Doug Blackie
Master of Public Administration 1997

Corporate Director, Medical Affairs, Vancouver Island Health Authority / Leadership Trainer and Blogger

Senior leader at VIHA responsible for physician services including physician recruitment, retention, engagement, physician quality assurance, contract negotiation and compensation.  My MPA provided a solid set of leadership and management skills within the public sector context specifically the policy, planning and financial framework.

Michael Buda
Master of Public Administration 2008

Director of Policy & Research, Federation of Canadian Municipalities

The policy team I lead is responsible for a wide range of issues, from housing to infrastructure financing to policing to rural development. The MPA program gave me the framework I need to quickly understand the particular policy problem, and then to clearly communicate key issues and recommended next steps.

Roy Cullen
Master of Public Administration 1988

Author

Having been a Chartered Accountant employed in the public service, Roy pursued the MPA program through part-time studies while holding a position as an Assistant Deputy Minister in the BC Ministry of Forests. Following graduation Roy served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister. Roy has published two books, The Poverty of Corrupt Nations and Beyond Question Period - or what really goes on in Ottawa.

Read Roy's Featured Alum Article

Doug Findlater
Diploma in Public Sector Management 1988

Mayor, District of Kelowna

Many of the courses I took provided me with skills useful in my current career in leadership in Local Government in BC, as well as a substantial career as a manager in the Canadian Government.

Visit Doug's website at: http://www.findlater.com/index.html

Andrew Fraser
Master of Public Administration 2001

Manager, Industrial and Regional Benefits, Western Economic Diversification Canada WD, Ottawa Office

I have worked for both the provincial and federal governments, and my MPA provided me with a solid academic foundation and valuable work experience that helped open up my career path. I now lead the Industrial and Regional Benefits Team at Western Economic Diversification Canada, which involves working across the four western provinces to represent the interests of Western Canada in the federal procurement process, and promote and connect western Canadian companies to global aerospace and defence companies.

Natasha Hohol
Master of Public Administration 2008

Legislative Coordinator and Associate Director for the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives with the Boards, Commissions and Legislation Branch (Province of Manitoba) 

I work with the agriculture sector to support over 50 pieces of legislation and over 100 regulations. Additionally, I collaboratively support administrative tribunals that have statutory responsibility for exercising regulatory and adjudicative functions independent of government in its general supervision of particular areas of the agriculture sector. My MPA offered a combination of practical skills and theoretical knowledge that I employ every day. Leadership, economics and administrative law in particular, have been crucial pillars in building a career and excelling as a professional public administrator.

Ken Merkley
Master of Public Administration 1986

Author

After completing his MPA Ken worked in the office of the Comptroller General, Ministry of Finance for a number of years before starting his own business, Three E.Training, with some colleagues. These days Ken spends his time offering his volunteer services to The Kidney Foundation of Canada, when not busy golfing or writing crime novels. His degree in Public Administration and his work in Government have helped him immensely in his career progression and in crafting his novels, which focus extensively on plots involving government offices, agencies and occupations.

Read more about Ken

Brian Parrott
Master of Public Administration 1981

Senior Trade Commissioner, Canadian High Commission in London

Brian's career has spanned several continents, as well as the exciting policy areas of resources, industry, development, and trade. Like many other School of Public Administration Alumni, the course of Brian's career was fermented in his early experiences in his co-op terms, which were at the time a rather new innovation in Canadian post-secondary education.

Brian's choice of the MPA Program has yielded a very satisfying path."Along the way," he says, "I have had the opportunity to meet some remarkable people, do some unimaginable things and hopefully contribute to Canada's economic development."

Read Brian's Featured Alum Article

Emma Sharkey
Master of Arts in Dispute Resolution 2005

Aboriginal Relations Coordinator, Nalcor Energy

In my role working on the Environmental Assessment of the Lower Churchill Project, I work with First Nations groups and communities in Labrador to negotiate agreements, build relationships, carry out consultation and conduct field research on contemporary land use and harvesting. I then help incorporate this information into the project’s environmental assessment.

Read more about Emma's job

Claudia Steinke
Interdisciplinary PhD Business and Public Administration 2008

Assistant Professor, Faculties of Health Sciences and Management, University of Lethbridge

Claudia completed an interdisciplinary PhD through UVic's School of Public Administration and Faculty of Business. Her award winning dissertation examined the 'service experience' of BC emergency room patients. Of her PhD experience Claudia was thankful for the support she received from UVic faculty and staff, "My sincere appreciation to Bart Cunningham (Co-Supervisor for my PhD) and Jim MacGregor (Committee Member) for all of their guidance, insight and support over the years. I feel very fortunate to have been able to spend time with and learn from them."

Today Claudia enjoys an intellectually stimulating career where she has freedom, flexibilitiy, and mobility. Through her job she is able to network with people from all over the world and has the opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue and action.

Read more about Claudia's thesis

Jim Stevens
Master of Public Administration 1983

Retired

Before retiring in 2008, Jim served as a senior regional officer in the world of self-regulation, education and policy development in Canadian capital markets. Today Jim volunteers for a number of environmental stewardship and community activities in Alberta, committed to enhancing, preserving and protecting water resources in Alberta.

"My MPA studies imbued me with the importance of objectivity and professionalism in public administration, and the value of the dialogue about the balancing of social, economic and environmental considerations in the development of both public and industrial policy in society. I have been privileged to work with leaders from all parts of Canada and beyond, and enjoyed both the stimulation and the company of the people I have met in the public service and business as I have endeavoured to forge common cause."