Deputy Ministers' Council

Dale McFee, Deputy Minister

Executive Council
Appointed: February 2025

Dale most recently served as the Chief of Police of the Edmonton Police Service for 6 years before joining the Alberta Public Service. Prior to moving to Edmonton, he served for 26 years as a police officer in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, with 9 of those as Chief of Police. He also served with the Government of Saskatchewan as the Deputy Minister of Corrections and Policing in the Ministry of Justice, and was the lead deputy on transformational change.

He has previously held the positions of President of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, President of the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police, President of the Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police, President of the Saskatchewan Federation of Police Officers, Director of the Canadian Police Association, and was recently a Director with the Major City Chiefs Association (MCCA), comprised of U.S. and Canadian large cities.

Dale was appointed an Officer of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces by the Governor General of Canada, received a provincial leadership award, and has been recognized as a Governor General Leadership alumnus.

Sherri Wilson, Senior Deputy Minister

Executive Council, Operations
Appointed: May 2025

Sherri has spent more than 2 decades in the Government of Alberta. She served as deputy minister of Environment and Protected Areas as well as 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.

Liam Stone, Deputy Minister

Executive Council, Intergovernmental and International Relations
Appointed: May 2025

Liam started his career with the Government of Alberta in 2003. Most recently, he was Assistant Deputy Minister of the Economic Strategy and Investment Division with Jobs, Economy and Trade.

Prior to that, Liam served as Assistant Deputy Minister in the Policy Coordination Office of Executive Council, Alberta’s Acting Senior Representative to the United States and Managing Director of the Alberta Washington, D.C. Office and Chief of Staff to the Deputy Minister of International and Intergovernmental Relations.

Earlier in his career, Liam served in intergovernmental roles with a number of Alberta ministries and as Senior Policy Advisor to the federal Minister of Environment and Minister of Intergovernmental Relations and Western Economic Diversification.

Rae-Ann Lajeunesse, Deputy Minister

Executive Council, Special Projects
Appointed: June 2025

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.

Before her current appointment, Rae-Ann has held prior appointments as the deputy minister of Primary and Preventative Health Services, deputy minister of Health, deputy minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services, and deputy minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors. She also held four assistant deputy minister 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.

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.

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.

Enyinnah Okere, Deputy Minister

Communications and Public Engagement
Appointed: May 2025

Prior to this appointment, Enyinnah served as the deputy minister of operations, Executive Council. Enyinnah previously served as the chief operations officer with the Edmonton Police Service, after serving as executive director in the Value and Impact Division. Before moving to Edmonton, he spent 9 years with the Government of Saskatchewan, holding a variety of roles, including chief of staff to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, chief of staff to the Minister of Economy, and executive director of Strategic Initiatives and Evaluation.

Enyinnah holds a BA in political science from the University of Regina and is currently pursuing an MBA at Carleton University. He is also a TEDx speaker and co-founder of the REET Institute, a non-profit that focuses on financial literacy for high school youth.

Lora Pillipow, Deputy Minister

Education and Childcare
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.

Stephanie Clarke, Deputy Minister

Environment and Protected Areas
Appointed: May 2025

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 Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, Stephanie served as the deputy minister of Affordability and Utilities, and 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.

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. 
 

Bryce Stewart, Deputy Minister

Hospital and Surgical Health Services
Appointed: May 2025

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 Transportation and Economic Corridors. Prior to that, he served as deputy minister for Mental Health and Addiction, associate deputy minister with Alberta Health, and as senior ADM 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.

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.

Mark Kleefeld, Deputy Minister

Infrastructure
Appointed: May 2025

Mark joined the Alberta Public Service in 2024 as Senior Financial Officer supporting Treasury Board and Finance, Executive Council, the Public Service Commission, and Communications and Public Engagement.

Prior to joining the Government of Alberta, Mark served in a dual role as Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister responsible for Capital Planning at SaskBuilds, the Government of Saskatchewan’s lead agency for infrastructure planning, delivery, procurement and information technology. Mark also served the Saskatchewan government as the of VP Finance for the Province’s water regulator, Executive Director of Budget Review in the Treasury Board Secretariat, and Senior Policy Advisor to Executive Council.

Mark holds a bachelor of arts in philosophy from the University of Regina and an MBA from Ivey Business School.

Christopher McPherson, Deputy Minister

Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration
Appointed: June 2023

Since joining the Government of Alberta in 2014, Christopher has served in several senior leadership roles, most recently as the Deputy Minister of Jobs, Economy and Trade and previously 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.

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.

Jonah Mozeson, Deputy Minister

Municipal Affairs
Appointed: May 2025

Prior to his appointment, Jonah served as the Managing Director of the department of Communications and Public Engagement.

