- Natasha Rascanin – Natasha joined the University of Ottawa Centre on Public Management and Policy in 2021, after more than thirty years in the federal public service where she held progressively more senior positions within the Department of Finance, Canada Border Services Agency, the Privy Council Office (Intergovernmental Affairs), and Infrastructure Canada. Natasha finished her public service career as the Assistant Deputy Minister for Transformation at Transport Canada, where she led the internal modernization of the department, as well as the horizontal Oceans Protection Plan, with a strong focus on Indigenous reconciliation. She brings a proven track record of team building as well as mentoring and coaching individuals.
- Dan Costello- Dan joined the University of Ottawa Centre on Public Management and Policy in January 2024, bringing experience as a former political advisor, public servant and diplomat. After serving as a policy advisor in the Office of the Prime Minister and chief of staff to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and then to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, he left government for teaching. He later returned as a public servant with the foreign ministry, where he held roles including Director General for Strategic Policy, Ambassador to the Republic of Poland, Assistant Deputy Minister for Europe and the Middle East, Ambassador to the European Union, and Assistant Deputy Minister for International Security. Prior to retiring in late 2022, he served as Deputy Minister and Foreign and Defence Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister.
- David Henley – David has been a Senior Fellow at the Centre on Public Management and Policy since late 2017. He spent over 30 years with the federal public service and served as a Director General in a number of diverse functions ranging from Executive Development to Communications to Corporate Management. A graduate of the London School of Economics, David also spent 8 years with the Government of Saskatchewan.
- Yves Côté- Yves joined the University of Ottawa Centre on Public Management and Policy in 2024. After being sworn in as a member of the Québec Bar in 1977, he spent four years in the Canadian Forces in the office of the Judge Advocate General. He then joined the Department of Justice. Among his various positions in the Public Service: Assistant Deputy Minister in Justice; Counsel to the Clerk of the Privy Council and Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet; Canadian Forces Ombudsman; Associate Deputy Minister of Justice; and Commissioner for Canada Elections. In 2022-23, he acted as senior policy advisor to the Public Order Emergency Commission (the Rouleau Commission). As a mature student, Yves obtained a Bachelor’s (Hons) Degree in Psychology from the University of Ottawa. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1992.
- Tracy Ferne - Tracy Ferne is the Assistant Director at the Centre on Public Management and Policy. She joined the University of Ottawa after 18 years in the federal public service where she occupied several management roles in both operational and policy units. She has worked as a manager at the Public Service Commission, the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages and she most recently as part of the team at Canadian Heritage working on the bill to modernise the Official Languages Act which received Royal assent in June 2023. Tracy holds an Honours in English and a master’s degree in education from the University of Ottawa.
- Simon Larivée-Boisvert – Simon Larivée-Boisvert is the Administrative Coordinator at the Centre on Public Management and Policy. He previously worked as an Academic Labour Relations Agent at the Office of the Associate Vice-President, Faculty Affairs at the University of Ottawa. Simon holds a Joint Honours BSocSc in Public Administration and Political Science.
Program staff
Key program staff (in alphabetic order)