Deputy Ministers' Council

Paul Wynnyk, Acting Deputy Minister

Executive Council
Appointed: November 2024

Paul most recently served as deputy minister of Intergovernmental Relations. He previously served as deputy minister of Health and Municipal Affairs. Prior to joining government he served as an officer in the Canadian Forces for more than 38 years, rising to the rank of Lieutenant-General. Along with tours and commands overseas in Afghanistan, Cambodia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Germany, he held numerous high-level positions in Canada, including command of the Canadian Army and – most recently – Vice Chief of the Defence Staff.

Born in Edmonton and raised in Breton, Alberta, Paul attended Royal Roads Military College and the Royal Military College of Canada. He holds a baccalaureate in civil engineering, and master’s degrees in both war studies and business administration.

Mary MacDonald, Acting Deputy Minister

Executive Council, Intergovernmental Relations
Appointed: November 2024

Mary has been Assistant Deputy Minister, Intergovernmental Relations since September 2021. Prior to this role, she was Assistant Deputy Minister in Justice responsible for Resolution and Court Administration Services, which followed on previous roles in Service Alberta and as Registrar of the Court of Appeal. Before joining the Alberta Public Service in 2013, Mary practiced law, served as a policy adviser and taught at universities in Alberta and Nova Scotia.

Mary has an LL.B degree from the University of Alberta and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Queen’s University.

Deputy Minister David Skene, Deputy Chief

Executive Council, Policy Coordination
Appointed: January 2024

David has served in a number of different positions throughout various departments in the Alberta Public Service since 2000, most of his time at Alberta Justice as legal counsel. He became a Co-Director of Central Legal Services in 2015 and Director of Health Law in 2017. Most recently, he has served as Assistant Deputy Minister of Legislative Review in in Executive Council. 

David has a Masters of Health Services Administration and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Alberta. He is also an active member of the Law Society of Alberta.

Chris Shandro, Deputy Clerk of Executive Council and Deputy Secretary to Cabinet

Executive Council
Appointed: June 2023

Chris has worked for the Government of Alberta for 25 years. She has worked in leadership positions in Health, Agriculture and Forestry, and Executive Council to support the development and implementation of policy, programs and legislation. Before joining the Government of Alberta, Chris worked in communications.

Chris has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Alberta and a Graduate Certificate in Leadership from Royal Roads University.

Chris has been a mentor with Boys & Girls Clubs Big Brothers Big Sisters for over 5 years.

Deputy Minister Shannon Marchand, Deputy Minister

Advanced Education
Appointed: June 2024

Shannon most recently served as Deputy Minister of Forestry, Parks and Tourism. He has served as a deputy minister since 2015, in Seniors and Housing, Community and Social Services, and Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Economic Development.

Before that, Shannon served as the Deputy Chief of the Policy Co-ordination Office at Executive Council, Acting Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism, and held assistant deputy minister positions in the ministries of Culture, and Human Services. His other government experience has been in the employment, immigration and intergovernmental relations areas.

David James, Deputy Minister

Affordability and Utilities
Appointed: May 2024

David James has been with the Government of Alberta since 2011. He previously served as deputy minister of Technology and Innovation and has held senior roles as associate deputy minister of Natural Gas and Electricity, assistant deputy minister for Strategic Policy and assistant deputy minister for Electricity and Sustainable Energy, at Alberta Energy.

David previously served as a telecommunications officer with the Canadian Forces. He has an undergraduate degree in Chemical and Materials Engineering, and a Masters of Business Administration, both from the Royal Military College of Canada.
 

Jason Hale, Deputy Minister

Agriculture and Irrigation
Appointed: October 2022

Jason Hale has experience in the oil and gas sector, has been a cattle rancher in southern Alberta for over 30 years, was a professional bull fighter, and was an elected Member for the Eastern Irrigation District and Alberta Beef Producers. As a former Member of Legislative Assembly (April 2012 – May 2015), Jason served on 3 legislative committees and was the opposition critic for Energy; where he provided critical assessment of government policy and programs. He sat on multiple community boards such as the Advisory Committee for the Medicine Hat College and Crawling Valley Recreations Society. Jason has a Chemical Technology diploma from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT).

