INFORMATION BULLETIN

2009PREM0044-000448 October 5, 2009

Office of the Premier

 

PREMIER CAMPBELL ANNOUNCES KEY APPOINTMENT

 

VICTORIA – Allan P. Seckel, Q.C., has been appointed Deputy Minister to the Premier, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the British Columbia Public Service, Premier Gordon Campbell announced today. 

 

Seckel will replace Jessica McDonald who has been serving in that role since 2005. The appointment will be effective tomorrow.

 

Following six years as a deputy minister in the Premier’s Office and a career in the BC Public Service extending back to 1991, McDonald will move on to future career opportunities.  A three-month period has been established to ensure a smooth transition.

 

In 2005, McDonald became the first woman to hold the position of Head of the British Columbia Public Service.  Under her leadership the organization achieved a 10-point increase in employee engagement, along with its first recognition as one of B.C.’s Top 50 Employers and Canada’s 30 Greenest Employers. She has been recognized for her leadership in innovation and employee engagement, including the 2008 IPAC/Deloitte National Gold Award for Public Sector Leadership. 

 

Seckel previously held the position of Deputy Attorney General since 2003, after many years in private practice with a major law firm in Vancouver. As Deputy Attorney General, Seckel has held overall responsibility for the administration of justice in British Columbia, including support to the independent judiciary, prosecuting offences under federal and provincial statutes, drafting legislation, providing legal advice to government and representing it in litigation. He is the author or co-author of two legal texts, “Estate Administration In British Columbia, A Solicitor’s Reference Manual” and “The BC Supreme Court Rules Annotated”. He is also a contributing author to the CLE Civil Trial Handbook. 

 

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Contact:

Bridgitte Anderson Press Secretary Office of the Premier 604 307-7177

 

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