VICTORIA - The government has announced the following deputy minister appointments.

Chris Trumpy has been appointed Deputy Minister of Finance and Secretary to Treasury Board, as well as CEO, Public Sector Employers Council, Ministry of Finance, effective immediately. Appointed Deputy Minister, Environment in June 2005, Mr. Trumpy replaces Tamara Vrooman, who has accepted a position as CEO, Vancity. Mr. Trumpy joined the BC Public Service in 1979 and has worked in a wide range of areas in the Ministry of Finance, including tax, fiscal, social and economic policy. Over the last decade, Mr. Trumpy has held several deputy minister appointments, including Deputy Minister of Finance and Corporate Relations, Deputy Minister of Provincial Revenue, and Deputy Minister of Sustainable Resource Management. He is the chair of the British Columbia Investment Management Corporation which is responsible for investments on behalf of public sector pension plans and other public sector clients.

Joan Hesketh has been appointed Deputy Minister, Ministry of Environment. Ms. Hesketh was appointed Associate Deputy Minister of the Environmental Assessment Office in June 2003. Ms. Hesketh has held a range of natural resource-related executive positions during more than two decades in government including vice president, Land and Water British Columbia Inc., Assistant Deputy Minister of Energy and Mines and Acting Deputy Minister of Energy and Mines.

Derek Griffin has been appointed Acting Associate Deputy Minister of the Environmental Assessment Office. A permanent appointment will be announced in the coming weeks.