Kim Capstick, Deputy Minister

Arts, Culture and Status of Women
Appointed: June 2023

Prior to being appointed as Deputy Minister of Arts, Culture and Status of Women, Kim served as the Managing Director of Communications and Public Engagement. 

Kim’s career with the Alberta public service spans more than 2 decades. She has served in variety of leadership roles across several ministries, including establishing and co-leading the team that would take on the unprecedented work of creating a system for legalized cannabis in Alberta, establishing and leading teams through wildfire and flood recovery, and serving as director of communications in several ministries.

Lisa Sadownik, Deputy Minister

Children and Family Services
Appointed: June 2023

Lisa has been with the Alberta Public Service since 1998. She has held positions in a number of different ministries, and has served in various economic, environmental and social policy related executive leadership roles since 2011.

Lisa previously served as deputy minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, and Seniors and Housing. Prior to becoming assistant deputy minister (ADM) of Lands at Environment and Parks in 2019, Lisa served as ADM of Food and Value-Added Processing with Agriculture and Forestry, ADM of Social Policy with the Policy Coordination Office of Executive Council, and ADM of Policy and Community Engagement with Human Services.

Lisa has degrees in Meteorology and Environmental Physical Sciences from the University of Alberta.

Jonah Mozeson, Managing Director

Communications and Public Engagement
Appointed: June 2023

Prior to this appointment, Jonah served as Chief of Staff to the Minister of Justice and Solicitor General and the Minister of Jobs, Economy, and Innovation. He has also worked as the Executive Director of Communications and Planning in the Office of the Premier.

Jonah has served as the Director of Communications in a number of federal Cabinet portfolios and was also a practising lawyer before joining the Government of Alberta.

He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with a Native Studies minor from the University of Alberta and a Juris Doctor from the University of Manitoba.

He is a member of both the Alberta and Manitoba bars.

Lora Pillipow, Deputy Minister

Education
Appointed: June 2023

Lora has held a number of senior-level leadership roles throughout her extensive tenure with the Alberta Public Service, having served as deputy minister of Advanced Education, deputy minister of Culture and Status of Women, deputy clerk to Executive Council, deputy secretary to Cabinet, and in a number of assistant deputy minister positions for various ministries, including Environment and Parks, Culture and Tourism, and Human Services.

Lora’s extensive policy background and leadership experience supports Education’s important work to ensure Alberta’s students can meet the challenges and embrace the opportunities of the 21st century.

Larry Kaumeyer, Deputy Minister

Energy and Minerals
Appointed: June 2023

Larry Kaumeyer has spent the past 25+ years dedicated to the advancement of the province, by working in finance, energy, technology, and strategic leadership for local business, and governance.

Larry has worked for the Alberta government on corporate and economic matters and has also served as the Chief Executive Officer of four different organizations over his career. These include a broad range of industries, from manufacturing to energy supply chain, pipeline inspection and earth moving and reclamation.

Most recently, as Acting Chief of Staff and Principal Secretary for the Premier of Alberta, Larry led the strategic execution of key economic files.

Larry has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Alberta.

Sherri Wilson, Deputy Minister

Environment and Protected Areas
Appointed: January 2024

Sherri has spent more than 2 decades in the Government of Alberta. She served as deputy minister of Advanced Education and has served in a number of executive roles in the ministries of Children's Services, Treasury Board and Finance, Health, Executive Council, and (former) Human Services. She has extensive experience in the social and health sector and she is proud to provide leadership on services for families and children in Alberta.

Sherri was asked to return to Health in the spring of 2020 to serve as Incident Commander of the Health Emergency Operations Centre during the critical early days of the pandemic.

Sherri has a bachelor of science from Dalhousie University.

