The Honourable Danny Williams, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, today announced changes to the senior ranks of the Newfoundland and Labrador Public Service.

Gary Norris has been appointed as Clerk of the Executive Council and Secretary to the Cabinet; Brent Meade has been appointed as Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation; and Robert Thompson has been appointed as Acting Deputy Minister of the Department of Health and Community Services, in addition to his duties as Secretary to Cabinet for the Management of Health Issues.

"I believe strongly that it is important to have the benefit of fresh perspectives and ideas in the senior civil service, and I look forward to the contributions of each of these individuals in their new roles," said Premier Williams. "I am confident that Mr. Norris� years of service to the people of this province, will serve him well as in his role as the province�s most senior civil servant, and I thank all of these individuals for their proven dedication and years of commitment to the public service in this province."

All appointments will be effective immediately.

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Media contact:
Elizabeth Matthews
Office of the Premier
709-729-3960, 351-1227
elizabethmatthews@gov.nl.ca

Gary Norris
Clerk of the Executive Council and Secretary to the Cabinet
Gary Norris has been employed with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador since 1977. He has served as Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and most recently as Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation. Prior to this Mr. Norris worked in senior positions with Executive Council and Environment and Labour, and has also worked with Treasury Board and Finance. Mr. Norris graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and economics from Memorial University in 1977.

Brent Meade
Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation
Brent Meade has worked for the past 18 years throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. He has worked extensively in rural parts of the province, in areas such as fisheries adjustment programs, human resource development, community development, and cultural tourism development. He has held senior positions within the Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation and Executive Council (Intergovernmental Affairs and Cabinet Secretariat) and with special assignments such as the Royal Commission on Renewing and Strengthening Our Place in Canada. He most recently served as the Assistant Deputy Minister of Culture and Recreation in the Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation. He serves on the boards of The Rooms, the Film Development Corporation and the Conservation Corps of NL. Mr. Meade has a BA (Economics) from Acadia University and has completed graduate studies in project management, public administration, and economic development.

Robert Thompson
Secretary to Cabinet for Health Issues, Acting Deputy Minister of Health and Community Services
Robert Thompson has served for the last three and a half years as the Clerk of the Executive Council and Secretary to the Cabinet. Prior to that he served as deputy minister of the departments of Health and Community Services, and Tourism, Culture and Recreation. In his career with the provincial government, he has also served as Assistant Secretary to Cabinet for Economic Policy and has held management positions with the Intergovernmental Affairs Secretariat, the Department of Education, the Department of Career Development and Advanced Studies, and the Department of Rural, Agricultural and Northern Development.

Mr. Thompson is a graduate of Memorial University of Newfoundland (Political Science), with graduate studies at York University (Public Administration) and Memorial University (Business Administration). He serves as a Director of the Canadian Policy Reseach Networks, and he is the Chair of the Board of Directors of Shallaway: Newfoundland and Labrador Youth in Chorus. He has served on the boards of Canada Health Infoway Inc., the Canadian Tourism Commission, the Atlantic Canada Tourism Partnership, the Special Celebrations Corporation, the Credit Union Stabilization Fund and the St. John�s Downtown Development Corporation. Mr. Thompson resides with his wife, Wanda, and their daughter, Emily, in St. John�s.

2007 05 30                                          10:20 a.m.