Derek Alton
About Derek Alton
Derek Alton serves as the Head of Community at Apolitical, where he focuses on cross-jurisdictional collaboration and digital transformation. He has a strong academic background in psychology and social innovation, along with extensive experience in government communications and community engagement.
Work at Apolitical
Derek Alton serves as the Head of Community at Apolitical, a role he has held since 2022. In this position, he focuses on fostering community engagement and collaboration within the organization. His work emphasizes the importance of cross-jurisdictional collaboration, which aligns with his broader interests in enhancing community connections and facilitating knowledge sharing among public servants.
Education and Expertise
Derek Alton has a strong academic background in psychology and social innovation. He earned a Master's degree in Community Psychology from Wilfrid Laurier University, where he studied from 2014 to 2016. Prior to that, he completed a Graduate Diploma in Social Innovation at the University of Waterloo in 2014. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Guelph, where he studied from 2008 to 2011, and a Certificate in Leadership from the same institution, completed in 2010.
Background
Derek Alton has a diverse professional background, including roles in various governmental and non-governmental organizations. He worked as a Communications Advisor at the Privy Council Office for five months in 2016 and served as Team Lead for International Projects at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada from 2020 to 2022. He also held a fellowship at Newspeak House in 2020 and worked in the Digital Enablement Division at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat from 2017 to 2020.
Achievements
Derek Alton co-founded the Canadian Open Data Society in 2019, where he currently serves as President. He has been instrumental in developing an ecosystem building strategy for Digital Trust in Canada, focusing on digital identity and credentials. Additionally, he has been involved in grassroots organizing and community engagement, contributing to national public consultation projects and advocating for open government policies.
Community Engagement Initiatives
Derek Alton is actively engaged in convening networks for social movements both domestically and globally. He has a strong interest in leveraging technology for social change, as evidenced by his role in founding Civic Tech Ottawa. His work sits at the intersection of open government policy and digital government technology, where he advocates for open sourcing government processes to enhance transparency and public participation.