Women Flag Officers of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN)
Rear-Admiral Jennifer Bennett, RCN, Chief of Reserves and Cadets
Rear-Admiral Jennifer J. Bennett, CMM, CD is a retired Canadian Forces Naval Reserve officer. In 2011, she served as Chief of Reserves and Cadets. As such, she was the highest ranking reservist in the Canadian Armed Forces and the most senior woman in the Royal Canadian Navy. She served as commanding officer of HMCS Malahat from 1995 to 1998, and as Commander of the Naval Reserve from 2007 to 2011. She was named as one of Canada’s 100 Most Powerful Women in 2011.
Bennett was born into a naval family. Her father served in the Naval Reserve and retired as a commodore, while a sister and brother also joined the Naval Reserve. Bennett graduated from McMaster University with a Bachelor of Physical Education degree in 1981; the next year, she received a Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University. She completed a Master of Arts in Leadership and Training from Royal Roads University in 2005. In her civilian life, Bennett worked as a teacher and administrator at public and independent elementary and secondary schools in Ontario and British Columbia from 1983 until 2008.
Bennett enrolled as an ordinary Wren in 1975 in HMCS Star, the Naval Reserve Division in Hamilton. In 1977, she became an officer cadet in the logistics branch and was commissioned as a sub-lieutenant on 23 August 1979. In 1981–82, Bennett served in Kingston’s Naval Reserve Division, HMCS Cataraqui, while attending Queen’s University.
Bennett was promoted to lieutenant (navy) in 1982. She attended the Canadian Forces Staff School in Toronto in 1985 and was promoted lieutenant-commander in January 1987. In 1989, she attended the Canadian Forces Command and Staff College, also in Toronto.
In 1991, Bennett was appointed executive officer (second-in-command) in HMCS Malahat, the Naval Reserve Division in Victoria. Four years later, she was promoted to commander and became the unit’s commanding officer on 1 January 1995, serving until 30 July 1998. Later in 1998, Bennett was appointed the logistics branch advisor for the Naval Reserve. In 1999, she was appointed commanding officer of the Naval Reserve basic recruit detachment in CFB Borden and attended the NATO Defence College in Rome.
Bennett was promoted to captain (navy) in January 2000 and appointed director reserves in the chief of reserves and cadets division at National Defence Headquarters, Ottawa. In 2003, she became the director of professional development and director of the Ottawa detachment of the Canadian Defence Academy.
Bennett was promoted to commodore on 1 December 2007 and appointed commander Naval Reserve, a position she held until 15 January 2011. On 15 April 2011, Bennett was promoted to rear-admiral, becoming the first woman to achieve that rank in the RCN. On 30 May 2011, she was appointed chief of reserves and cadets (now known as chief of reserves and employer support), the first female to hold that position. This made her the most senior reserve officer in the CAF and advisor on Canada’s reserves and the two DND-sponsored youth programmes.
Between August 2015 and July 2018, Bennett was director of the general strategic response team on sexual misconduct in support of Operation Honour, the CAF’s programme to prevent and address sexual misconduct. She then became director general of litigation implementation and served in that position until December 2019. As such, she led the implementation of settlements for former CAF members who were affected by the LGBT purge while serving in the CAF, RCMP and federal civil service between 1955 and 1996.
Women’s Advocacy Appointments
Bennett also served as an advisor, champion and speaker on women in leadership and defence in Canada and internationally. In this role, she worked with members of NATO and the UN, as well as other nations, regarding the integration of women into the military and developing a more diverse and inclusive military culture. She was the first female Defence Champion for Women, representing women in the CAF, as well as DND civilian employees, between January 2013 and September 2018.
In 2018, Bennett led the NATO Gender Key Leader Seminar at the Nordic Center for Gender in Military Operations in Sweden; she was the first international officer in that role,
Bennett retired from the CAF in December 2019. In retirement, she has served in several voluntary positions in the Navy League of Canada, DND’s Defence Advisory Board and the University Naval Training Division Association Board of Directors. She is also a patron and member of the Advisory Committee of the Juno Beach Centre.
Rear-Admiral Geneviève Bernatchez, RCN, Judge Advocate General (JAG)
Rear-Admiral Josée Kurtz, RCN, Commander, MARLANT
(RCN Photo)
Commodore Josée Kurtz.
6 April 2009 Commander Josée Kurtz assumed command of HMCS Halifax (a post she held until 2011). Her ship was deployed as part of the Canadian Armed Forces humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mission in Haiti following the devastating January 2010 earthquake there.
