News Release

FREDERICTON (CNB) – A number of appointments, new assignments and retirements at the senior level of the public service were announced today by Premier David Alward. Most of the changes are effective Dec. 1.

"These talented individuals all come from within the public service, and I have great confidence that they will bring new ideas and a new look to their respective departments as we all work together to make government more efficient and responsible for the people of our province," Alward said. "These changes are being made to bring new leadership and a creative approach to the upper ranks of our public service at a time when we are asking departments to examine every service and program to reduce unnecessary spending."

Four new deputy minister appointments include:

●    Mike Ferguson, currently auditor general, becomes deputy minister of finance. Ferguson joined the provincial government in 1985 with the Office of the Comptroller. He received his bachelor of business administration from the University of New Brunswick in 1980 and earned his chartered accountant designation in 1984. He was appointed provincial comptroller in 2000 and auditor general in 2005. He served as president of the New Brunswick Institute of Chartered Accountants from June 2009 to June 2010.

●    Dale Wilson, currently assistant deputy minister of corporate services and fleet management with the Department of Transportation, becomes deputy minister of public safety. In his 30 years with the provincial government, Wilson worked in various departments including Health, the Board of Management and Agriculture. He also had the opportunity to live, work and teach in Africa for several years through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). He continues to stay involved with Africa as project manager of a CIDA-funded public-service-management capacity-building initiative. A graduate of the University of New Brunswick with a degree in business administration, he subsequently obtained his chartered accountant designation.

●    Wendy McLeod-MacKnight, currently assistant deputy minister of program design and quality management at the Department of Social Development, becomes deputy minister of education (anglophone sector). As assistant deputy minister, McLeod-MacKnight was responsible for program development and stakeholder relations for early childhood development services, child welfare services, income support and housing services, services for persons with disabilities, long-term care and nursing home services. As a senior policy analyst, she was a key member of the federal/provincial team that developed the National Child Benefit. She began her career in the public service as a policy analyst with Tourism, Recreation and Heritage.

●    Perry Haines, currently assistant deputy minister of community planning and environmental protection with the Department of Environment, becomes acting deputy minister of environment. Haines has been with the provincial government for more than 24 years at various positions within the Department of Environment, for the last three-and-one-half years as assistant deputy minister. Haines has an undergraduate degree as well as a master's degree in engineering from the University of New Brunswick.

One associate deputy minister appointment is:

●    Lyne St-Pierre-Ellis, currently executive director of rural health, medical education and francophone services with the Department of Health, becomes associate deputy minister of health (francophone services). St-Pierre-Ellis has worked for the provincial government since 1977 and has occupied several key positions in human resources and as assistant director of medicare. Prior to occupying her current position, she was the director of the health workforce planning unit and physician resources adviser.

One assistant deputy minister appointment is:

●    Janet Gallagher, currently director of the procure-to-pay division of the New Brunswick Internal Services Agency, becomes provincial comptroller. A 28-year veteran of the New Brunswick public service, Gallagher has worked in a variety of positions with the Office of the Comptroller. Most recently, she was responsible for the province's financial information systems and preparation of public accounts before joining the internal services agency in 2008.

Six deputy ministers will receive new assignments:

●    Byron James, currently deputy minister of post-secondary education, training and labour and acting deputy minister of education (anglophone sector), is appointed clerk of the executive council and secretary to cabinet.

●    Jean Castonguay, currently associate deputy minister of health (francophone services), becomes deputy minister of transportation. His appointment is effective Dec. 6.

●    Marc Léger, currently deputy minister of public safety, becomes deputy minister of post-secondary education, training and labour.

●    Sylvie Levesque-Finn, president of Service New Brunswick, in addition becomes deputy minister of local government.

●    Ellen Barry, currently deputy minister of tourism and parks and deputy minister of wellness, culture and sport, becomes deputy minister of the Office of Human Resources.

●    Carolyn MacKay, currently deputy minister of the Office of Human Resources, becomes deputy minister of tourism and parks and deputy minister of wellness, culture and sport.

In addition, Kim MacPherson, currently provincial comptroller, will be appointed as auditor general. MacPherson, a 25-year veteran of the public service, will become the first female auditor general in the province's history.

