Ainsley Krone

Deputy Minister of Indigenous Reconciliation

Ainsley Krone has served as deputy minister for Indigenous reconciliation since March 17, 2023. Since 2021, she served as acting Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth (MACY). Over the past 14 years, Ainsley has held positions at MACY, including Deputy Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth, manager of research and public education, and special investigator on MACY's child death review unit. She began her career as a direct service youth worker and alternative education program developer in BC.

A registered social worker, Ainsley holds a Master of Arts degree in communication, with a specialization in international and intercultural communications.
 

Jan Forster

Deputy Minister of Advanced Education and Training

Jan Forster joined Manitoba's Public Service in 1997 through a management internship, and has a Master's degree in public administration. She spent many years early in her career with the Department of Family Services, and has since worked in numerous departments, developing a broad perspective of the Manitoba government's work.

Over the years, she has been called upon to take on new portfolios, overseeing diverse programs such as consumer protection, employment and income assistance, and all employment and training programs in the province including those of Apprenticeship Manitoba, tourism, and immigration.

Jan advanced to the role of assistant deputy minister in 2012 in the Department of Jobs and the Economy, and became a deputy minister in January 2018, overseeing municipal relations. She has since also served as deputy minister of Economic Development and Training and Conservation, Environment, Climate and Parks. She brings significant experience to her position as deputy minister of Advanced Education and Training responsible for post-secondary education, international education, Student Aid, and adult learning and literacy.
 

Brenda DeSerranno

Deputy Minister of Agriculture

Appointed deputy minister of agriculture in Jan. 2023, Brenda DeSerranno previously held several diverse portfolios in both front-line departments and central agencies, with her most recent assignment serving as assistant deputy minister of analytical services at Treasury Board Secretariat.

Brenda's education and experience in business administration and economics has provided her with extensive knowledge in financial management, strategic planning and decision making to ensure the Department of Agriculture meets its objectives and delivers value to Manitobans through whole-of-government strategies
 

Joseph Dunford

Deputy Minister of Consumer Protection and Government Services

Joseph Dunford is a professional engineer who has recently relocated to Manitoba. He spent much of his 25-plus-year career in the Atlantic provinces and has a diverse background that includes health care, transportation, and manufacturing. Joe has two bachelors' degrees (engineering and biochemistry) and a Master's degree in engineering (mechanical).

Joe has spent most of his career in the public sector, where he has held various leadership and executive roles. His expertise includes capital projects, planning and project delivery, operations and maintenance, continuous improvement (Lean/Six Sigma), and procurement of horizontal and vertical infrastructure.
 

Dana Rudy

Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Investment, Trade and Natural Resources

A member of Manitoba's Public Service since 2005, Dana Rudy has held a number of senior roles across health care, social services, education and early childhood learning. She served as deputy minister of education and early childhood learning from 2020 to 2023.

She previously worked in an integrated role with the Department of Families, as well as with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, most recently serving as the executive director and chief allied health officer, overseeing community health and social services in south Winnipeg and at the Victoria General Hospital. Dana was the coordinator of an international social development project between Canada and Ukraine and a sessional instructor in the University of Manitoba's Faculty of Social Work, where she worked in the Child and Family Services Research Group and taught in the undergraduate and graduate programs.

She holds a Master of social work (policy, evaluation and social service administration), and a Master's certificate in project management.

Brian O'Leary

Deputy Minister of Education and Early Childhood Learning

Deputy Minister of Education and Early Childhood Learning, Brian O'Leary, B.A., B.Ed., MEd., previously served for 22 years as superintendent of Winnipeg's Seven Oaks School Division. In that capacity, he was responsible for more than 12,000 students and 1,500 staff members. Under his leadership, the division made significant gains in student engagement, attendance and high school graduation rates. The division also became a leader in Indigenous education, arts education, innovation and equity promotion.

Brian has served as president of the Manitoba Association of School Superintendents, and the National Council of the Canadian Education Association. He is actively involved with United Way Winnipeg and has taught education courses at the University of Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba.

Paul McConnell

Deputy Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Paul McConnell was appointed the deputy minister of environment and climate change on Oct. 19, 2023. Previously, Paul was the deputy minister of natural resources and northern development.

Before joining Manitoba's Public Service, Paul served as the Yukon's deputy minister of energy, mines and resources and deputy minister of highways and public works. He was also the assistant deputy minister of property management, assistant deputy minister of transportation, and president of both the Yukon Liquor Corporation and Lotteries Yukon.