Deputy Minister Ronda Goulden, Deputy Minister

Forestry and Parks
Appointed: June 2024

Since joining the Government of Alberta in 1997, Ronda has held leadership roles across several ministries. Most recently, Ronda served as assistant deputy minister (ADM) of Consumer, Registry and Strategic Services with Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, creating and implementing excellent user-centric public policy for Alberta’s registries and consumer protection.

Previously, Ronda held the role of ADM of Policy and Planning at Environment and Parks where she spent over 5 years impacting environmental policy related to air, water, land use and climate. Prior to that, Ronda served as ADM of Government Operations at Executive Council, along with senior roles in the ministries of Municipal Affairs and Transportation. Ronda started her career in government as a lawyer in the Department of Justice.

Ronda has a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Alberta and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Alberta. 
 

Andre Tremblay, Deputy Minister

Health
Appointed: June 2023

Andre has over 20 years of public sector experience that includes provincial and municipal governments as well as non-government organizations and academia. Since joining the Alberta Public Service, Andre has served in a variety of senior leadership roles, most recently as deputy minister of Education, deputy minister of Agriculture and Forestry, and as deputy minister of Transportation. In addition, Andre served as associate deputy minister of Health, assistant deputy minister of Social Policy at Executive Council and assistant deputy minister of Apprenticeship and Student Aid at Advanced Education. Andre was also previously appointed as the deputy clerk of Executive Council and deputy secretary to Cabinet.

Andre graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a bachelor of arts and a master of arts. He has a professional Economic Developer designation from the University of Waterloo, and has completed executive leadership programs at Queen’s University and the Ivey School of Business.

Associate Minister Darren Hedley, Associate Deputy Minister

Health
Appointed: June 2023

Darren has served with the Government of Alberta since 1994 and has held several senior-level roles. Most recently, he was the Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Treasury Board Secretariat. He previously served as the ADM, Financial Sector Regulation and Policy and was appointed as the Superintendent of Pensions, Insurance and Financial Institutions. He also held corporate ADM roles at Transportation and Treasury Board and Finance.

Darren is a CPA, holds an accounting diploma from Grant MacEwan College and completed the Ivey Senior Public Sector Leader Program.

Ako Ufodike, Deputy Minister

Immigration and Multiculturalism
Appointed: June 2023

Akolisa Ufodike joined the Alberta Public Service in October 2022 as deputy minister of Trade, Immigration and Multiculturalism. Prior to joining government, he was an assistant professor at York University where he taught auditing at the undergraduate level, data analysis for performance audits and public sector finance at the graduate level.

Ako is a licensed public practitioner by CPA Alberta. He has almost 30 years of professional experience spanning telecoms, banking, utilities, education, oil and gas and consumer packaged goods with organizations including Bell Canada and Molson Coors. Prior to academia, he was CFO/COO of one of the largest wireless internet service providers in Canada.

A graduate of Haskayne’s PHD and Cornell’s MBA programs, Dr. Ufodike is a Canadian FCPA, a US CPA, a UK FCCA and a Certified Fraud Examiner. He is also a Certified Director (ICD.D) of the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Donavon Young, Deputy Minister

Indigenous Relations
Appointed: April 2014

Donavon brings 35 years of direct experience and knowledge to his position in Indigenous Relations – at the national level, with 2 provincial governments and at the community level. He joined the Government of Alberta in 2005 as an assistant deputy minister (7 years at Aboriginal Relations and 2 years at Alberta Justice) until April 2014 when he was appointed as a deputy minister.

From 1995 to 2005, Donavon worked for the Government of Saskatchewan (Aboriginal Relations) as an assistant deputy minister for most of that time. From 1992 to 1995, he worked for the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples as the Urban Research and Policy Coordinator. Donavon also worked in research and program development at the Gabriel Dumont Institute of Metis Studies and Applied Research from 1983 to 1992.

Mary Persson, Deputy Minister

Infrastructure
Appointed: August 2021

Prior to her appointment as deputy minister of Infrastructure, Mary served as the City of Edmonton's chief financial officer and deputy city manager for the Financial and Corporate Services department. Previously she served as assistant deputy minister of Financial and Corporate Services at Alberta Health and senior assistant deputy minister at Treasury Board and Finance.

