Premier Ranj Pillai has announced senior leadership changes in the departments of Health and Social Services, Tourism and Culture, Education, the Women and Gender Equity Directorate, the Yukon Development Corporation and the Yukon Housing Corporation.
Tiffany Boyd will serve as acting Deputy Minister with the Department of Health and Social Services for six months. Boyd will be responsible for the delivery of health care services and their integration into a new health authority. Ed van Randen will remain with the department as the deputy minister responsible for social services.
Justin Ferbey has been appointed president of the Yukon Housing Corporation in addition to his responsibilities as the Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Tourism and Culture.
Mary Cameron has been appointed Deputy Minister for the Department of Education and, until May 1, will be responsible for the Women and Gender Equity Directorate. Nicole Morgan is leaving the Government of Yukon.
Dennis Berry has been appointed president and CEO of the Yukon Development Corporation in addition to his position as president of the Yukon Liquor Corporation.
Sierra van der Meer will join the Government of Yukon on May 1 as Deputy Minister of the Department of Tourism and Culture and the Women and Gender Equity Directorate.
All appointments are effective immediately, aside from the May 1 leadership change for the Department of Tourism and Culture and the Women and Gender Equity Directorate.
These appointments reflect a greater gender balance in the government’s senior leadership and will support an innovative and effective public service that can advance the government’s priorities. I look forward to working closely with all department leaders across the Yukon government as we continue to serve Yukoners and build a prosperous, healthy and vibrant territory.
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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.
Biographies
Sierra van der Meer
Sierra van der Meer moved to the Yukon in 2003 and joined the federal public service in 2007. She held director positions in strategic investments, environment and corporate services before becoming regional director of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) in 2015. Van der Meer championed COVID-19 economic relief programs that provided rapid and critical support to a wide range of Yukon businesses and organizations during the pandemic. She was promoted to vice-president of CanNor in 2021 and gained responsibility for all three territories. Van der Meer holds a bachelor of science in biology from Simon Fraser University.
Tiffany Boyd
Tiffany Boyd is a third generation Yukoner. She has a background in health studies, public health, business and human resources. Boyd has worked in the non-profit and private sectors and for the past decade has held successively senior roles in the Yukon government public service. She served as assistant deputy minister of the human resource service centre with the Public Service Commission and most recently was the assistant deputy minister of corporate services in the Department of Health and Social Services. Boyd has a bachelor of science in health studies from the University of Waterloo and a master of science in international business management from the University of Liverpool.
Dennis Berry
Dennis Berry moved to the Yukon from Inuvik, NWT, in 2004. He has served as director of fire and life safety, fire marshal and senior director of strategic operations with the protective services division of the Department of Community Services. Berry was also the assistant deputy minister of protective services with the Department of Community Services and the assistant deputy minister of corporate services and climate change with the Department of Environment. Since May 2021, he has served as the President of the Yukon Liquor Corporation. Berry has a bachelor of environmental studies from the University of Waterloo and a master of science from the University of Guelph.
Mary Cameron
Mary Cameron began her career in Yukon 10 years ago as a director with the Carcross/Tagish First Nation, she then moved to Yukon Housing Corporation where she worked as both a director and vice-president, and for the last three years as President. Prior to working in the Yukon, she was in education and worked in both the public and independent school systems as a teacher, department head, vice-principal and principal in Victoria, British Columbia. Cameron has a bachelor of arts and a bachelor of education from the University of Victoria, a certificate in risk management from the University of Toronto, and a master in administration and supervision from the University of Phoenix.
Justin Ferbey
Justin Ferbey is the former CEO of the Carcross/Tagish Development and Management Corporation and also served as an advisor in the federal treaty negotiation office. Since 2015 he has been the president and CEO of the Yukon Development Corporation and in 2016, he also took on the role of deputy minister for the Department of Economic Development. Since September 2021, he has also been the Deputy Minister for the Department of Tourism and Culture. Ferbey holds a bachelor of arts and science, a master of business and has obtained certifications in dispute resolution and negotiations, and commerce.
Renée Francoeur
Cabinet Communications
867-334-9194
renee.francoeur@yukon.ca