The Honourable Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, today announced that Dr. Greg O’Leary has been appointed as Deputy Minister with the Department of Education. The appointment is effective as of January 4, 2021.
He replaces Eldred Barnes who was serving in an acting capacity after the retirement of Robert Gardiner earlier this fall.
Dr. O’Leary has more than 23 years of combined experience in the K-12 and post-secondary education systems both as a teacher/professor, researcher and administrator. A complete biography can be found in the backgrounder below.
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“I welcome Dr. O’Leary to this senior leadership role with the Department of Education. His experience across the various levels of the education system in Newfoundland and Labrador makes him an ideal candidate to work with all stakeholders as we continue to transform how students are taught and trained in the province.”
Honourable Andrew Furey
Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador
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BACKGROUNDER
Biography for Dr. Greg O’Leary
Dr. Greg O’Leary has over 23 years of experience in education in Newfoundland and Labrador. He has a substantive and unique background in the educational field, with significant experience in research and academia and he has also worked in a variety of professional capacities in several schools in the K-12 educational system.
Dr. O’Leary has carried out multiple nationally-funded studies, specifically focused on education in Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as projects with other Canadian experts comparing curricular frameworks, both within this country and against other jurisdictions worldwide. In the process, he has been both an ambassador for education in the province and an advocate for change, speaking about our educational promise and potential at provincial, national and international conferences and gatherings.
His vision and plan for education in this region has also been vetted at the highest levels nationally and recognized with over a quarter of a million dollars in individual funding through three prestigious Canadian Tri-Council research awards.
Concurrently, Dr. O’Leary has garnered extensive experience in the K-12 school system. He began working in the public school system in 1997 and has been a teacher and a leader at all grade levels in the K-12 system in Newfoundland and Labrador. He is one of the few provincial school administrators to hold principalships in both the public and private sectors of the province. He has achieved a scholarly background and a deep passion for both student and teacher development, as well as for the rich extension of learning and curricular enhancement in all of its forms.
Dr. O’Leary also has over a decade’s experience working at the university level, having initiated, developed and offered national scholarship and funding programs at both the University of Toronto and Memorial University. These programs attracted significant research monies for students across many disciplines in both institutions. At Memorial University, he has also taught a large number of current teachers in this province at the undergraduate and graduate levels in the Faculty of Education.
Dr. O’Leary has a strong record of working collaboratively with other team leaders in promoting and advocating for mental health awareness, staff wellness, diverse programming needs of students with exceptionalities, and relational approaches to education.
Dr. O’Leary holds B.A.(Hons) and B.Ed. degrees from Memorial University, where he was the recipient of the University Medal for Academic Excellence in the Field of Education. He also holds an MA and a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto, receiving the country’s top awards, the Canada Graduate Scholarships, at both levels. Additionally, he completed the province’s first national post doctorate in education funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).