Mary has well-rounded financial and public policy experience in large, complex organizations, including the Government of Canada, University of Alberta, Alberta Health Services and the Government of Alberta. She has a master of business administration from the University of Alberta, is a Fellow with the Chartered Professional Accountants, and has earned certifications in Risk Management Assurance and Auditing. She has her Institute of Corporate Directors ICD.D designation and has served on numerous boards over the years, including as a board member for the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and the Francis Winspear Centre for Music.

Christopher McPherson, Deputy Minister

Jobs, Economy and Trade
Appointed: June 2023

Since joining the Government of Alberta in 2014, Christopher has served in several senior leadership roles, including managing a historic amount of Cabinet business during more than four years as Deputy Clerk of Executive Council and Deputy Secretary to Cabinet. Prior to that, Christopher held assistant deputy minister roles in economic policy, operations and machinery of government, and strategic communications.

Before moving to Alberta, Christopher was Director of Public Affairs and Member Communications for the Ontario Hospital Association and held senior advisor roles in the Government of Ontario.

Christopher holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Athabasca University.

Deputy Minister Malcolm Lavoie, KC, Deputy Minister

Justice
Appointed: January 2024

Malcolm Lavoie was appointed as the Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Attorney General in January 2024. He is a Professor of Law currently on an extended leave from the University of Alberta. Malcolm is a recognized legal expert on topics that include constitutional law, property law and Indigenous legal issues. Prior to joining the public service, he practiced law with a national law firm. He is a former member of the boards of the Edmonton Bar Association and the Centre for Constitutional Studies, and a former member of the Alberta Judicial Council.  

Malcolm holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of British Columbia, a Master’s degree in Political Theory with Distinction from the London School of Economics, Bachelor of Civil Law and Bachelor of Laws degrees from the McGill University Faculty of Law, and Master of Laws and Doctor of Juridical Science degrees from Harvard Law School, where he studied as a Frank Knox Fellow. He served as a law clerk for the Hon. Justice Frans Slatter of the Alberta Court of Appeal and later for the Hon. Justice Rosalie Abella of the Supreme Court of Canada.

Evan Romanow, Deputy Minister

Mental Health and Addiction
Appointed: June 2023

Evan Romanow joined the Government of Alberta in 2011. He previously served as Assistant Deputy Minister in several ministries, including: Mental Health and Addiction, Health, and Seniors and Housing. Prior roles included advising on policy and directing strategy and operations in the ministries of: Executive Council; Innovation and Advanced Education; Human Services; and International and Intergovernmental Relations. Evan has undergraduate and master's degrees in Political Sciences from the University of Alberta.

Brandy Cox, Deputy Minister

Municipal Affairs
Appointed: May 2021

Brandy joined the Government of Alberta in 2003 and spent more than a decade in Municipal Affairs. She also served in executive roles at 4 departments.

Most recently, she was the assistant deputy minister (ADM) of Consumer, Registry and Strategic Services and Acting ADM of Shared Services at Service Alberta. Previously she served as ADM of Corporate Strategies and Services in Infrastructure, ADM of Economic Policy in Executive Council, executive director (ED) of Cabinet Coordination Office and ED of External Relations Sector in the former Alberta Innovation and Advanced Education.

Brandy holds a Master of Arts degree in Political Science from York University.

Rae-Ann Lajeunesse, Deputy Minister

Public Safety and Emergency Services
Appointed: January 2023

Rae-Ann joined the Alberta Public Service in 1995 as a correctional peace officer at the Edmonton Remand Centre. She worked her way up through the Alberta Public Service in a variety of roles from frontline to management, and across operational, corporate and policy functions.

Prior to her appointment as Deputy Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services, Rae-Ann served as Deputy Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors. She also held 4 ADM positions in the ministries of Justice and Solicitor General, Human Services and Children’s Services.

