Three outstanding Senior Fellows join GSPIA

By Roland Paris

Chair, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs

Roland Paris
Senior Fellow
Leadership
New Senior Fellows 2024
Dan Costello, Marie-Claude Landry and Jody Thomas will mentor Master’s students at GSPIA.

Dan Costello is currently senior advisor to the University of Ottawa Centre on Public Management and Policy’s Certificate Program in Public Sector Leadership and Governance, bringing experience as a former political advisor, public servant and diplomat. Prior to retiring from the federal public service, in late 2022, Dan served as Deputy Minister and Foreign and Defence Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister. At Global Affairs Canada, he held numerous senior 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.

Marie-Claude Landry was Chief commissioner and CEO of the Canadian Human Rights Commission (2015-2022). Marie-Claude holds a law degree (1988) from the Université de Sherbrooke. She founded her own firm in 1993, which she headed until 2015. She has over 35 years' experience in law practice, as well as solid experience on boards of directors and committees, and in governance and organizational change in both the private and public sectors. She is a lecturer and professional in residence at the Université de Sherbrooke’s Faculty of Law as well as professor at the School of the Quebec Bar. She also acts as a consultant, coach, mentor and guest speaker.

Jody Thomas recently retired from the federal public service as National Security and Intelligence Advisor to the Prime Minister. Jody has broad and varied experience working at senior levels in the Public Service and in a series of increasingly demanding security operations roles. She joined the naval reserves at age 17 and was among the first women to serve on a Canadian military vessel. Jody began her public service career in 1988 when she was appointed Chief of Business Planning and Administration with Public Works and Government Services Canada’s Atlantic Region. From 1995-2010, she held increasingly senior roles at Passport Canada, culminating in Chief Operating Officer. In 2010, Ms. Thomas joined the Canadian Coast Guard where she held the positions of Deputy Commissioner of Operations and Commissioner. In March 2017, she joined the Department of National Defence where she served as Senior Associate Deputy Minister before being appointed as Deputy Minister half a year later, a role in which she served until January 2022.

They join our existing team of senior fellows, among the most experienced policy practitioners in Canada. They mentor students in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. Find out more about our Master’s programs.

Roland Paris,
Director, GSPIA