Premier Christy Clark today announced upcoming changes to key positions in the BC Public Service:

After 27 years of serving the Province, John Dyble, deputy minister to the Premier, cabinet secretary and head of the public service, will retire effective March 24, 2016.

Dyble’s public service career started in Smithers in 1980, as an engineering student on a survey crew.  Nine years later, after working as a consulting engineer in the developing world, Dyble formally joined the BC Public Service. Establishing himself as a leader on major B.C. infrastructure projects, Dyble rose to become deputy minister of transportation and infrastructure. He was deputy minister of health, responsible for developing and delivering government’s health innovation agenda, when appointed deputy minister to Premier Clark in 2011.

During his five-year tenure as lead deputy, Dyble helped manage and deliver key government priorities such as successive balanced budgets, the BC Jobs Plan, Crown corporation reviews and long-term labour agreements. As head of the public service, Dyble has worked to build a strong corporate executive and maintain the BC Public Service as one of Canada’s top employers.

“John’s work, over a remarkable career, has literally spanned and helped to build our province,” said Premier Clark. “I thank John for what he has accomplished for British Columbia, and I am honoured to have had him as my partner in the public service for the past five years. He leaves the BC Public Service in excellent hands.”

Kim Henderson, currently deputy minister of finance and secretary to treasury board, will become deputy minister to the Premier, cabinet secretary and head of the public service effective March 25, 2016. 

Henderson joined the BC Public Service in 1996. Before her appointment to the Ministry of Finance, Henderson was deputy minister of corporate initiatives (Office of the Premier) where she provided leadership on numerous cross-ministry files and served as the public service lead for the government’s Core Review initiative. Previously, Henderson served as deputy minister of labour and deputy minister of citizens’ services and open government (now the Ministry of Technology and Citizen Services) leading the development of B.C.’s open government strategy which won the IPAC/Deloitte Public Sector Leadership Award. Henderson holds a master's degree in public administration from the University of Victoria.

Athana Mentzelopoulos, currently deputy minister of jobs, tourism, and skills training and ministry responsible for labour (JTST), will become deputy minister of finance and secretary to treasury board effective March 25, 2016.  

Mentzelopoulos first joined the BC Public Service in 2004, serving as deputy minister responsible for intergovernmental relations, public affairs and board resourcing and development (BRDO) until 2009. After serving as director general of consumer product safety for the government of Canada, she rejoined the BC Public Service in 2011 as deputy minister of strategic priorities (Office of the Premier), followed by deputy minister for government communications and public engagement (including responsibility for intergovernmental relations and BRDO). 

Mentzelopoulos was appointed deputy minister of JTST in 2014, responsible for developing government’s economic development policy. She holds a master of arts degree from the University of Victoria.