Premier King announces changes to Senior Management Team

Premier Dennis King announces changes to the senior management team of government.   

The following changes to the senior management team will take effect in the coming days:  

• Lisa Thibeau, Deputy Minister of Health and Wellness;
• Jamie MacDonald, Deputy Minister of Social Development & Housing;
• Michele Koughan, Deputy Minister of Fisheries & Communities;
• Bob Creed, Deputy Minister of Transportation & Infrastructure;
• Krista Shaw, Assistant Deputy Minister of Mental Health & Addictions;
• Dr. Carolyn Sanford, Assistant Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Land;
• Todd Dupuis, Assistant Deputy Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Action; and
• Darren Chaisson, Provincial Government lead for construction of UPEI Faculty of Medicine

“I would like to thank both Mark Spidel and David Keedwell for their years of public service as Deputy Ministers, especially over the last 23-months during such an uncertain time,” said Premier King. “I am pleased to have members of our senior management team take on new roles, while having new faces join our diverse and professional team to lead our public service.”

Media Contact:
Adam Ross 
Office of the Premier 
adamross@gov.pe.ca

Backgrounder: 

Lisa Thibeau 

Lisa most recently served as the Assistant Deputy Minister – Mental Health and Addictions.  Before her role with the Department, she served as the acting Executive Director at Health PEI.   She has extensive experience in addictions programming in Prince Edward Island and with the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba. Lisa has played an instrumental role in overseeing operations for provincial inpatient and Community Mental Health and Addictions. She has sat on provincial, federal, and territorial committees and has played a significant role in the development and promotion of Health PEI strategies and goals. Lisa brings a wealth of policy oversight and strategic planning to her work and fosters approaches that deliver high-quality health care, retention, and recruitment.  Lisa holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Prince Edward Island and a Master of Arts in Psychology and Counselling from Yorkville University.

Jamie MacDonald, MBA, CHE

Jamie MacDonald is a Certified Health Executive with over twenty years of senior executive experience in domestic and international health care in public and private sectors.  Previous to the appointment of Deputy Minister of Social Development & Housing, Jamie served as the Senior Director of Health Innovation with the Department of Health and Wellness and Chief Administrative Officer with Health PEI.  Prior to returning to PEI, Jamie had extensive experience working in healthcare technology in North America and Middle East health markets. Jamie holds a Master in Business Administration from Tiffin University, OH, and a Bachelor of Science from Mount Saint Vincent University.  Jamie also is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Consultant.  Jamie is an active volunteer on local and national boards and resides in Charlottetown with her family.  

Michele Koughan, CMA, CPA

Michele has worked in various financial service roles within the public service since she started at the Worker’s Compensation Board in 2004.  In 2009 she joined the Provincial Government and has worked in progressively responsible financial positions starting in the Department of Social Development and Housing and then as both Manager of Finance & Administration and Director of Finance & Corporate Services for Environment, Energy and Climate Action and most recently as the Director of Finance and  Corporate Services for the Department of Justice and Public Safety. Michele holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Prince Edward Island, a Masters in Business Administration from St. Mary’s University and is a designated Chartered Professional Accountant. Michele was born in Charlottetown and currently resides with her husband, Matt, in Mermaid and has one daughter, Maddy. 

Bob Creed

Bob Creed has served as the Deputy Minister of the Department of Fisheries and Communities since May 2019.  
Before his appointment, he had worked with the provincial government for 25 years in a variety of departments, the last 11 of those in senior management positions. He graduated from the University of Prince Edward Island in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Certificate in Public Administration.
He grew up in a fishing family in Gaspereaux, Prince Edward Island, where he currently resides with his wife Carmelle and daughter Briana.

Krista Shaw 

Krista Shaw is currently the Director of Mental Health & Addictions Transitions with Health PEI. She was the Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Charlottetown and Montague for 10 years, and prior to that worked as a Counsellor for children and youth in Massachusetts, USA. She has 20 years of experience in Mental Health and Addictions and has served on various boards, committees and national councils.   Krista holds a Bachelor of Science from UPEI and is completing her Masters in Organization and Leadership from Athabasca University.  Krista resides in Stanhope with her husband Steven and son Jack.

Dr. Carolyn Sanford

Carolyn is a veterinarian that graduated from the Atlantic Veterinary College. She went on to specialize in Epidemiology and earned her PhD in 2006.  She has worked in private practice, at UPEI and the CFIA.  In 2008 she joined the Chief Public Health Office, Department of Health and served as the Provincial Epidemiologist for a number of years.  In 2017 she was appointed as the Chief Provincial Veterinarian in the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.  Carolyn resides in rural PEI (Darlington) with her husband Matt and two daughters, Jillian and Allie. 

Todd Dupuis

Todd Dupuis is a graduate of the University of Prince Edward Island and has worked in the watershed restoration field for more than 25 years. As a technical advisor for many community-based stream restoration projects across Prince Edward Island and to the Government of Prince Edward Island on fish passage issues, Todd has built strong relationships with many environmental stakeholders within the province.  Todd co-authored the "Technical Manual for Watershed Management on Prince Edward Island" and has taught at the university level. As a member of the Prince Edward Island Round Table on Resource Land Use and Stewardship Commission he has supported the development of a resource land strategy for the province. Todd co-chaired the National Climate Change Adaptation working group for the development of the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.

Darren Chaisson

Darren Chaisson holds a BScE in Civil Engineering from the University of New Brunswick as well as an Engineering Diploma from the University of Prince Edward Island. He is also a member of the Association of Professional Engineers of Prince Edward Island.
Mr. Chaisson began his career with the Department of Transportation, Infrastructure and Energy in 1999 working in various engineering roles in highway construction within the Capital Projects Division and eventually the department’s Director of Highway Maintenance in 2010.  Since June of 2017 he has served as the Deputy Minister of Transportation & Infrastructure. Darren resides in Waterside, Prince Edward Island with his wife and 2 children.