He previously served as the Executive Director of Communications and Planning in the Office of the Premier and as Chief of Staff to the Minister of Justice and Solicitor General and Minister of Jobs, Economy, and Innovation.

Jonah has a deep-rooted passion for public service, having served as a Director in a number of federal Cabinet portfolios.

Jonah was a lawyer prior to joining the Government of Alberta, with a practice focused on corporate law. He is a member of both the Alberta and Manitoba Bars.

Jonah has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Alberta and a Juris Doctor from the University of Manitoba.

Matt Torigian, Deputy Minister

Primary and Preventative Health Services
Appointed: June 2025

Matt Torigian is an internationally recognized leader in public policy. His 40-year career has involved many aspects of well-being and community safety. He is a distinguished fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, facilitating symposiums and mentoring graduate students in their pursuits of a career in public service. He has also served as Ontario’s deputy solicitor general and as chief of police for the Waterloo Regional Police Service. As deputy solicitor general, Matt led a comprehensive community safety transformation through the passing of the Safer Ontario Act.

Prior to joining the Alberta Public Service, Matt was the chief strategy officer for a Canadian-based global software company that focused on case management. A published author, he holds a master of public administration from Western University and a bachelor of arts in political science from Wilfrid Laurier University. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, and the FBI National Executive Institute. Matt is also a recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Award.

Curtis Zablocki, Acting Deputy Minister

Public Safety and Emergency Services
April 2025

Curtis Zablocki is a well-respected leader in Alberta’s policing community, bringing over 34 years of experience with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. He was appointed the 25th Commanding Officer of the RCMP “K” Division (Alberta) in 2018, after serving in various operational roles across Alberta, including Detachment Command and Criminal Operations. He also served as Commanding Officer of “F” Division (Saskatchewan).

In January 2024, Curtis joined Government of Alberta as Assistant Deputy Minister of the Public Security Division in the Ministry of Public Safety and Emergency Services. In this role, he oversaw a wide range of public safety programs, including the RCMP provincial policing contract, specialized policing initiatives, peace officer programs, commercial vehicle enforcement and police oversight. He also supported municipalities and Indigenous communities, exploring new models of policing and public safety.

Known for his strong leadership and commitment to community engagement, Curtis is passionate about building trust with communities and strengthening relationships with partners, particularly in areas such as rural crime and race relations.

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.

Brandy Cox, Deputy Minister

Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction
Appointed: May 2025

Brandy joined the Government of Alberta in 2003 and spent more than a decade in Municipal Affairs. She also served in executive roles at 5 departments.

Most recently, she was the deputy minister of Municipal Affairs, 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 of Cabinet Coordination Office and executive director 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.

Dennis Cooley, Deputy Minister

Social Services
Appointed: May 2025

Dennis brings more than 20 years of executive management experience in social service delivery with federal, provincial and territorial governments. Most recently, Dennis was the deputy minister of Justice with the Government of Saskatchewan. Dennis worked with the Government of Alberta from 2017 to 2023, first as associate deputy solicitor general then as deputy minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services.

He previously worked as deputy minister of Justice with the Government of Yukon from 2004 to 2012, and associate deputy minister of Corrections Policing and Public Safety with the Government of Saskatchewan from 2012 to 2017.

Dennis began his career in the federal public service, working with Statistics Canada, the Correctional Service of Canada and with the Law Commission of Canada.

Cynthia Farmer, Commissioner, Assisted Living and Continuing Care

Assisted Living and Continuing Care
Appointed: May 2025

Cynthia has worked in the Alberta Public Service for nearly 3 decades, including serving as assistant deputy minister in the ministries of Economic Development and Trade, Alberta Energy, Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, and Community and Social Services. She has also served as the deputy minister of Service Alberta, and most recently, Seniors, Community and Social Services.

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

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.

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.

Paul Smith, Acting Deputy Minister

Transportation and Economic Corridors
May 2025

Paul most recently served as Assistant Deputy Minister responsible for Capital Planning, Grants and Engineering Services at Transportation and Economic Corridors. He joined Alberta Health in September 2021 as Assistant Deputy Minister responsible for Health Workforce Planning and Accountability after serving over 30 years with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador where he was the Deputy Minister (Acting) of Finance, preceded by assistant deputy minister roles with the departments of Health and Community Services, Education and Early Childhood Development, Transportation and Works and Municipal Affairs.

Paul holds a bachelor of commerce degree from Memorial University of Newfoundland and is a Chartered Professional Accountant, having successfully achieved predecessor designation as both Chartered Accountant and Certified Management Accountant.

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.