Rae-Ann holds a correctional services diploma from Grant MacEwan College, as well as a bachelor of arts and master of distance education both from Athabasca University.

Heather Caltagirone, Deputy Minister and Public Service Commissioner

Public Service Commission
Appointed: June 2023

Heather has dedicated almost 25 years to public service, most recently serving as deputy minister of Culture and as assistant deputy minister with Alberta Education.

She has a wealth of senior leadership experience in the areas of learning and development, organizational transformation, leadership, systems thinking and human and organizational development.

Born and raised in Alberta, Heather holds both a master's degree and PhD in human and organizational systems from Fielding Graduate University.

Stephanie Clarke, Deputy Minister

Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction
Appointed: June 2023

Stephanie joined the Government of Alberta in 2003 and has served as a member of the leadership teams for Environment and Parks, Municipal Affairs and Energy.

Prior to her most recent role as deputy minister of Affordability and Utilities, Stephanie served as the associate deputy minister of Natural Gas and Utilities. Stephanie also served as the assistant deputy minister of Resource Stewardship within Environment and Parks, the assistant deputy minister of Energy Policy, assistant deputy minister of Municipal Assessment and Grants, and held executive portfolios related to cumulative effects management, strategy development and foresight, and municipal sustainability.

Stephanie holds a Master of Arts degree in Political Science from Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Cynthia Farmer, Deputy Minister

Seniors, Community and Social Services
Appointed: October 2022

Cynthia has served as deputy minister in Service Alberta, assistant deputy minister in Community and Social Services, Economic Development and Trade, Alberta Energy and Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development. She has been a member of the public service since 1999.

Cynthia graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Education degree.

Deputy Minister Janak Alford, Deputy Minister

Technology and Innovation
Appointed: October 2024

Janak Alford has nearly 2 decades of experience within the federal government, having held senior positions at the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), Correctional Service Canada (CSC), and the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC). In addition to his public service roles, Janak is an accomplished author and entrepreneur, actively supporting the start-up ecosystem in Ottawa and eastern Ontario from 2011 to 2020.

With extensive experience in technology and innovation, coupled with a background in architecture, Janak brings a unique perspective to his role, fostering a culture of digital transformation and strategic growth within the public sector.

Bryce Stewart, Deputy Minister

Transportation and Economic Corridors
Appointed: January 2023

Bryce Stewart joined the Government of Alberta in 2006 and has held several assistant deputy minister (ADM) positions. Most recently he served as Deputy Minister of Mental Health and Addiction, Associate Deputy Minister with Alberta Health, and as senior Assistant Deputy Minister of Health Systems Integration at Alberta Health. Prior to joining Health, Bryce was a senior ADM in Treasury Board and Finance (TBF).

Bryce has also served as ADM of Budget Development and Reporting in TBF and ADM roles in the Public Service Commission, the former Human Services Ministry, and in the Policy Coordination Office in Executive Council.

Katherine White, Deputy Minister

Treasury Board and Finance
Appointed: October 2022

Prior to this appointment, Katherine (Kate) was the deputy minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation. She previously served as the deputy minister of Finance and secretary to the Management Board for the Government of Yukon. Most of Kate’s public service career has been with the Government of Alberta, where she held the positions of assistant deputy minister of economics and fiscal policy at Treasury Board and Finance, as well as chief economist and many others.

Kate is an economist by profession, with a passion for public policy and public sector leadership. She holds a master of arts in economics from the University of Calgary and a bachelor of science from Dalhousie University.

David Goldstein, Deputy Minister

Tourism and Sport
Appointed: June 2023

David has served as the CEO of Travel Alberta since 2020 and has helped drive the industry’s Covid recovery strategy.

David served as President and CEO of Destination Canada (formerly the Canadian Tourism Commission). Prior to that, David was the President and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada. He also held several senior strategic positions in Canada’s media/broadcasting sector.

David has a Bachelor of Arts Degree (Bilingual) from Glendon College – York University. He is an accredited member of the Institute for Corporate Directors and holds the designation of ICD.D.