Today Premier Sandy Silver announced the appointment of Michael Hale as deputy minister for the Executive Council Office and Cabinet secretary.
Hale is moving from his role as deputy minister for the Department of Health and Social Services where he has been responsible for the development of the new public health authority.
Hale is replacing Stephen Mills who is retiring from the Government of Yukon. Stephen Mills has had an accomplished career in the Yukon government over nearly 10 years, working in Aboriginal Relations as a director and assistant deputy minister before being appointed as Deputy Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources in 2015. He has been deputy minister of the Executive Council Office since 2019.
This appointment is effective immediately.
For the past four years I have relied heavily on Stephen’s counsel and support as the deputy minister of the Executive Council Office and the Cabinet secretary. Stephen exemplifies what it means to be a public servant and I am grateful for his years of leadership and dedication. As a leader, he represented competence and broke down stereotypes.
I wish Michael Hale great success in his new role and I am confident that his leadership experience in the public service and the private sector will make a positive difference in the lives of Yukoners.
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Deputy ministers, including presidents of government corporations, are the most senior public servants in the Government of Yukon. They are responsible for the department or corporation’s budget, day-to-day operations and program development.
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Deputy ministers serve at the pleasure of the Premier.
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The deputy minister of the Executive Council Office also serves as the Cabinet secretary. The Executive Council Office provides support to the Premier and members of the Executive Council, also known as the Cabinet. This department is responsible for ensuring that strategic planning, policy development and public engagement are effective and coordinated across the government.
Biography – Michael Hale
Michael Hale moved to the Yukon more than 20 years ago, with a career that’s spanned the sectors of journalism, public service and the private sector. Hale has held numerous leadership roles from chief operating officer for Northern Vision Development, to chief of staff to the Yukon’s Premier, to vice-president of operations for Yukon Housing Corporation, to assistant deputy minister and chief negotiator for the Yukon government’s Aboriginal Relations Division. Most recently, Hale was the deputy minister with the Department of Health and Social Services where he was responsible for the delivery of health care services and their integration into a new health authority. He has two sons, Maddox and Jonah, and a partner, Lacia, who remind him daily that work is only one part of life.
Renée Francoeur
Cabinet Communications
867-334-9194
renee.francoeur@yukon.ca