Dr. Hugh A. Drouin

Commissioner of Social Services
Regional Municipality of Durham

A leader within the social work profession, Dr. Hugh Drouin has a varied and rich background having served as a clinician, college and university professor, administrator, consultant and seminar leader. He has conducted extensive research in the area of nurturing workplaces and their impact on the stress and morale of employees, and has presented to such diverse organizations as General Electric, Canada Post, Royal Bank, Ministry of Health, school boards, District Health Councils, churches, hospitals, social agencies and a variety of professional groups.

In his current role as Commissioner, Dr. Drouin oversees the Social Services Department which is the largest department in the Regional Municipality of Durham, with over 2000 staff across six divisions. Developing into a world-class organization, the department received the Order of Excellence in 2015, and the Gold trophy for Excellence, Innovation and Wellness in 2018.

Dr. Drouin has been on part-time faculty at the School of Social Work McMaster University and received the McMaster teaching award for his exceptional contributions. He holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Windsor, and a Ph.D. in Social Work Administration from Laval University in Quebec City.