3.2 – Executive Introductions and Regional Office Profiles

Dylan Jones

Deputy Minister

Mr. Dylan Jones was appointed Deputy Minister for Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) on June 20th, 2016.

Mr. Jones was President and CEO of the Canada West Foundation from 2012 to 2016. Prior to that, he served in various roles in the federal and Saskatchewan governments, including Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs for Saskatchewan.

Mr. Jones’ academic credentials include degrees from McMaster and the University of British Columbia and a masters degree in law from Oxford. He is a Wesbrook Scholar and is the recipient of many prestigious awards, including the Premier’s Award for Excellence (Leadership).

Mr. Jones is based out of WD’s Headquarters office in Edmonton at 1500-9700 Jasper Ave. (Canada Place).

Contact Information: dylan.jones@canada.ca | 780-495-5772

Barbara Motzney

Assistant Deputy Minister, Policy and Strategic Direction

Barbara Motzney is the Assistant Deputy Minister, Policy and Strategic Direction at Western Economic Diversification Canada. She advances the economic development and diversification of Western Canada by leading the policy, program policy, planning, performance measurement and communications functions for the Department in Ottawa.

Prior to this role she was the first Chief Consumer Officer at the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) where she served as a focal point ensuring that the Commission had the tools and information to consider interests and concerns of consumers  in decision making.

Barbara has also held policy and corporate leadership positions with Public Safety Canada, Canadian Heritage, Health Canada, and Industry Canada where she has worked on government priorities including: the Beyond the Border Action Plan; copyright reform legislation, the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games; and the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.

Barbara graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a Bachelor of Arts in Financial and Administrative Studies, and holds a Master of Business Administration from Concordia University.

Policy and Strategic Direction Branch

A total of 72 Policy and Strategic Direction employees work out of two office locations:

• Edmonton: Policy and Strategic Direction employees work out of the Edmonton office at 1500-9700 Jasper Ave. (Canada Place).
• Ottawa: Located at 90 Sparks St. (Thomas D’Arcy McGee Building), the Ottawa office consists of employees from the Policy and Strategic Direction branch, including the Assistant Deputy Minister and Corporate Communications. The office advances western issues in Ottawa and is a vital link between WD staff, the Minister, central agencies, and other government departments.

Contact Information: barbara.motzney@canada.ca | 613-952-7096

Sean Barr

Assistant Deputy Minister, Manitoba Region

Sean Barr assumed responsibility as Assistant Deputy Minister for the Manitoba Region on March 20, 2017.

Sean was Senior Vice President, Economic Development of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation from 2011-2017. In this capacity, Sean led California Governor Jerry Brown’s interests to preserve the state’s military footprint, and worked in partnership with the Brookings Institution to produce nationally leading economic development models within the State of California.

Sean also served in a variety of senior roles within the federal government, including Industry Canada and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Sean is a graduate of the Asper School of Business at the University of Manitoba, and the Executive Leadership Program of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Manitoba Region (Winnipeg)

Located at 344 Edmonton St. (MacDonald Building), 36 employees work at the Manitoba Region office which contains the Assistant Deputy Minister’s office, regional grants and contributions officers, regional policy analysts, and communications staff.

Contact Information: sean.barr@canada.ca | 204-983-5715

Abdul Jalil

Assistant Deputy Minister, Saskatchewan Region

Dr. Abdul Jalil joined Western Economic Diversification Canada in November, 2016 as Assistant Deputy Minister for Saskatchewan Region. Prior to that, Dr. Jalil worked for over 20 years with the Agriculture Research Branch of the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, most recently as Executive Director. He has served on various boards including Ag-West Bio Inc., Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI) and POS Bio-Sciences.

Dr. Jalil earned a Ph.D. in plant nutrition and soil-plant relationships from the University of California, Davis. His diverse career includes experiences in many areas including teaching, research, and administration.

Saskatchewan Region (Saskatoon)

Located at 101 22nd St. E (Federal Building), the Saskatchewan Region office holds the Assistant Deputy Minister’s office, regional grants and contributions officers, regional policy analysts, and communications staff totaling 43 employees.

Contact Information: abdul.jalil@canada.ca | 306-975-5858

Justin Riemer

Assistant Deputy Minister, Alberta Region

Justin Riemer assumed responsibility as Assistant Deputy Minister for Western Economic Diversification Canada’s Alberta Region on September 25, 2019.

Previously, he held several senior positions at the Government of Alberta and Alberta Health Services, providing leadership and achieving results in industry development, investment attraction and innovation.

As a respected, passionate, innovative leader of industry and economic development in Alberta, Justin has an impressive depth and breadth of experience in innovation and economic development policies and programs.

Justin holds a Master’s Degree in International Affairs from Carleton University, and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Science. He is married and the proud father of two young men.

Alberta Region (Edmonton and Calgary)

A total of 56 Alberta Region staff are based out of two office locations:

• Edmonton: 47 Alberta Region staff work at the Edmonton office at 1500-9700 Jasper Ave. (Canada Place), including the office of the Assistant Deputy Minister, regional grants and contributions officers, regional policy analysts, and communications staff.
• Calgary: located at 420-220 4 Ave. SE (Harry Hays Building), this office includes 9 employees focused on service delivery in the Calgary area and Southern Alberta.

Contact Information: justin.riemer@canada.ca | 780-495-4168

Gerry Salembier

Assistant Deputy Minister, British Columbia Region

Gerry Salembier is the Assistant Deputy Minister for British Columbia Region. He holds a BComm (Honours) and an MA in International Affairs. Gerry began his career with the Institute for Research on Public Policy, and has 30 years of experience within the federal government, including prior posts in the Departments of Finance, and Foreign Affairs and International Trade.

As Assistant Deputy Minister for BC Region, Gerry is responsible for a wide range of economic development funding initiatives and is an advocate for strengthening and diversifying the economy of BC and the West.

BC Region (Vancouver)

Located at 1300-300 Georgia St. W (Library Square), the British Columbia Region office is comprised of the Assistant Deputy Minister’s office, regional grants and contributions officers, regional policy analysts, and communications staff totaling 60 employees.

Contact Information: gerry.salembier@canada.ca | 604-666-6366

Cathy McLean

Executive Director, Finance and Corporate Management

Cathy McLean, CPA, is the Executive Director, Finance and Corporate Management for the department of Western Economic Diversification Canada.

Before her appointment in September 2014, Ms. McLean held several senior positions at WD and drew insight from her extensive public service experience.

Cathy McLean holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from Athabasca University specializing in Human Resources Management and Personnel Administration. To complement her degree, Ms. McLean also received a diploma in Business Administration from Grant MacEwan University and her Chartered Professional Accounting certification (CPA).

Headquarters Office (Edmonton)

Ms. McLean provides leadership across the organization and is responsible for the following branches, based in Edmonton: Finance; Human Resources; Information Management and Technology; and Corporate Administration. A total of 57 staff work in these teams out of the headquarters office.

Contact Information: cathy.mclean@canada.ca | 780-495-4301