Biography

Chief Public Health Officer: Dr. David Butler-Jones

Dr. David Butler-Jones was appointed Canada's first Chief Public Health Officer in September 2004 and heads the Public Health Agency of Canada.

From 1995 to 2002, Dr. Butler-Jones was Chief Medical Health Officer for the Province of Saskatchewan. He has also worked throughout Canada and consulted internationally in both public health and clinical medicine.

He is a professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Manitoba and a clinical professor with the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology at the University of Saskatchewan.

He has served in a number of national and international organizations, including as President of the Canadian Public Health Association and Vice President of the American Public Health Association.

In 2007, in recognition of his years of service in public health, Dr. Butler-Jones received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from York University's Faculty of Health. In 2010, Dr. Butler-Jones was the recipient of the Robert Davies Defries award, the highest honor presented by the Canadian Public Health Association, recognizing outstanding contributions in the field of public health.

Associate Deputy Minister and Chief Operating Officer: Krista Outhwaite

Krista Outhwaite was appointed Associate Deputy Minister and Chief Operating Officer of the Public Health Agency of Canada in September 2010. Prior to this appointment, Ms. Outhwaite served in the Privy Council Office as Assistant Secretary to Cabinet (Operations).

Ms. Outhwaite has held several senior positions in the public service including Assistant Deputy Minister in the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food from 2007-2009 and Vice-President, Programs in the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Ms. Outhwaite has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Guelph and a Master of Science from the University of Manitoba.

Assistant Deputy Minister - Infectious Disease, Prevention and Control Branch: Dr. Rainer Engelhardt

Dr. Engelhardt joined the Public Health Agency of Canada in December 2009. He has held executive management positions in the private sector, in academia and in other government departments.

His broad experience includes the development of federal legislation and environmental regulation, as well as management of large-scale national and international industry-government science and technology programs in Canada and the United States.

He began his career as a university professor at Southeastern Massachusetts University and the University of Ottawa. Dr. Engelhardt received his PhD in biomedical physiology from the University of Guelph. He has an extensive publications record and has served on the boards of many companies, including as Chairman of BIOTECanada.

His responsibilities are to provide direction for the management and strategic development of the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Branch in the context of national public health objectives.

Assistant Deputy Minister - Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Branch: Dr. Judith Bossé

Dr. Judith Bossé received her veterinary degree from the Faculté de médecine véterinaire, University of Montreal, followed by a Master of Science degree in clinical science from the University of Sherbrooke. After joining Agriculture Canada in the late eighties as a research scientist, Dr. Bossé served in multiple policy analyst functions before moving to senior management responsibilities with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in 2000.

Dr. Bossé served as vice-president for science at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency from 2003 to 2008. She lead the implementation and optimisation of scientific programs on prevention, surveillance and promoted research development on many national and international food safety, animal and public health issues. In 2008, she took on an advisory role to the president of the Université du Québec en Outaouais, on health and life science academic programs.

In May of 2009, Dr. Bossé joined the Public Health Agency of Canada as Associate Assistant Deputy Minister responsible for the Health Promotion and Chronic Diseases Branch. Her primary responsibility is to provide national leadership in policy development and for the emergence of innovative approaches and programs to promote health, reduce health inequalities and prevent chronic diseases.

She also plays a leadership role in the Public Health Network, and on federal and international committees. Throughout her career, her focus has been on fostering multi-sectorial alliances for enhanced synergies to maximize results for Canadians.

Assistant Deputy Minister - Emergency Management and Corporate Affairs Branch: Kathryn Howard

Prior to joining the joined the Agency in June 2010, Kathryn Howard was the Assistant Deputy Minister, Service Innovation and Technology, at Citizenship and Immigration Canada, a position she held since 2008. There, she led the Department’s business and service transformation agenda; major transformation initiatives including e-services, biometrics and a global case management system.

From 2007 to 2008, Ms. Howard worked for the Canadian Red Cross under the Government of Canada Fellowship Program.

From 2004 to 2007, Ms. Howard served as Executive Director of the Shared Services Office at Natural Resources Canada, where she designed, launched and led the Shared Services Office, a pan-departmental administrative business unit responsible for delivering client services.

From 2001 to 2004, she was at Industry Canada as Director General, Life Sciences Branch, where she helped to advance the economic growth and international competitiveness of Canadian life sciences industries. She also has experience in other federal departments, including Justice, National Defence and Indian Affairs and Northern Development.

Ms. Howard holds a Master, Business Administration (University of Ottawa) and a Bachelor of Arts (University of Waterloo).

Director General of the Office of Public Health Practice: Dr. Gregory W. Taylor

Dr. Taylor obtained his MD from Dalhousie University in Halifax, where he also completed a family medicine residency. After several years in active primary care in Ontario, he completed a fellowship in Community Medicine at the University of Ottawa and joined Health Canada’s Laboratory Centre for Disease Control. Although his initial responsibilities focused on cardiovascular disease, he was involved with a wide range of federal chronic disease activities before joining the Office of Public Health Practice.

His primary responsibilities at the Agency focus on building public health capacity in Canada and he plays a number of key leadership roles both within the Agency and in the Public Health Network.

Dr. Taylor maintains his connection with the University of Ottawa as adjunct professor of Epidemiology and Community Medicine.