July 7, 1998
(Executive Council)

Premier announces appointments of senior officials

Premier Brian Tobin today announced the appointment of several senior government officials.

Robert Olivero has accepted the position of Fellow of the James G. Channing Chair in Public Administration at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Named to honour the memory of the Clerk of the Executive Council from 1955-1978, the Channing Chair was established in 1982 to provide an opportunity for senior public employees to bring their experience and expertise in public administration to Memorial. Mr. Olivero moves to the post from his position as Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of the Public Service Commission. Under the terms of the appointment, he will work on development of programs in public policy and public administration to benefit the public sector in the province.

Fonse Faour will replace Mr. Olivero as chairperson and CEO of the Public Service Commission. Most recently, Mr. Faour served as Deputy Clerk of the Executive Council and as Associate Secretary to Cabinet with responsibility for the Public Service Reform Initiative. Mr. Faour will continue to oversee the Public Service Reform initiative, coordination of which has been transferred to the Public Service Commission.

Both the integration of Public Service Reform into the PSC and Mr. Olivero's appointment to the Channing Chair are concrete examples of how government is addressing the need for good public administration and a skilled, committed workforce of public employees.

The premier also announced several other appointments of senior officials today.

John Cummings has been confirmed to the position of Deputy Clerk of the Executive Council and Associate Secretary to Cabinet. He had been serving in an acting capacity. Mr. Cummings was formerly Assistant Deputy Minister - Civil Law and Related Services, Department of Justice.

John McCarthy becomes the new Assistant Deputy Minister - Civil Law and Related Services, Department of Justice. He had been serving in that post in an acting capacity.

Martin Sheppard has been seconded to the Canada-Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Board from his position as Assistant Deputy Minister - Energy, Department of Mines and Energy.

Brian Maynard will become Assistant Deputy Minister - Energy, Department of Mines and Energy. His most recent position was Director of Petroleum Projects Monitoring.

Contact: Heidi Bonnell, (709) 729-3564.

_____________________

ROBERT OLIVERO
Appointed to
Channing Chair in Public Administration
Memorial University of Newfoundland

Mr. Olivero most recently served as Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of the Public Service Commission. Prior to that, Mr. Olivero served as a Senior Officer at the United Nations Secretariat in New York, as well as in numerous other capacities for the UN around the world. He worked as a Field Director with the Canadian University Service Overseas (CUSO), and has served the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador in various capacities over the years. Mr. Olivero holds a Master of Arts (Public Administration) from Carleton University in Ottawa, and a Bachelor of Arts from Memorial University of Newfoundland.

FONSE FAOUR
Appointed as
Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer
Public Service Commission

Mr. Faour's most recent position in government was that of Deputy Clerk of the Executive Council and Associate Secretary to Cabinet, with responsibility for a number of government-wide initiatives including Regulatory Reform and Public Service Reform. Prior to that, he served as a solicitor in the civil division of the Department of Justice. Before coming to government 13 years ago, Mr. Faour practiced law in Corner Brook. From 1978-1980, Mr. Faour served as Member of Parliament. He holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor of Arts from St. Francis Xavier University.

JOHN CUMMINGS, Q.C.
Appointed as
Deputy Clerk of the Executive Council
and Associate Secretary to Cabinet

Mr. Cummings has been serving in the position of Deputy Clerk in an acting capacity. Prior to that, he served as Assistant Deputy Minister - Civil Law and Related Services, Department of Justice. During his 23 year career in government, Mr. Cummings has served as General Counsel, as Assistant Deputy Minister with Justice and as a solicitor for government. Mr. Cummings holds a Bachelor of Laws Degree from Dalhousie University.

JOHN MCCARTHY, Q.C.
Appointed as
Assistant Deputy Minister, Civil Law and Related Services
Department of Justice

Mr. McCarthy has served as Director of the Civil Division, Department of Justice for the past 12 years. His 17 years of service with government began when he joined the division as a solicitor in 1981. Prior to that, Mr. McCarthy worked as a staff solicitor with Newfoundland and Labrador Legal Aid. He holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Western Ontario and a Bachelor of Arts from Memorial University of Newfoundland.

MARTIN SHEPPARD
Seconded to
Canada-Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Board

Mr. Sheppard most recently served as Assistant Deputy Minister - Energy, Department of Mines and Energy. During his 18 years with government, he has worked in various capacities including: Assistant Deputy Minister, Petroleum and Energy Resources, Department of Mines and Energy; and as Assistant Executive Director, Exploration and Production Policy and Chief Petroleum Geologist, with the Petroleum Directorate. Mr. Sheppard has also worked for private companies including Voyager Petroleums Ltd. and Chevron Standard Ltd. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Memorial University of Newfoundland.

BRIAN MAYNARD
Appointed as
Assistant Deputy Minister, Energy
Department of Mines and Energy

Mr. Maynard most recently served as Director of Petroleum Projects Monitoring in the Department of Mines and Energy. During his 18 year career with government, Mr. Maynard has served in a number of capacities, including: Director of the Hibernia Project Monitoring Committee; Manager of Internal Audit, Department of Finance; and as Audit Senior with the Department of the Auditor General. As well, he has been involved in the Terra Nova Project Negotiating Team, the Churchill River Hydro Project, the Offshore Generic Royalty Regime and the Hibernia Project negotiations. Mr. Maynard holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Memorial University of Newfoundland and is a Chartered Accountant.

1998 07 07                             12:40 p.m.