Commander Josée Kurtz was born in Joliette, Québec, and joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1988. She served in the navy and made history on 6 April 2009, when she assumed command of HMCS Halifax (a post she held until 2011). Pictured is Commodore Kurtz during the change-of-command ceremony that made her senior officer aboard HMCS Halifax.
(Photo courtesy Josée Kurtz)
Commodore Josée Kurtz, commander Standing NATO Maritime Group (SNMG) 2; photo taken in 2019.
Rear-Admiral Rebecca Patterson, RCN, COS to the Chief of Professional Conduct and Culture
Rear-Admiral (Ret’d) The Honourable Rebecca Patterson, OMM MSM CD is a 34 year Canadian Armed Forces veteran.
A registered nurse by training, Senator Patterson enjoyed a rewarding career with the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). As a provider and executive health leader, she worked in military healthcare delivery, education, training, and operational and strategic planning, both at home and on international deployments. On promotion to Flag (General) Officer, she was the first person with a military nursing background ever lead at that rank.
With a passion for service, Senator Patterson has lead in many different domains in CAF. From serving as the Defence Champion for Women, addressing sexual misconduct and leading culture change efforts in the CAF, to commanding Canada’s 14th health system, the Canadian Forces Health Service at the height of the COVID 19 pandemic, she has always been focused on creating healthy work environments and uplifting others. She has been a strong advocate to transform the culture, eliminate harmful behaviour, and re-establish public trust in the Canadian military.
Senator Patterson was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal from the Governor General of Canada in 2014, and inducted as an Officer in the Order of Military Merit in 2018. She is also the recipient of numerous other honours and awards, including the Ontario Premier’s Award for Excellence in Health Sciences for Ontario College Graduates, and the Niagara College Canada Distinguished Alumni Award. She remains an active member of the College of Nurses of Ontario, the Canadian College of Health Leaders, and the Royal Canadian Medical Service Association.
Senator Patterson is the first woman to be a CAF veteran and be appointed to the Senate of Canada, where she remains committed to serving Canadians and ensuring CAF members, their families, and veterans have their voice represented. She lives in Ottawa with her family.
Rear-Admiral Elizabeth Stuart, RCN, Seconded to the Treasury Board
Rear-Admiral Elizabeth Stuart, RCN, attended Dalhousie University and received her Bachelor of Science degree. She qualified as a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) in October 2012. In 2016 after her naval service she continued as Chief of Staff to the Assistant Deputy Minister (Finance), Ottawa Ontario. She was appointed as an Officer Cadet (NR) 1983. She served in HMCS Scotian for Dalhousie University 1983. She was appointed as a Sub-Lieutenant (With seniority dated 1985). (Transferred to Regular Force 1986). She served in Canadian Forces School of Administration and Logistics for Logistics training 1986. She was appointed as a Lieutenant (N). She served in HMCS Cormorant as Supply Officer 1988. She served in MARCOM HQ. She was appointed as a Lieutenant-Commander. She served in HMCS Iroquois as Supply Officer 1991. She served in UN Transition Authority in Cambodia HQ (UNTAC HQ) as Financial Policy Officer 1993. She served in Canadian Forces Command and Staff College. She served in Joint Operations Group HQ Kingston as Joint Logistics Branch Coordinator. She was appointed as a Commander. She served in Royal Military College as Senior Staff Officer Personnel. She served in MARLANT HQ as Formation Comptroller. She served in MARLANT HQ as Formation Logistics Officer. She served in Industrial College of the Armed Forces in Washington DC. She was appointed as a Captain (N). She served in NDHQ as Maritime Staff Comptroller and Logistics Branch Naval Co-Adviser. She was appointed as a Commodore. She served in Canadian Operational Support Command as Commander Canadian Material Support Group. She served in NDHQ as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Materiel Group 2011. DND Treasury Board Secretariat Adviser 2013. She was appointed as a Rear-Admiral (With seniority dated 01/06/2014). She served in NDHQ ADM (Fin CS) as Chief of Staff and J8 of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) 2014. (She was retired 2016.)
