The Provincial Government today passed a resolution in the House of Assembly appointing two additional individuals to the Independent Appointments Commission.
The new members are Cathy Duke and Earl Ludlow, who will each serve a three-year term as commissioner. Biographies for Ms. Duke and Mr. Ludlow can be found in the backgrounder below.
In December 2017, the Provincial Government introduced amendments to the Independent Appointments Commission Act to increase the size of the commission to a maximum of seven commissioners and a minimum of five. These changes were introduced to help the commission further improve its efficiency and manage the considerable workload of administering the province’s merit-based appointments process.
The Independent Appointments Commission is an independent body established by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to provide merit-based recommendations for appointments to approximately 30 Tier One Entities. These agencies, boards and commissions deliver important services including health care and k-12 and post-secondary education, and help manage our natural resources.
Quotes
“The Independent Appointments Commission has had considerable success since it was formed, with nearly 200 appointments to tier one government organizations based on the commission’s recommendations since 2016. I would like to thank Ms. Duke and Mr. Ludlow for volunteering their time in service to the commission’s mandate, and I would like to thank current commissioners for their continued dedication to merit-based appointments for Newfoundland and Labrador agencies, boards and commissions.”
Honourable Tom Osborne
Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board and Minister Responsible for the Public Service Commission
“The commission is very pleased with the addition of two commissioners to help share the workload and enable the commission to operate more efficiently. The commission is also very pleased that Ms. Duke and Mr. Ludlow have agreed to serve on the commission. Each brings a wealth of experience and sound judgment that will serve the commission and the people of the province well.”
Honourable Clyde K. Wells
Chair of the Independent Appointments Commission
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Learn more
The Independent Appointments Commission 
Media contact
Marc Budgell
Public Service Commission
709-729-2477, 689-0430
marcbudgell@gov.nl.ca
BACKGROUNDER
Biographies of the Proposed New Members of the Independent Appointments Commission
Cathy Duke
Cathy Duke has been the Chief Executive Officer of Destination St. John’s for the last seven years, where she directs sales and marketing efforts in attracting meetings and conventions, leisure travel and sport tourism. Ms. Duke is currently a member of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, the Destination Marketing Association of Canada, the St. John’s Sports and Entertainment Committee, the Memorial University Board of Regents, and the Memorial University Faculty of Business Advisory Board. She also serves as the Vice-Chair of the Stella Burry Foundation. Ms. Duke earned a Bachelor of Social Work in 1979 and a Masters of Business Administration in 1982. Ms. Duke acquired her director designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors in 2017.
Earl Ludlow
Earl Ludlow recently retired as Executive Vice President, Eastern Canadian and Caribbean Operations and Operational Advisor to the President and Chief Executive Officer of Fortis Inc. His career with the Fortis Group spanned nearly 40 years. Mr. Ludlow has an extensive career as a community volunteer, including two terms on Memorial University’s Board of Regents and two terms as the Honorary Lieutenant Colonel of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, 1st battalion. He is a member of the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador, has been inducted into the Atlantic Provinces CEO Business Hall of Fame by Atlantic Business Magazine and was designated as the Humanitarian of the Year by the Canadian Red Cross in 2010. Mr. Ludlow earned a Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical) in 1980 and a Masters of Business Administration from Memorial University in 1994.