Political Governance with Mark Docherty former Speaker of the Sask. Legislative Assembly

The Boardroom 180 Podcast

Host Munir Haque, in partnership with ActionEdge Executive Development, welcomes Mark Docherty, a former Saskatchewan Party MLA and Speaker of the House to the podcast. Mark details his extensive career in human services, working in various roles from youth centers to positions in ministries dealing with health, social services, and immigration. Mark and Munir discuss Mark’s transition into politics, driven by a desire to continue serving his community in a broader capacity.

Mark Docherty reflects on his experiences with different organizational structures, comparing government roles with non-profit governance. He underscores the importance of having staff involved in creating an organization's vision and mission to ensure genuine commitment. Munir welcomes Mark’s insight into the intricacies of board dynamics, the differences between operational and governance boards, and the necessity of transparency and clear communication within an organization. The organizations function differently but the necessity of communication and serving the organization’s purpose is something they all share.

Transitioning into his political career, Mark describes how his previous roles prepared him for public service, providing a unique perspective on government operations. He touches on the ongoing debate about electoral reform, specifically proportional representation versus the current first-past-the-post system, noting the complexities and potential future directions of this conversation in Canadian politics. Throughout, he emphasizes the importance of service, accountability, and ensuring that all voices are heard in governance.

About Mark Docherty:

Mark Docherty was the MLA for the constituency of Regina Coronation Park, the area where he was born and spent his early life. First elected to the Saskatchewan legislature in 2011, he was re-elected in 2016. He served as Speaker of the House from 2018 to 2020, and in 2023 he stepped down from the legislative assembly.

Mark has worked in many human service roles, including director of Dales House, director of Immigration Settlement, supervisor for the Health-Community Care Branch, team leader at the Paul Dojack Youth Centre, and clinical director for Leading Thunderbird Lodge.

He has earned three degrees, including a Bachelor of Science (FNUC), a Bachelor of Human Justice (U of R) and a Masters of Social Work (U of R). Mark’s interest in education has also led him to teach several courses at the University of Regina and Saskpolytec (SIAST).

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Contact Mark Docherty:

• Linkedin

Contact Munir Haque | ActionEdge Executive Development:

• Website: AEEDNow.com
• Linkedin: Action Edge Executive Development Inc.

Podcast Production:

• Recording: PushySix Studios
• Production Assistance: Astronomic Audio

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Transcript

Mark Docherty: [00:00:04] “Everybody's honorable. Okay, you got to come from a perspective of everybody's honorable and they're here for the right reasons, okay? That's true. You know, when you walk into that chamber, everybody's honorable, nobody's a liar, okay? Everybody is sincere. You got to come from that perspective. Everybody is honorable. And now, okay, but everybody's trying to call each other names, and they're, so how do you call somebody a liar without calling him a liar?”

Munir Haque: [00:00:40] Hey everyone, and welcome to another episode of The Boardroom 180 podcast. I'm your host, Munir Haque, an executive coach and senior board strategist. I lead the governance and political acumen division with Canada's top executive development firm, ActionEdge Executive Development. In each episode, we meet governance leaders as they take us into boardrooms where decisions shape the world around us. We'll hear the good, the bad and the ugly, but with a keen focus on where the gaps are, discover emerging best practices, and real-world tools to better evaluate, guide and grow you and your boards.

In today's episode, we have the pleasure of talking to Mr. Mark Docherty. So Mark was a Saskatchewan Party MLA, a member of Legislative Assembly for the constituency of Regina Coronation Park. That's the area where he was born and spent his early life. He was first elected to the Saskatchewan legislature in 2011. He was reelected in 2016 and again in 2020. And then while he was in there, he was elected by both parties to serve as Speaker of the House of legislature in 2018 until 2020, and in 2023 he stepped down. Mark has worked in many human service roles, including director of Dales House, director of Immigration and Settlement, supervisor for a health community care branch, team leader at the Paul Dojack Youth Center, and clinical director for the Leading Thunderbird Lodge. He's a founding member of the Street Culture Kids Project, Inc. and has served on boards of Regina North Central Community Association. So welcome to the podcast, Mark.

Mark Docherty: [00:02:19] Thank you very much, Munir, and good to see you. Always a pleasure.

Munir Haque: [00:02:23] Nice to see you too. I don't know if you know that, but you probably know this, but I don't live in Regina anymore. I'm in Alberta.

Mark Docherty: [00:02:30] I've heard that. So I think it's Calgary, correct?

Munir Haque: [00:02:33] Yes, I'm in Calgary.

Mark Docherty: [00:02:34] Excellent, excellent. No, thanks. Thanks for having me.

Munir Haque: [00:02:38] So I gave you a pretty brief intro there, considering all that you've done. So I think maybe we can go into it a little bit more. And I thought maybe we could start out with starting out a little bit more about your life before politics. So if you give me a bit of a breakdown of, you know, what you referred to as human services career.

Mark Docherty: [00:02:56] True enough. Yeah. So I've certainly would be an extensive career. I've been involved with a number of different ministries. I think it's four actual ministries that I was a part of. And a number of non-profits and First Nation organizations and such. So, yeah, as you said, I mean, I started out at Paul Dojack Youth Center, and at the time I was doing, it was a great shift, just four on, four off. It was fantastic. And I didn't start till 3 p.m. and I got to be a triathlete. Right? So I mean, I was, I represented Canada at the World Championships a number of times and which was fantastic. And then I left Paul Dojack Youth Center and went to Dale's House and which was children who needed protection, apprehended status, assessment, stabilization. So I did that again for a number of years. I ended up being the director. And during that time I got, I was diagnosed with MS. So I decided to take a shot at the Maritimes. So I left and I lived in the Maritimes for a number of years, and that was all well and good. Ended up, started in Truro, moved to Halifax and then moved to PEI. And so I was at Holland College, which was the, which is basically the SIAST...