Commodore Lynn Bisson, RCN, Assistant Chief of Military Personnel
Commodore Lynn Bisson, RCN, enrolled in Canadian Forces 14/09/1988. She was appointed as an Officer Cadet (With seniority dated 14/09/1988). She served in Canadian Forces Officer Candidate School Chilliwack for basic officer training 1988. She was appointed as an A/Sub-Lieutenant (With seniority dated 14/09/1988). She served in CFB Borden Canadian Forces School of Administration and Logistics for training 1988. She was appointed as a Sub-Lieutenant (With seniority dated 14/09/1989). She served in First Canadian Submarine Squadron Headquarters as Assistant Supply Officer 1990. HMCS Cormorant as Assistant Supply Officer 1991. She was appointed as a Lieutenant (N) (With seniority dated 01/01/1991). HMCS Gatineau as Assistant Supply Officer 1992. She served in CFB Halifax as Supply Administration Control Officer 1992. She served in HMCS Ville de Quebec as Supply Officer 1994. She served in NDHQ Director-General Financial Services as Section Head NATO Financial Arrangements 1996. She was appointed as a Lieutenant-Commander (With seniority dated 01/01/1998). She served in NDHQ J4 Financial Coordination Centre as Head of the Coordination Centre 1998. She served in HMCS Algonquin as Supply Officer 2000. She served in Canadian Forces Command and Staff College 2002. She served in NDHQ J4 Logistics International Planning as the Section Head for the J4 Logistics International Planning 2003. She was appointed as a Commander (With seniority dated 01/01/2004). She served in NDHQ ADM Finance and Corporate Services as Executive Assistant to ADM (Fin CS) 2004. She served in MARLANTHQ as Formation Logistics Officer 2006. She was appointed as a Captain (N) (With seniority dated 01/01/2008). She served in NDHQ as Commandant Canadian Forces Support Unit (Ottawa) 2007. She served in NDHQ as Director-General Compensation and Benefits 2010. She was appointed as a Commodore (With seniority dated 01/04/2012). She served in NDHQ as Assistant Chief of Military Personnel 2013. (She was retired 2014.)
Commodore Ruth Dagenais, CD, RCN, Director-General, Financial Management
A native of Bjorkdale, Saskatchewan, Commodore Ruth Dagenais enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces in 1994 and immediately commenced her Bachelor’s degree as an Officer Cadet at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, On. Graduating four years later, she commenced her career in Esquimalt, British Columbia as a Sea Log Officer onboard HMCS WINNIPEG. It was during this time that she deployed to the Persian Gulf and experienced her first taste of operational logistics. Upon completing her shipboard training, she had the good luck of landing her first finance position within Maritime Pacific Headquarters (MARPAC HQ).
In 2003, Commodore Dagenais was posted to 17 Wing Detachment Dundurn, a return to Saskatchewan that she never thought possible joining the Navy from the Prairies.
During the next four years, she worked as the Deputy Commanding Officer and Logistics Officer and learned everything she could about supporting the users of the Detachment and the various Reserve Units within the province. Upon promotion in 2007, she was posted to the Judge Advocate General (JAG) as the JAG Comptroller and Administration Officer. She then returned back to the Royal
Canadian Navy (RCN) in 2008 working in support of the RCN Comptroller.
Subsequently, in 2010, she got her call to go back to sea with a posting to HMCS Athabaskan as the ship’s Logistics Officer where she was able to experience the East Coast and all the Atlantic Ocean could offer including a deployment as part of
OPERATION CARIBBE.
After completing two years aboard the Athabaskan, Commodore Dagenais was again promoted and posted to Maritime Atlantic Headquarters (MARLANT HQ) as the Formation Comptroller. Subsequent postings included the Senior Administration Officer
position at Canadian Forces Support Unit (Ottawa), Military Personnel Command Comptroller, and Director Budget at Assistant Deputy Minister (Finance).
Promoted to her current rank in 2022, she is currently employed as Chief Financial Management in Assistant Deputy Minister (Finance). A recent graduate of the National Security Programme, she has completed a Masters in Business Administration and a
CPA certificate in Executive Public Financial Accounting. She is supported by her loving husband and two children.
Commodore Margaret Kavanagh, RCN, Chief of the Canadian Forces Medical Services
Margaret’s initial attempts to join the Canadian Forces were thwarted because she was a physical education major at university and she was not allowed to become a physical education officer as this occupation was open only to men in the early 1970s. She did get into the forces under the Medical Officers’ Training Program while a medical student at the University of Western Ontario.
Commodore Margaret Kavanagh started her military service in 1979 as a general duty officer. She was not allowed to serve in an army field unit, fly aircraft or go to sea so this was not going to be a long military career.
By chance, she sat beside a senior naval officer at a mess dinner, who suggested she put on a naval uniform and serve as a medical officer on HMCS Cormorant, the navy’s diving ship. She became the first woman to serve at sea aboard a ship. She already had her Ship’s Diving Medical Officer training but she pursued her Ship’s Diver qualification after leaving the ship. She thus became one of only a handful of women qualified as Ship’s Diver.
