Catherine Romanko has been appointed public guardian and trustee of British Columbia, Attorney General Shirley Bond announced today.

The appointment was effective Oct. 10, 2011, for a six-year term. Romanko succeeds Jay Chalke, who served for 11 years.

Romanko has been deputy public guardian and trustee since December 2001. She has an extensive background in wills, estates and guardianship law, and has balanced her legal practice between the private and public sectors.

Romanko is a member and past chair of the Vancouver wills and trusts section of the Canadian Bar Association and frequent contributor to continuing legal education programs. She obtained master of arts and bachelor of law degrees from the University of British Columbia after completing undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto.

The public guardian and trustee's office was established under provincial legislation in 2000 to:

• Protect children's legal rights and financial interests.
• Assist adults who need support with financial, legal and personal decision-making.
• Administer estates of deceased and missing persons when no one else is able to do so.

The office serves approximately 32,000 clients, including children, adults and estates, and manages $860 million of client assets.

Contact:

Dave Townsend
Ministry of Attorney General
250 387-4962 or 250 889-5945