Prime Minister Announces Changes to the Senior Ranks of the Public Service

Prime Minister Jean Chrétien was pleased to announce today that J. David Nicholson, Deputy Minister of Veterans Affairs, who was also serving as Acting President of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), will continue to serve as President of ACOA.

Mr. Nicholson will be assisted by Michael Horgan, currently Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet (Intergovernmental Policy and Communications), who has been appointed Executive Vice-President and Associate Deputy Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. This appointment is effective March 30, 1998.

The Prime Minister also announced that:

Donald Drummond, currently Senior Assistant Deputy Minister of Finance, has been appointed Associate Deputy Minister of Finance, effective immediately; and

Patrice Muller, currently Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Liaison Secretariat for Macroeconomic Policy, Privy Council Office, has been nominated as Director of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Biographical notes attached.

PMO Press Office: (613) 957-5555

Date of birth: August 1934

Education:
Studies in Science, Acadia University

Professional Experience:

May 1994 to Present
Deputy Minister of Veterans Affairs and, since September 1996, concurrently Acting President of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

1993 - 1994
Senior Assistant Deputy Minister and acting Deputy Minister of Veterans Affairs

1989 - 1992
Assistant Deputy Minister, Veterans Services Branch, Department of Veterans Affairs (was Acting Deputy Minister in 1991 and 1992)

1985 - 1989
Assistant Deputy Minister, Medical Services Branch, Health and Welfare Canada

1980 - 1985
President, Burnic Consulting Limited, Alberta

1979 - 1980
Director General, Program Support and then Assistant Deputy Minister, Indian and Inuit Affairs Programs, Department of Indian and Northern Affairs

1972 - 1979
Various management positions with Indian and Northern Affairs which culminated in Director General, Indian and Eskimo Affairs Program (Alberta Region), Department of Indian and Northern Affairs

1969 - 1972
Contract positions with the Department of Environment (Federal government) and Department of Fisheries (Government of Prince Edward Island)

1968 - 1971
Various positions within the private sector relating to the fishing industry

Date of Birth: December 1955

Education:
B.A. (Economics and Political Science), Concordia University
M.A. (Economics), Queen's University
M.A. (Economics), Princeton University, New Jersey, USA

Professional Experience:

August 1996 to Present
Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet (Intergovernmental Policy and Communications), Privy Council Office

October 1992 - August 1996
Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet (Priorities and Planning), Privy Council Office

February 1991 - 1992
Director, International Economic Analysis Division, International Trade and Finance Branch, Department of Finance

February 1990 - 1991
Director, Economic and Policy Analysis, Environment Canada

September 1987 - 1990
Tax Policy Officer; Chief, Strategic Planning; and then Assistant Director, Sales and Excise Tax Division, Department of Finance

August 1986 - 1987
Senior Economist, Economic Development Division, Department of Finance

June 1983 - 1985
Energy Economist, Energy and Resource Programs Division, Department of Finance

March 1981 - 1982
Executive Assistant to the Senior Assistant Deputy Minister (Energy), Energy, Mines and Resources Canada

September 1978 - 1981
Energy Economist, Energy and Resource Programs Division, Department of Finance

Date of Birth: December 1953

Education:
B.A. (Economics), University of Victoria, Victoria
M.A. (Economics), Queen's University, Kingston

Professional Experience:

April 1996 to Present
Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Finance, and Assistant Deputy Minister, Tax Policy, Department of Finance

January 1993 - 1996
Assistant Deputy Minister, Fiscal and Economic Policy, Department of Finance

November 1992 - 1993
Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, Fiscal Policy and Economic Analysis Branch, Department of Finance

May 1990 - 1992
General Director, Fiscal Policy and Economic Analysis, Department of Finance

June 1988 - 1990
Director, Economic Analysis and Forecasting Division, Fiscal Policy and Economic Analysis Branch, Department of Finance

May 1986 - 1988
Assistant Director, Economic Forecasting and Model Development, Fiscal Policy and Economic Analysis Branch, Department of Finance

1983 - 1986
Chief, Economic Forecasting and Model Development, Fiscal Policy and Economic Analysis Branch, Department of Finance

1977 - 1981
Fiscal Policy Officer, Department of Finance

Date of Birth: May 1953

Education:
Licence en sciences économiques de Louvain, Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium
M.A. (Economics), University of Michigan
A.B.D. (Economics), (All but Ph. D. dissertation),University of Michigan

Professional Experience:

June 1996 - Present
Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Liaison Secretariat for Macroeconomic Policy, Privy Council Office

November 1992 - 1996
Senior Economist, Liaison Office for Economic Policy, Privy Council Office

October 1990 - 1992
Economic Advisor, Fiscal Policy and Economic Analysis Branch, Department of Finance

October 1987 - 1990
Assistant Chief, Monetary and Financial Analysis Department and then Research Advisor, Research Department, Bank of Canada

July 1986 - 1987
Assistant Chief, Research Department, Bank of Canada

September 1984 - 1986
Research Officer, Research Department, Bank of Canada

September 1979 - 1981
Economist, Research Department, Bank of Canada

January 1982 - 1984
Officer, Fiscal and Monetary Policy Division, Economic and Statistics Department, OECD


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