A former 25-year member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Paul holds a degree in criminology from Simon Fraser University.

Michelle Dubik

Deputy Minister of Families

Michelle Dubik's career with the Manitoba government began with her work in women's issues and substance use, including mobilizing both community and system responses to address fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. As a director, she led a policy team responsible for income security and the Employment and Income Assistance program.

Michelle served as assistant deputy minister of the Community Service Delivery division of the Department of Families, where she was responsible for the delivery of several social services across Manitoba, working in partnership with various community and corporate stakeholders. She was later appointed deputy minister for Indigenous reconciliation and northern relations, where she worked with departments to foster positive and respectful relationships with Indigenous peoples and northern communities to support meaningful partnerships and reconciliation.

As the deputy minister of the Department of Families, Michelle provides policy and planning direction for activities centred on the funding and delivery of services and programs that help ensure the safety and well-being of children, individuals, families and communities.

Silvester Komlodi

Deputy Minister of Finance and Acting Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs

Silvester Komlodi is deputy minister of the Department of Finance. He was previously associate deputy minister in the Department of Health, and has served as the assistant deputy minister (ADM) of fiscal management and capital planning in the Treasury Board Secretariat, and as ADM of the Finance Research Division in the Department of Finance.

Silvester previously held various management and analyst roles in the Department of Finance, in federal-provincial and international relations, Citizenship and Immigration Canada and Manitoba Hydro.

A Lean Six Sigma-certified green belt, Silvester holds undergraduate and masters degrees, focused on international relations and political economics, from the University of Toronto. He is also acting deputy minister of Intergovernmental Affairs.

Scott Sinclair

Deputy Minister of Health, Seniors and Long Term Care

Prior to being appointed deputy minister of Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care, Scott Sinclair was deputy minister of Consumer Protection and Government Services. He had also previously served as deputy minister of the departments of Labour, Crown Services and Infrastructure. Scott has held other senior roles as the associate deputy minister of Finance - Central Services and assistant deputy minister, Advanced Learning Division in the Department of Education and Advanced Learning.

Scott has worked in the both the provincial and federal public sectors since 1999, gaining experience in a number of departments and portfolios including agriculture, transportation, education, health, social services, economic development and labour. He brings expertise in public sector administration and policy and program development, as well as championing evidence-informed decision-making through research and evaluation methodologies.

Scott is also a faculty member in the Department of Political Studies at the University of Manitoba, where he teaches a variety of courses including Research Methods in the Study of Politics, Multivariate Research Methods and Managing Modern Government.

Scott has earned degrees in economics and mathematics from Brandon University, along with a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Victoria.

Catherine Gates

Deputy Minister of Housing, Addictions and Homelessness

Prior to her appointment as deputy minister of housing, addictions and homelessness, Catherine Gates served as deputy minister of labour and immigration. Throughout her 22-year career in provincial public service, she has progressed through administrative and policy positions and into leadership roles.

She previously served as assistant deputy minister of community service delivery in the Department of Families. In this role, Catherine's team delivered on historic transformation projects and enhancements to Manitoba's income security and disability programs, while ensuring the ongoing provision of social services across sectors throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Catherine has earned a Master of Public Administration from the Universities of Manitoba and Winnipeg, and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in political science from the University of Alberta.

Jeremy Akerstream

Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Attorney General

Jeremy Akerstream was appointed deputy minister of justice and deputy attorney general of Manitoba on January 7, 2023. Jeremy has had an extensive career in government, serving in many senior leadership roles at both the provincial and federal levels. He has more than 20 years of combined experience as a defense attorney, and later as a Crown attorney with the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, handling complex criminal and regulatory matters before all levels of courts in Manitoba.

Jeremy was appointed assistant deputy attorney general of Crown law in Manitoba Justice on December 7, 2020. He served in that role until his appointment as deputy minister of the Department of Indigenous Reconciliation and Northern Relations on June 20, 2022, where he served until his current appointment.

Throughout his career, Jeremy has had extensive professional involvement in drug treatment court, both provincially and nationally, serving as chair of the Canadian Association of Drug Treatment Court Professionals. He also has a broad involvement in community leadership.

Bernadette Preun

Deputy Minister of Labour and Immigration

Bernadette Preun has served as a deputy minister in various portfolios since 2020. She began her career with Manitoba's Public Service in 2001, as a staff member of Health's Capital Planning Branch. She was later appointed as director of emergency medical services (land and air ambulances) in 2003.

