Glenna Hansen

Hansen involved herself very actively in community affairs, serving as Chairperson of the Aklavik Education Advisory Board, and Vice Chair of the Inuvik Education Advisory Board and Inuvik Regional Education Board. As a business leader, she was a member of the boards of the Inuvik Community Corporation and Western Arctic Business Development Services. She also co-chaired the Northwest Territories Minister's Forum on Health and Social Services.

Hansen also took an active role in managing the interests that the Inuvialuit people gained as a result of the 1984 settlement of their Aboriginal claim. She served on the boards of directors of the Inuvialuit Investment Corporation and of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation. The latter body manages the lands and money transferred by Canada to the Inuvialuit as part of the claims settlement and uses these assets to promote Inuvialuit economic and cultural development.

Hansen was appointed the 14th Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, effective 1 April 2000, the first person of Inuvialuit descent and the second woman to hold that position. Her term ended in 2005, and she was succeeded by Anthony Whitford on 29 April. The office of commissioner is very similar in its largely ceremonial function to that of the lieutenant-governor of a province.