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

Mr. Tobin began his career with the Provincial Government in 1982 with the province�s Industry department. He moved to Cabinet Secretariat of Executive Council in 1999 where he served as a senior policy analyst and Coordinator of the Offshore Development Fund. Since 2000, he has served as Assistant Deputy Minister of Advanced Technology, Research and Industrial Benefits, Assistant Secretary to Cabinet for Economic Policy, and Assistant Deputy Minister of Agrifoods. Since June 2006, he has been acting as Associate Deputy Minister of Energy with the Department of Natural Resources. Mr. Tobin holds a Masters degree in Business Administration.

Mr. Bown has served as the Assistant Deputy Minister (Energy Policy) in an acting role since July 2006. He began his career with the Provincial Government in 1987 with the former Department of Mines and Energy where he served as an energy economist. This was followed by service at the Advisory Council on the Economy, ACOA and the Department of Finance. Prior to his current position, he worked as the Director of Mines for the Department of Natural Resources. Mr. Bown graduated from Memorial University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics.

Ms. Tubrett joined the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador in 1994 as an accountant with the Department of Human Resources, Labour and Employment. Since that time, she has held positions in several departments including the Office of the Auditor General, Treasury Board Secretariat, Municipal Affairs, Finance and Health and Community Services. In 2005, she returned to the Department of Human Resources, Labour and Employment as the Director of Finance and most recently, was appointed as acting Assistant Deputy Minister (Corporate Services) in June 2006. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce Honours (co-operative) and a Masters of Business Administration from Memorial University and is a Certified General Accountant.

Mr. Parrott started his career with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador in 1977. Since that time, he has held a number of progressively responsible management positions throughout the public service including Regional Lands Manager for Labrador in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Regional Lands Manager for Central Region in Gander, Manager of Crown Lands Administration and from 1992 to 1998 Director of Crown Lands with the Department of Government Services and Lands in St. John�s. From 1999 to 2006, Mr. Parrott served as Assistant Deputy Minister of Lands with the Department of Environment and Conservation and from March 2006 to present as Assistant Secretary to Cabinet (Economic Policy) in Cabinet Secretariat. Mr. Parrott has a Bachelor and Masters degrees in Geography from Memorial University.

Ms. Companion graduated from Memorial University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Statistics and Mathematics, followed by the completion of MUN�s Executive Development Program. Ms. Companion has been a member of the public service since 1986. She has held numerous management positions within the public service including Manager of Pension Benefit Standards, Senior Social Policy Analyst and Director of Economic and Resource policy in the Intergovernmental Affairs Secretariat, as well as Cabinet Officer, Director of Cabinet Operations and Assistant Secretary to Cabinet (Economic Policy), Cabinet Secretariat. Since 2003, Ms. Companion has been the Private Secretary to the Lieutenant-Governor.

Mr. Smith joined the provincial public service in April 1995 and has worked as a senior policy analyst with Intergovernmental Affairs Secretariat and with Cabinet Secretariat, Assistant Deputy Minister of Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs and Assistant Deputy Minister for Intergovernmental Affairs. Mr. Smith is a graduate of Memorial University and, prior to joining the provincial public service, has worked as a teacher, a librarian, and has owned and operated his own consulting business. He also served as Executive Director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Municipalities. He has been active in a number of organizations including the Canadian General Standards Board, Executive Committee and Advisory Council to the Minister of Supply and Service; Postal Services Customer Council (Atlantic Region); and, the Premier's Round Table on the Environment and the Economy.

Ms. Burke began her career with the Provincial Government in 1975 as a business education instructor at the District Vocational School in Gander (now College of the North Atlantic), a position she held for 13 years. From 1988 to 2000, she worked in various Provincial Government departments in positions of an increasingly responsible nature. While working in the Department of Education, she was program consultant for college business programs for the province; supervisor of private training institutions; and, director of federal/provincial agreements. From 2000 to 2004, Ms. Burke was a policy analyst, then director of social and fiscal policy with the Intergovernmental Affairs Secretariat. In December 2004, she was assigned responsibility for Immigration Policy and Planning in the Department of Human Resources, Labour and Employment, and led the development of the Provincial Immigration Strategy, which was launched in March 2007. Ms. Burke holds a Bachelor of Vocational Education degree, Memorial University, and a Masters in Educational Administration, University of Ottawa.