Premier announces senior appointments

Premier Danny Williams today appointed Dr. Doug House as deputy minister of the Department of Industry, Trade and Rural Development. He replaces John Scott who is appointed chair of the MMSB (Multi-Materials Stewardship Board).

"Dr. House�s experience in economic development and understanding of rural issues well positions him to take on the role of deputy minister in the Department of Industry, Trade and Rural Development," said Premier Williams. "Government�s agenda is very much focused on improving our fiscal circumstances. While this involves tightening our expenditure belt, it also means a heavy reliance on growing our economy. Dr. House�s strategic advice will assist government in identification of growth sectors and implementation of appropriate short and long term measures to improve the province�s economy overall.

"Similarly, Mr. Scott�s experience in managing and directing major government files over the years has prepared him well for his new role as chair of the MMSB. I have asked Mr. Scott to work toward a new strategic direction for the MMSB which embodies the strongest environmental stewardship goals for Newfoundland and Labrador."

The Premier also thanked Gordon Seabright, outgoing chair of the MMSB, for his years of service to that organization. "On behalf of the province, I would like to thank Mr. Seabright for his service as chair of the MMSB. Throughout his career, Mr. Seabright has served the people of the province in various capacities, and I wish him the very best in his future endeavours."

Both appointments become effective today, Tuesday, January 20.

Media contact: Elizabeth Matthews, (709)729-3960

Dr. Doug House
Dr. Doug House has been a professor in the sociology department at Memorial University of Newfoundland since 1975. During his academic career, he has served as head of sociology, research director of the Institute of Social and Economic Research, and president of the Atlantic Association of Sociologists and Anthropologists.

Dr. House holds the degrees of BA (Hons) from Memorial University, MA from Oxford University (which he attended as Newfoundland�s Rhodes Scholar) and Ph D from McGill University. He is the author of six books and more than a hundred articles, papers and reports. His most recent article is about governance and economic development in the Republic of Ireland. As president of Doug House Consultants, Dr. House has been involved in several applied research projects in various parts of Canada. He currently serves on three national boards involved in research and development on rural, coastal and community issues: Coasts Under Stress, the Community Economic Development Technical Assistance Program, and the Ocean Management Research Network.

Doug House has had considerable public service experience. His positions have included chair of the Royal Commission on Employment and Unemployment (1985-86), chair of the Economic Recovery Commission (1989-96), chair of the Board of Enterprise Newfoundland and Labrador Corporation (1989-1993), and provincial co-chair of the Task Force on Community Economic Development (1994-95). He was a key contributor to Building on Our Strengths: The Report of the Royal Commission on Employment and Unemployment (1986), Change and Challenge: A Strategic Economic Plan for Newfoundland and Labrador (1992), and Community Matters: The New Regional Economic Development in Newfoundland and Labrador-Report of the Task Force on Community Economic Development (1995). For the two years leading up to the recent provincial election, Dr. House served in a part-time capacity as a policy advisor to the Office of the Official Opposition.

In 2001, Dr. Doug House was invested as a Member of the Order of Canada. He is married with three children.

John Scott
John Scott has served for the past three years as deputy minister of Industry, Trade and Rural Development. Previous to this position, he was deputy minister of Development and Rural Renewal from its inception in 1996. In his career with the provincial government, he has also served as assistant deputy minister (policy and planning) with the Department of Industry, Trade and Technology and has held senior management positions with the Cabinet Secretariat, Department of Culture, Recreation and Youth, and with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.

Mr. Scott is a graduate of the University of Toronto with an Honours B.A. in economic geography. He has served on the boards of Enterprise Newfoundland and Labrador Corporation, the Business Investment Corporation, Newfoundland Ocean Enterprises Limited, Newfoundland Municipal Financing Corporation, the Newfoundland and Labrador Film Development Corporation, the Labour Market Development Council, Bull Arm Site Corporation, C-CORE, and the Advisory Board of the First Nations Trust Fund. In 2002, Mr. Scott received the Queen�s Golden Jubilee Medal. He is married with three children.

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