Jean Pochat-Cotilloux is admired throughout the Western Arctic for his selfless service to the North and its people. As the founding director of Grandin College in Fort Smith, he played a vital role in nurturing a generation of Aboriginal leaders who have articulated a new vision for the North. He later provided his expertise to the Western Arctic Leadership Program, which was inspired by the model of Grandin College. He has also served as a priest in Rae-Edzo (now Behchoko), where he cultivated close ties with the Dogrib people of the Dene Nation and demonstrated a deep respect for their traditions and values.