Four long-serving deputy ministers are retiring from the public service effective Dec. 1:

●    David Ferguson, clerk of the executive council and secretary to cabinet. Ferguson has served for 39 years in the New Brunswick public service, with more than 16 years at the deputy level. He was named deputy minister of advanced education and labour in 1994, and he served as deputy minister with the Office of the Solicitor General from 1998 to 2000, with Natural Resources and Energy from 2000 to 2003, and with Natural Resources from 2003 to 2007, until serving as clerk of the executive council from 2007 to 2010.

●    John Mallory, deputy minister of finance. With more than 40 years in the New Brunswick public service, Mallory has served as deputy minister of finance since December 1995. He is the longest-serving deputy minister of fFinance in Canada. Mallory has served under six premiers and seven finance ministers in both Liberal and Conservative administrations. As deputy minister, Mallory has been involved in all major financial initiatives undertaken by the provincial government during the past 15 years. Prior to becoming deputy minister, he served in various management and professional positions with the departments of Finance and Environment and the Cabinet Secretariat.

●    David Johnstone, deputy minister of transportation. Johnstone was appointed deputy minister of transportation in 1998. A long-term employee of the department, he served in a number of positions during his career, including district transportation engineer, director of technical services, executive director of operations, and assistant deputy minister and chief highway engineer. A native New Brunswicker and graduate of the University of New Brunswick in civil engineering, Johnstone is past-president of the Transportation Association of Canada and a past chair of the Council of Deputy Ministers Responsible for Transportation and Highway Safety. He was named a Fellow of Engineers Canada in 2009.

●    Bonny Hoyt-Hallett, deputy minister of Local Government and deputy minister of Environment. Hoyt-Hallett previously served as acting deputy minister of Local Government before being named deputy minister of the department in December 2006.  She was also named deputy minister of Environment in January 2009. She joined the public service in 1984 at Health and Community Services, where she worked until 1998. Since then, she has worked in various departments involving the municipal sector. Prior to joining the public service, she was executive director of the Nurses Association of New Brunswick and taught nursing at the University of New Brunswick.

"I want to thank David Ferguson, John Mallory, David Johnstone and Bonny Hoyt-Hallett for their many years of exceptional and dedicated service to the people of their province," Alward said. "Throughout their careers, they have served in important roles across government. Already planning to retire, they all opted to stay and help us make a smooth transition to government. I wish them a well-deserved retirement."

Following is the complete list of deputy ministers, deputy heads and presidents of Crown corporations (* denotes a change or addition):

Nancy McKay
Chief of Staff, Office of the Premier

Byron James*
Clerk of the Executive Council and Secretary to Cabinet

Darell Fowlie    
Deputy Minister responsible for Communications, Office of the Premier

Dallas McCready
Deputy Minister responsible for Strategic Initiatives, Executive Council

Greg Lutes
Secretary to the policy and priorities committee of Cabinet, Executive Council

Tim Porter
Deputy Minister of Communications New Brunswick (acting)

Judith Keating
Deputy Attorney General and Deputy Minister of Justice and Consumer Affairs (acting)

Dale Wilson*
Deputy Minister of Public Safety

Mike Ferguson*
Deputy Minister of Finance

Louise Lemon
Deputy Minister of Supply and Services
President, New Brunswick Internal Services Agency

Jean Castonguay*
Deputy Minister of Transportation

Phil LePage
Deputy Minister of Natural Resources

Jim McKay
Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries

Don Ferguson    
Deputy Minister of Health

James Hughes    
Deputy Minister of Social Development

Marc Léger*
Deputy Minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour

Roger Doucet
Deputy Minister of Education (francophone sector)

Wendy McLeod-MacKnight*
Deputy Minister of Education (anglophone sector)

Perry Haines*    
Deputy Minister of Environment (acting)

Sylvie Levesque-Finn*
Deputy Minister of Local Government*
President, Service New Brunswick

Bill Levesque    
Deputy Minister of Business New Brunswick

Carolyn MacKay*
Deputy Minister of Wellness, Culture and Sport
Deputy Minister of Tourism and Parks

Edith Doucet    
Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs

Douglas Holt    
Deputy Minister of Energy (acting)

Ellen Barry*
Deputy Minister of the Office of Human Resources

Patrick Francis
Deputy Minister of Aboriginal Affairs

Kim MacPherson*
Auditor General

Daniel Allain
President and chief executive officer, NB Liquor

Denis Caron    
President, Regional Development Corporation

Elizabeth Weir
President and chief executive officer, Efficiency NB

Gaëtan Thomas
President and chief executive officer, NB Power

John Sinclair
President, New Brunswick Investment Management Corporation

Douglas Stanley
President, WorkSafeNB