Premier Furey Announces Executive Appointments

  • Executive Council

September 16, 2022

Today, the Honourable Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador announced a number of changes within Executive of the Provincial Government.

These include:

  • Aubrey Gover, K.C. is appointed as Associate Secretary to Cabinet for Indigenous Reconciliation, Office of the Executive Council
  • Patricia Hearn is appointed as Deputy Clerk of the Executive Council and Associate Secretary to Cabinet, in addition to her duties as Deputy Minister for Intergovernmental Affairs, Office of the Executive Council.
  • Tracy King is appointed as Deputy Minister of Indigenous Affairs and Reconciliation and Deputy Minister of Labrador Affairs Secretariat, Office of the Executive Council
  • Karen Stone, K.C. is appointed as Deputy Minister of Immigration, Population Growth and Skills
  • Jamie Chippett is appointed as Deputy Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture
  • Jamie O’Dea is appointed as Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation
  • Judith Hearn is appointed as Deputy Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs
  • Candice Ennis-Williams is appointed as Deputy Minister of Women and Gender Equality, in the Office of the Executive Council
  • Sean Dutton maintains his appointment as Deputy Minister of Digital Government and Service NL

Bios for the appointees can be found in the backgrounder below.

These appointments are effective as of September 20, 2022.

Quote
“Allowing executives within the provincial public service to experience new departments broadens their knowledge base and strengthens them as senior leaders. I am confident that those appointed to new roles today will continue to conduct themselves professionally and effectively as they work on behalf of the people of the province to ensure their respective departments provide the programs and services Newfoundlanders and Labradorians rely upon. I wish them all the best in their new roles and thank them for their continued dedication”
Honourable Andrew Furey
Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador

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Media contact
Meghan McCabe
Office of the Premier
709-729-3960
meghanmccabe@gov.nl.ca

BACKGROUNDER

Biographies of Executive Appointments Announced Today

Aubrey Gover, K.C.
Mr. Gover most recently served as the Deputy Minister of Indigenous Affairs and Reconciliation. Prior to that, he served as Assistant Deputy Minister, Aboriginal Affairs, with the Intergovernmental and Aboriginal Affairs Secretariat, Executive Council. In 1993, he joined the Department of Justice as Solicitor, Civil Division. In 1999, he joined the Department of Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs as Legal Counsel. In that capacity, he was Provincial Negotiator for the Innu Land Claim, as well as providing counsel regarding the Innu Nation Land Claim and Self Government negotiations; Aboriginal aspects of the Lower Churchill, Voisey’s Bay, Trans Labrador Highway and Five-Wing Goose Bay; implementation and ratification of the Labrador Inuit Land Claim Agreement; creation of the Indian Act reserves at Sheshatshiu and Natuashish; and, self-government for the Miawpukek First Nation at Conne River. Mr. Gover has also served as a member of the House of Assembly, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, and Minister of Works, Services and Transportation.

Mr. Gover holds the degrees of Master of Business Administration from Memorial University and Bachelor of Laws from York University, Osgoode Hall Law School.

Patricia Hearn
Patricia Hearn was appointed Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs Secretariat in September 2016.  She was also appointed as the Deputy Minister in the Department of Immigration, Population Growth and Skills in 2021. Ms. Hearn had over 20 years of experience as an executive with the Government of Canada in areas of economic and social policy and programs. Most recently she served as the Atlantic Executive Director of Innovation, Science and Economic Development. formerly Industry Canada, where she oversaw the operations of the Federal Government’s economic program and policy agenda in the four Atlantic provinces.

In addition to her Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Education degrees, Ms. Hearn also holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Memorial University.

Tracy King
Tracy King was most recently the Deputy Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture.  She has previously served as the Deputy Minister of Municipal Affairs and Environment and Transportation and Works. Prior to that, her roles included Assistant Deputy Minister, Government Renewal Initiative Secretariat, Executive Council, Assistant Secretary to Cabinet, Social Policy, and Assistant Deputy Minister, Policy and Planning, with the Department of Health and Community Services. Ms. King has also held a variety of policy-related positions with the Departments of Justice, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs, Health and Community Services, the Intergovernmental Affairs Secretariat and Cabinet Secretariat.

