CFN CEO Named Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award Recipient
- David Anthony Hohol
- 21 hours ago
- 3 min read
The Centre for Newcomers is proud to have Nketti Johnston-Taylor as our CEO. Her personal journey—from fleeing civil war as a child to building a life and career in Canada—has shaped her profound understanding of belonging, resilience and opportunity. Combined with her expertise as an economist, educator, consultant and author, these experiences guide her as a visionary leader for the CFN, the settlement sector in Calgary and communities across Canada. Through her leadership, Nketti brings people together, champions equity and inclusion, and ensures that newcomers are recognized not simply for the challenges they have overcome, but for the talent, ambition and perspectives they bring to our country.
Congratulations to our CEO on receiving this incredible and well-deserved honour! We couldn't be prouder of our leader and look forward to what the future holds❤️
It was several years after moving to Calgary, Alberta, when Nketti Johnston-Taylor had one of those “a-ha” moments. She was helping a newcomer family and, as she listened to their questions, she realized she was not simply hearing their story; she was hearing pieces of her own.
Born in Sierra Leone, she was just 11 when civil war forced her family to flee to the United Kingdom. “Overnight, life became divided into a before and an after,” she recalls. Bullied and struggling to fit in, she searched for a sense of belonging while adapting to an unfamiliar world.
“I remembered the uncertainty, feeling out of place and trying to build a life from the ground up,” she says. “Then, in that moment, it hit me. I wasn’t simply receiving support from others anymore; I was helping provide it. Belonging isn’t something you find; it’s something you help create.”
This understanding forms the foundation of Johnston-Taylor’s work today, supporting newcomers’ journeys as CEO of the Centre for Newcomers in Calgary.
It was an unexpected twist in her own journey that saw her initially move to Canada in 2012. During a family trip back to Sierra Leone, she met a Sierra Leonean Canadian who would become her husband.
“Canada has been the place where I became a wife, a mother of three, a leader and a person who feels deeply connected to the future of this country,” she says.
A PhD economist, educator, consultant and author, Johnston-Taylor’s work focuses on policy, equity and economic transformation. She previously worked with the Calgary Region Immigrant Employment Council, helping connect newcomers with jobs and now leads 250 staff at the Centre for Newcomers, who support tens of thousands of immigrants each year. She is also co-chair of the Government of Alberta’s inaugural Black Advisory Council.
“Every day, I meet newcomers with incredible talent, resilience and ambition. People who do not need charity, but opportunity,” she says. “Canada gave me an opportunity to build a life defined not by the circumstances I came from, but by the possibilities ahead of me. My life’s work is ensuring others have that same opportunity.”
Nketti Johnston-Taylor’s Top Tip:
“Don’t wait for permission to belong. So many newcomers spend years trying to prove they deserve a seat at the table. My advice is this: recognize your value from day one. Your experiences matter. Your voice matters. Your culture matters. Your perspective matters. Canada does not become stronger despite immigration. It becomes stronger because of it. Build your network early. Volunteer. Seek mentors. Stay curious. Be willing to learn. Ask questions. Take risks. But never feel that you must erase who you are in order to succeed. Most importantly, be patient with yourself because starting over takes courage. One day you will look back and realize that what felt like an ending was actually the beginning of something extraordinary.”
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