counselling Program on the Khanawake Indian Reserve in Canada. Dorothy was also one of the founding members of the National Black Coalition of Canada and represented that organization at the Sixth Pan Afrikan Kongress in Africa. During her tenure as its executive director, the Coalition was successful in challenging and ultimately changing the Nova Scotia law prohibiting the burial of blacks in white cemeteries, an achievement she is particularly proud of.
In recognition of her exceptional service to her profession and community, Dr. Green-Wills has received several awards of distinction, including Honorary Doctorates from Concordia, Dalhousie and Mount Saint Vincent Universities, the Martin Luther King Award of Excellence, the Mount Saint Vincent Alumni Jubilee Award of Distinction, the Minister's Award for Excellence in Race Relations, and the Order of Canada, Canada's highest civilian award. In 1990 she was named Woman of the Year by Salon de la Femme du Quebec.
Despite her outstanding accomplishments in Canada, Dorothy remains a Dominican at heart. She is an active member of the Dominica Diaspora, sharing her experience and expertise on the Boards of the Dominica Association of Montreal and the Dominica Academy of Arts and Science (DAAS). She is a member of the DAAS Adult Education Committee, serves on the DAAS Dominica Hurricane Relief Committee, and coordinates the very successful Roseau Primary School Project, a charity now in its fifth year under her chairmanship. Dr. Green-Wills is married to Roland Oliver Wills. They have a daughter, Sandra Judith Wills Hannon and a son, Leighton Roland Oliver Wills.
For her outstanding achievements and leadership, her distinguished scholarship, and her compassionate spirit, DAAS honors Dr. Dorothy Abike Green-Wills
Contributed by
Shirley Richards
October 2007