Ms. King holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science and a certificate in public administration from Memorial University.

Karen Stone, K.C.
Karen Stone K.C. most recently served as the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation.  Prior to that, she held the position of Deputy Minister of Health and Community Services. Ms. Stone began her public service career in 1995 as a solicitor at the Department of Justice. She provided legal advice to numerous government departments before joining the Department of Health and Community Services in 2005 as its Legislative Consultant. She has held the positions of Assistant Secretary to Cabinet, Social Policy, with the Office of the Executive Council, Assistant Deputy Minister of Policy and Planning, and Assistant Deputy Minister of Population Health at the Department of Health and Community Services.

Ms. Stone’s law degree is from Osgoode Hall Law School and she has a Bachelor of Arts and a Certificate in Public Administration from Memorial University. She holds a Certificate in Alternate Dispute Resolution from the University of Windsor.

Jamie Chippett
Jamie Chippett joined the provincial public service of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2001. In his most recent appointment, he was a Deputy Minister with the Executive Council. Previous Deputy Minister appointments include Tourism, Culture, Arts, and Recreation, Service NL, Municipal Affairs and Environment, including responsibility for Fire Services, Emergency Services, and the Climate Change Branch, Municipal Affairs, Environment and Conservation, and Transportation and Works. From February 2017 to January 2019, he also served as the Chair of the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board. His earliest executive appointments included the positions of Deputy Clerk of the Executive Council and Associate Secretary to Cabinet and Assistant Secretary to Cabinet, Economic Policy. Prior to his executive roles, Mr. Chippett held a variety of policy-related positions with the Departments of Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs; Tourism, Culture and Recreation; Executive Council; and the Intergovernmental Affairs Secretariat. He started his career with the public service under the Graduate Recruitment Program.

Mr. Chippett holds a Bachelor of Science, Honours, and Masters of Science from Memorial University and has completed the Queen’s University Public Executive Program.

Jamie O’Dea
Ms. O’Dea has had over 15 years experience in the public sector and has held a number of progressively responsible policy, research and management roles with both Eastern Health and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. Ms. O’Dea previously served as Assistant Deputy Minister, Business and Innovation with the Department of Industry, Energy and Technology, Director of Pharmaceutical Services with the Department of Health and Community Services and Cabinet Officer in the Office of the Executive Council.

Ms. O’Dea holds a Master of Public Administration Management from Dalhousie University, two Bachelor of Science degrees from both the University of Toronto and Memorial University of Newfoundland, and a Bachelor of Education from Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Judith Hearn
Judith Hearn joined the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2008 and most recently served as Deputy Minister in the Office of Women and Gender Equality, Executive Council. Since joining the Provincial Government, Ms. Hearn has held a number of senior executive positions within a variety of departments including the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation, the Department of Industry, Energy and Technology, the former Department of Seniors, Wellness and Social Development, and Communications and Public Engagement Branch of Executive Council. Prior to joining the Provincial Government, Ms. Hearn worked in the private sector, engaged in the development and growth of export-oriented technology companies.

Ms. Hearn holds a Bachelor of Education from Memorial University, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador and a Bachelor of Arts (History) from Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario.

 Candice Ennis-Williams
Candice Ennis-Williams started her career with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2002 and has most recently served in the role of Assistant Secretary to Cabinet, Economic Policy with Executive Council. Prior to January 2022, Ms. Ennis-Williams served as the Assistant Deputy Minister of Post-Secondary Education with the Department of Education, held the position of Chair of the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) ADM Post-Secondary Education Committee, and represented Canada on the OECD Group of National Experts for Higher Education. Ms. Ennis-Williams has also held the positions of Director of Workforce Development Secretariat, Director of Literacy and Institutional Services, Superintendent of Private Training Institutions, and Director of Adult Learning and Literacy.

She holds a Master of Education from University of Alberta and a Bachelor of Arts from Memorial University.

 

2022 09 16 4:30 pm