Senior Intergovernmental Economist, Ontario Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs, Cabinet Office
Public Administration, Bachelor of Arts (BA) - Honours 2004

Tell prospective students a bit about the work you do.

I am currently a Senior Intergovernmental Economist within the Economics, Justice and International Relations Policy team at the Ontario’s Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs, Cabinet Office. In this role, I provide strategic advice and expertise to the Premier’s Office and senior members of the Government of Ontario on matters of intergovernmental concern impacting the province.

In this regard, I work as part of a team to defend Ontario’s policy interests in negotiations of major intergovernmental transfers on a wide array of policy files, to help ensure that Ontario is treated fairly within the Canadian Federation.

Tell prospective students a bit about how your studies at York helped you to get where you are today.

My studies within the Public Policy & Administration program provided me with a strong foundation in policy, public administration, law, economics and have continued to inform almost every facet of my career spanning nearly twenty years across ten ministries within the Ontario Public Service (OPS).

The program's coursework in public and constitutional law have provided me with an in-depth understanding of the division of powers and contemporary constitutional issues, which I have used many times during the negotiation of major internal and international trade agreements such as the Procurement Chapter of Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) or Ontario’s accession to the World Trade Organization – Agreement on Government Procurement (WTO-GPA).

Unlike other courses in political science which are largely conceptual or "theoretical" or geared towards study abroad in international institutions, the PPA program provides practical skills necessary to get a well paying government job, and ensures a long and resilient career in any area of government across the country. The program's courses in public policy, economics, statistics, public administration, program evaluation and state finance served me well in several policy areas, including corporate, fiscal, environmental, Indigenous, labour, trade, procurement and social policy areas. For instance, as a Senior Policy Advisor within the Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility my knowledge of social policies and program evaluation helped me contribute to the development and evaluation of Ontario’s Seniors Strategy. Soon after, I joined the Fiscal Policy team at the Ministry of Finance as a Senior Economist supporting the negotiation of major intergovernmental transfers and crafting Ontario’s Budget Document narrative. The seamless movement across dramatically different policy areas, such as social and fiscal policy fields, would not have been possible without a strong grounding in public policy offered by York's program.

One of the most unique and important aspects of the PPA program known as the “Practicum Course” - AP/PPAS 4995 6.0 Practicum in Public Administration - provided me and others in my class with an opportunity to get the necessary experience while studying to get my foot in the door while completing my undergraduate studies.

In addition, the PPA program also prepared me for additional graduate level qualifications, including my MA in Political Science from the University of Windsor, and again after several years my Executive LL.M in Public Procurement Law and Policy from the University of Nottingham. I firmly believe that my academic and professional successes would not have been possible without the rigour of the PPA program!