The Honourable Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, today announced a number of senior appointments. 

• Andrea McKenna is appointed as Associate Deputy Minister, in the Department of Health and Community Services.
• Gregory Clarke is appointed as Assistant Deputy Minister, Infrastructure in the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure.
• Scott Barfoot is appointed as Assistant Secretary to Cabinet, Communications, in the Communications and Public Engagement Branch in the Office of the Executive Council.
• Peter Fitzgerald is appointed as Private Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor in the Office of the Executive Council. Mr. Fitzgerald will be replacing Mr. Dave Brown who will act as Special Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor until his retirement on June 11, 2021.

These appointments are effective immediately. Bios for each of the appointees can be found in the backgrounder below.

Quote
“I congratulate today’s appointees as they start their new roles. They bring an array of unique experiences and skillsets to these executive positions which will serve them well as they work on behalf of the people of the province. I also congratulate Mr. Dave Brown on his well-earned retirement and wish him well in all future endeavours.”
Honourable Andrew Furey
Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador

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Media contact
Meghan McCabe
Office of the Premier
709-729-3960
meghanmccabe@gov.nl.ca

BACKGROUNDER

Biographical Information

Andrea McKenna
Andrea McKenna joined the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2007. Prior to that she worked in Dublin, Ireland for the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Irish Government. She is currently the Assistant Deputy Minister, COVID-19 Response Coordination with the Department of Health and Community Services.

Ms. McKenna has held a variety of positions with the Departments of Transportation and Infrastructure; Business; Innovation, Trade and Rural Development, and the Office of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency.

Ms. McKenna holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador and a Master of Business Studies from the University College Dublin.

Gregory Clarke
Gregory Clarke was most recently Director of Infrastructure Planning and Procurement in the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure. Mr. Clarke has also served as Director of Resource and Fiscal Policy in the Intergovernmental Affairs Secretariat and Director of Accountability in the Office of the Executive Council. Before joining the public service in 2009, Mr. Clarke was the Executive Director of the Centre for Constitutional Studies in the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Law.

Mr. Clarke has a PhD in Political Science from Simon Fraser University.

Scott Barfoot
Scott Barfoot has close to 20 years of communications and marketing experience within the private and public sectors.  For the last 13 years, he has served in a variety of capacities including as the Director of Strategic Communications – Planning with Executive Council, as well as the Director of Communications with the Departments of Health and Community Services, Transportation and Works, and Innovation and Business Rural Development.  Prior to that, he worked in marketing and communications agencies in Ottawa and Halifax.

Mr. Barfoot holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree, Political Science and Business Administration from Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador and a Public Relations Diploma from Algonquin College.

Peter Fitzgerald
Peter Fitzgerald was admitted to the Newfoundland and Labrador Bar on April 14th, 1995. He maintained a commercial legal practice prior to joining the Department of Justice and Public Safety in September 1998.

A specialist in procurement law, he has served in progressively responsible capacities in his 23 years since joining the Department of Justice and Public Safety including in-house counsel with the former Department of Transportation and Works, and solicitor for the former Departments of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Business and Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation. His counsel and advice has been sought in support of significant commercial matters, domestic and international trade agreements and public procurement.

Mr. Fitzgerald was appointed as Director of Civil Division with the Department of Justice and Public Safety in November 2017 and was seconded to Cabinet Secretariat in August 2019 as a Cabinet Officer.