Her career covered seven different geographical locations in Canada from Calgary, Alberta to Halifax, Nova Scotia plus Lahr, Germany. She served as the Senior Medical Advisor (J1 Med) at the Canadian Forces Headquarters in Bahrain during the 1990 Persian Gulf Conflict. Her duties included clinical general practice, operational medicine in the land, sea and air environments, human physiological research following the completion of her master’s degree and Medical administration. She was the Senior physician in clinic/hospital at Borden, Halifax and Lahr and a staff officer in several headquarters (Trenton, Bahrain and Ottawa) and has command experience as the Commanding Officer of 1 Field Ambulance and 1 Canadian Field Hospital in Calgary in 1994. Since 1998, she held four different senior staff officer appointments and was the Deputy Commander for the Canadian Forces Health
Services Group. In April 2005, she was promoted to Commodore (first Regular Force Commodore) and became the
Director-General / Commander of the Canadian Forces Health Services Group. She retired in July 2007.
She is a graduate of the NATO Defence College and a Certified Health Executive (CHE). She is an avid (semi-skilled golfer) and partakes in a wide variety of sporting activities. She was appointed Officer of the Order of Military Merit (OMM) as per the Canada Gazette of 25 June 2005 in the rank of navy Captain.
Commodore Marta Mulkins, RCN, Commander Naval Reserve Divisions (COND)
Commodore Mulkins was born on 24 April 1967 in Brockville, Ontario. She started as a Naval Reservist at 18 when she took a summer job as a mechanic in 1995. While on land she took a diploma in Pure and Applied Sciences from John Abbott College followed by landscape architecture degrees from Carleton and the University of Toronto. Mulkins is first and foremost a landscape architect. It’s a vocation she learned as a student at The University of Carleton’s School of Industrial Design before moving on to a job as an architect in the Urban Design Department of Public Works and Government Services of Canada. Mulkins took an 18-month leave from the government to carry out duties as a Lieutenant Commander in the Canadian Naval Reserves to command HMCS Kingston in August 2004, the first female to command a Canadian warship.
Other notables in her work portfolio include head of Strategic Communications at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa and a six month deployment to Afghanistan in 2006 as a member of the strategic advisory team on Operation Argus. In command of HMCS Carleton since 2013, Capt(N) Mulkins was promoted to the rank of Navy Captain and appointed Central Regional Captain. Not only has the unit lost a commanding officer of such a rank, the first time in 25 years, but has also lost the honour of being led by the first woman to have ever commanded a warship, namely the HMCS KINGSTON, in 2003. Capt(N) Mulkins was to have taken command of the CARLETON in 2011, but she was admitted to the Naval War College in Rhode Island at that same time.
In June 2015, 48 years old Mulkins was promoted to Commodore and become the Commander of Naval Reserve Divisions. She relinquished this appointment in June 2018 and “transitioned to Class ‘A’ Service”. She fully retired in 2022. She is married to Rear-Admiral Jeffrey Zwick.
Commodore Christine Newburn-Cook, RCN, Consultant and Senior Advisor Naval Reserve
Dr. Newburn-Cook received her MScN in 1979 from the University of British Columbia and her PhD in 1996 from the University of British Columbia in Interdisciplinary Studies: Epidemiology, Research Design and Measurement, Biostatistics. In 1999, she completed her Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Alberta in the Perinatal Research Centre under the supervision of Dr. David Olson. She joined the Faculty of Nursing as an Assistant Professor in 1996 and progressed through the ranks to Professor. In 2006, she assumed the role of Associate Dean (Research), a position that she held until her death.
Commodore Newburn-Cook joined the Naval Reserve in 1974. She served the last ten years as Consultant and Senior Advisor (Naval Reserve) and for 17 years as a Member of the Naval Reserve Council. Christine served as Officer-in-Charge of the HMCS STAR, Engineering & Boatswain Division from 1980 to 1987. After moving to Vancouver to attend UBC, she served as Commanding Officer of the HMCS Discovery from 1993 to 1996. During this period, in 1994, she was promoted to Captain (Navy). She received the
Canada 125 medal and the EIIR Golden Jubilee Medal as well as the Canadian Forces Decoration with two Clasps.
She and Brian Cook, a former Commanding Officer of HMCS Discovery, were married.
Christine passed away suddenly on 15 August 2011. On 14 April 2015, Rear-Admiral Jennifer Bennett, Commander Reserves and Cadets, presented her husband, Commander Brian Cook, CD with her Flag Officer Certificate and her Commodore shoulder boards. While most people believe that the promotion was posthumous, the date of her promotion on her Flag Officer scroll is actually 14 August 2011, one day before she died. The background to this is a long-standing grievance that Christine had regarding the actions of a senior officer that blocked her promotion to Commodore. After working the way through the system, it was decided that she should have been promoted to Commodore and this promotion was approved. However, her sudden death precluded doing this while she was alive. She was thus promoted effective when she was still alive.