In 2007, Bernadette assumed the role of assistant deputy minister, overseeing a wide range of health-related portfolios including the provincial drug programs/Pharmacare; capital planning; information and communications technology; the regional health authorities, CancerCare Manitoba, and Diagnostic Services of Manitoba.

In September 2020, she was appointed deputy minister of Crown services overseeing Manitoba Hydro, Manitoba Public Insurance, and Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries. In January 2022, she was appointed deputy minister of seniors and long-term Care. In October 2023, she was appointed deputy minister of labour and immigration.

Bruce Gray

Deputy Minister of Municipal and Northern Relations and Indigenous Economic Development

Bruce Gray has served in many senior management capacities in his career as a member of Manitoba's Public Service. He has demonstrated leadership in natural resource management, environmental stewardship, and financial management. He has helped teams effectively provide advice and support to inform government decisions related to complex files and has actively led and contributed to several diverse cross-departmental initiatives involving Indigenous, intergovernmental, community, stakeholder and industry engagement.

Bruce holds a Master of Public Administration degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Winnipeg.

Jocelyn Baker

Acting Public Service Commissioner

Jocelyn Baker was appointed as Acting Public Service Commissioner in February 2022, after serving as Assistant Deputy Minister of Human Resource Operations with the Public Service Commission. She has been leading the modernization of human resource processes and the delivery of recruitment, talent acquisition and human resources and labour relations services with a client focus since March 2018. She is an advocate for diversity, inclusion and accessibility.

Jocelyn previously served in numerous executive roles over the last 12 years with the Province of Manitoba. She worked with the Department of Conservation for 14 years, including as the Assistant Deputy Minister for Environmental Stewardship division and the Executive Director leading department policy, Indigenous Relations and watershed management. She has led major change management initiatives, strategic and corporate policy and program development, and employee engagement initiatives. She initiated the Conservation department's journey into Lean and Continuous Improvement and was the department's Executive Lean Champion, Executive Learning Champion, and Executive Diversity Champion. She was also the executive lead for legislative development for seven years. Jocelyn has 20 years of experience working with Indigenous communities on land use planning, protected areas, consultations and economic development. She has been a public servant for her entire career including serving with the Saskatchewan government for seven years

Jeff Hnatiuk

Deputy Minister of Sport, Culture, Heritage and Tourism

With over 30 years of sport leadership experience, a Bachelor of Recreation Studies degree from the University of Manitoba and an Administration degree from the University of Winnipeg, Jeff Hnatiuk became the first President and CEO of Sport Manitoba when the organization was formed in 1996. He previously served as the executive director for both Golf Manitoba and Hockey Manitoba.

During his 24 years in leading Sport Manitoba, Jeff oversaw the delivery and development of sport in our province. He also served on many provincial and national boards, task forces and completed a secondment as president and CEO of the 2017 Canada Summer Games Host Society.

Jeff has also served on the Advisory Committee to the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation Management at the University of Manitoba; as a board member for the 1999 World Junior Hockey Championships; as a member of the 1999 Pan American Games Legacy Committee; and as a member of the National Task Force commissioned for the development of a National Alternate Dispute Resolution System for Sport in Canada.

Ryan Klos

Deputy Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure

Prior to his appointment as deputy minister of transportation and infrastructure, Ryan Klos served as deputy minister of environment and climate. Ryan joined Manitoba's Public Service in 2007, in the Department of Conservation, working in forestry and natural resources. Since that time, he has served in various senior leadership roles across a range of government departments, including Natural Resources and Northern Development, Treasury Board Secretariat and Finance. Ryan holds a graduate degree in environment and natural resources.


 

Ann Ulusoy

Secretary to Treasury Board

Ann Ulusoy was named Secretary to Treasury Board in April 2021, having previously served as Manitoba's provincial comptroller. She has over 25 years of public sector experience in financial leadership roles, responsible for operating and capital budgeting, annual estimates, long-term financial planning, controllership and fiscal management in public and private sectors.

She previously served as the director, management services for the City of Toronto and held vice president of finance and director positions in the public sector in health care and insurance entities in Ontario.

Her early private sector experience included work with Manulife Financial and Arthur Andersen & Co. in Toronto. She has also served as board chair for the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre and the MasterCard Centre for Hockey Excellence.

Ann is a Chartered Professional Accountant (Ontario 1991, Manitoba 2020) and holds a Bachelor of Commerce with Honors and a Diploma in Public Administration.