The recent Cabinet shuffle in Ottawa has, as these always do, created waves of change amongst the exempt staff who support ministers. Two graduates of the Masters of Political Management at Carleton have now been named as chiefs of staff to two federal ministers.
Savannah DeWolfe (MPM 2017) has been appointed as Chief of Staff to the Hon. Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities. Savannah previously worked with Minister Fraser in the immigration portfolio as Director of Policy. A native of Nova Scotia, Savannah has worked in several other ministerial offices, as a lawyer with the firm McInnes Cooper, and served as the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commissioner.
Savannah DeWolfe
Miled Hill (MPM 2018) has been appointed as Chief of Staff to the Hon. Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Transport. Miled was previously Director of Policy in the same portfolio, an office he first joined in 2018 while completing his MPM degree. Miled has also worked in other Hill offices and as a regional organizer in past election campaigns.
Miled Hill
As newly appointed chiefs, Savannah and Miled join Emily Vassos (MPM 2018) who was appointed last summer as Chief of Staff to Ontario’s Minister of Northern Development and Minister of Indigenous Affairs, the Hon. Greg Rickford. Emily had previously worked in several roles in the Office of the Premier of Ontario, in the Senate of Canada and in two private sector firms during her MPM studies.
Emily Vassos
“MPM provides students with an opportunity to strengthen their problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills,” said Emily. “These competencies have proven to be invaluable in my role as a Chief of Staff.”
Savannah said that “the MPM program and community empowered me to embrace leadership opportunities, like the chance to serve as the Chief of Staff to a federal Cabinet minister. The program not only exposed me to excellent instructors and impressive guest lecturers, but by valuing student perspectives, fostering dialogue, and encouraging reciprocal learning, it helped me realize that I have a place among them. True to the program’s character”, she added, “it’s great to be celebrating this milestone with all of MPM and sharing it with another alum!”
The chief of staff to a cabinet minister, federal or provincial in Canada, is the most senior political advisor to a minister. The chief oversees a staff of political aides, and supports the minister in all of their many roles — as a minister of the Crown, a member of Cabinet and the core executive, but also as an elected representative, and as a busy senior executive whose time is in high demand. No other official or staff member has the same 360 perspective on a minister’s priorities and pressures.
A chief of staff enjoys a unique relationship with the minister they serve, and a successful chief-minister relationship needs trust and respect. A good chief has to have multiple areas of knowledge and skill. They can be the advisor the minister trusts most on policy, communications, and parliamentary affairs. They can be the guide for a ministerial team to stay on track to deliver on the minister’s mandate while following the procedural and ethical rules of good governance. They can be a key partner to the minister in outreach to Cabinet and caucus colleagues and stakeholders, as well as liaison with the public service.
The Riddell MPM has been preparing students for roles in Canadian politics since 2011. Our graduates go on to take on leadership roles in offices, at every order of government and across political stripes. “The program is delighted,” said Dr. Jennifer Robson, Program Director, “to see our graduates taking on ever more senior leadership roles. This is good news for Canadian politics and political culture.”