Commodore Christine Newburn-Cook died on 15 August 2011 in Edmonton where she was a Professor in the School of Nursing and Associate Dean (Research) at the University of Alberta.
Commodore Lorraine Orthlieb, RCN, Senior Naval Reserve Advisor
(DND Photo)
Commodore Frances Orthlieb OMM, was appointed with seniority dated 17 Aug 1989. She was the first woman to hold a flag rank in the RCN. She served as the Senior Naval Reserve Advisor to the Commander Maritime Command from August 1989 to 15 August 1992 when she retired.
Born in 1938 in Saint John, New Brunswick, she had first enrolled in the navy as a nurse in 1959. She chose to raise a family and work as a civilian Registered Nurse until 1974 when she rejoined the Naval Reserve. She then reclassified to a trade known as “Naval Control of Shipping,” as she hoped to go to sea. In 1983, 24 years after. her enrolment, she took command of His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Tecumseh, a Naval Reserve Division (NRD) based in Calgary, Alberta. This appointment made her the first woman to assume a high-ranking leadership role within HMCS Tecumseh.
Commodore Orthlieb’s tenure as Commanding Officer of HMCS Tecumseh from 1983-87 was marked by a commitment to excellence and a passion for fostering inclusivity. Under her guidance, the NRD flourished, achieving new levels of professionalism and readiness. This excellence was noted. In 1985 HMCS Tecumseh won the Award for Best Naval Reserve Division. They won the award for demonstrating excellence at both the leadership level and at every level below.
She played a pivotal role in the establishment of The Naval Museum of Alberta, a vital component of The Military Museums complex in Calgary, Alberta. Her passion for naval history, and her dedication to sharing it with the public were instrumental in making the museum a reality. Commodore (Retired) Laraine Orthlieb has been a trailblazer, a leader, and a guardian of Canada’s naval heritage. Her story serves as a reminder that courage, dedication, and a pioneering vision can reshape the course of history.
Commodore Andrea Siew, RCN, Director General Military Signals and Intelligence
Andrea served 28 years in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) as a Naval Intelligence Officer. Throughout her career in the CAF, she held a wide variety of challenging positions in various operational and strategic headquarters’ staff. This included Wing Intelligence Officer, Naval Intelligence Analyst, Command Intelligence Officer, Intelligence Requirements Manager, Deputy Director of Strategic Analysis, and Intelligence Branch Advisor. As Intelligence Branch Advisor she had the privilege to meet the extraordinary women and men serving in the Intelligence Branch. In this capacity she was also engaged in addressing complex intelligence issues impacting the future of the Intelligence Branch and the defence intelligence function.
She retired from the Regular Force in December 2003 and re-enrolled as a Reservist in October 2005. She was promoted to Commodore and appointed Director General Military Signals Intelligence at the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) until her retirement in 2008. During this appointment, she provided mission-critical advice and strategic support to CSE and the defence intelligence enterprise focused on Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) for both conventional and special operations including SIGINT support to the Afghanistan mission.
Since 2008, she continues to be a passionate advocate for ill and injured CAF members, Veterans and their families, having led the Royal Canadian Legion Dominion Command Service Bureau network, and provided policy advice to the National Association of Federal Retirees. She has also worked as a senior policy advisor with the Office of the Veterans Ombud (OVO) where she led strategic research teams. Areas of work included transition to civilian life, analysis of financial benefits, support to families, mental health and women’s health.
She was one of the first in Canada to speak out about the challenges and needs of women Veterans, and the need for sex and gender based research to inform policy. In 2014, she spoke on these very issues in front of the Senate as part of their study on transitioning from the military.
As a volunteer, she engages on key issues related to the defence and security of Canada as the Chair of the Royal Canadian Legion’s Defence and Security Committee, a Director on the Legion National Foundation, and member of the Women Veterans Research and Engagement Network (WREN) and the Women Peace and Security Network – Canada.
She also proudly supports and advocates on behalf of members of the defence intelligence enterprise as a Past-President of the Canadian Military Intelligence Association and was appointed the Intelligence Branch Colonel Commandant in June 2020.
(DND Photo)
In June 2012, marketing entrepreneur Arlene Dickinson, of CBC Television’s Dragons’ Den fame, became an Honorary Naval Captain for the Royal Canadian Navy. Honorary Naval Captains represent diverse areas of Canadian society from politics and business to journalism and the arts. They bring with them unique skills and connections that help to strengthen the navy’s ties to Canadian communities. With her South-African/ Canadian background, Arlene is no doubt an incredible contribution.