2.2 – Getting set up – PrairiesCan executive contact information and regional profiles

Anoop Kapoor, Assistant Deputy Minister, Policy and Strategic Direction

• Anoop Kapoor is Assistant Deputy Minister, Policy & Strategic Direction. He came to PrairiesCan in November 2021 from FedDev Ontario, where he was Director General, Strategic Policy since 2016.
• At FedDev, Anoop led the development of economic policy and delivered RDA programming. Prior to FedDev, Anoop worked at Natural Resources Canada for over a decade as a Senior Engineer and then as a Senior Director. Anoop has lived, studied and worked in Western Canada and in India.
• Anoop obtained his PhD in Environmental Engineering from University of Regina as well as the India Institute of Technology, Varanasi and holds a MBA from the University of Ottawa.

Policy and Strategic Direction Branch

• Policy and Strategic Direction Branch brings policy and strategic coherence to the work of the department. As of September 30, 2022, 82 employees work within Policy and Strategic Direction. The majority work out of two office locations:
  • Edmonton (40 PSD employees): Located at 1500-9700 Jasper Ave. (Canada Place), PrairiesCan headquarters hosts Policy and Strategic Direction staff from Program Policy, Advocacy and Partnerships, and Policy, Planning, and Analytics.
  • Ottawa (35 PSD employees): Located at 427 Laurier Ave. W, the Ottawa office consists of employees from the Policy and Strategic Direction branch, including the Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Operations, Corporate and Ministerial Affairs, and Corporate Communications. The office advances western issues in Ottawa and is a vital link between agency staff, the Minister and Minister’s office, central agencies, and other government departments.
  • The remaining seven PSD employees work in Calgary, Saskatoon, and Vancouver.

Contact information: anoop.kapoor@prairiescan.gc.ca | 613-513-6931

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)

• 61 employees work at the Manitoba Region office as of September 30, 2022. The office is located at 344 Edmonton St. (MacDonald Building), which contains the Assistant Deputy Minister’s office, regional grants and contributions officers, regional policy analysts, and communications staff.

Manitoba Region – Service Locations (1-2 staff per location)

• The Brandon service location is at 940 Princess Ave.
• The Thompson service location is at 15 Moak Crescent.

Contact information: sean.barr@prairiescan.gc.ca | 204-983-5715

Abdul Jalil, Assistant Deputy Minister, Saskatchewan Region

• Dr. Abdul Jalil joined the department in November 2016 as Assistant Deputy Minister for the 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)

• As of September 30, 2022, 56 employees work at the Saskatchewan Region office. The office is located at 101 22nd St. E (Federal Building), and holds the Assistant Deputy Minister’s office, regional grants and contributions officers, regional policy analysts, and communications staff.

Saskatchewan Region – Service Locations (1-2 staff per location)

• The Regina service location is at 260-10 Research Drive (Innovation Place).
• The Prince Albert service location is at 1100 15th Street East (Saskatchewan Polytechnic Main Campus).

Contact information: abdul.jalil@prairiescan.gc.ca | 306-203-6898

Michele Evans, Assistant Deputy Minister, Alberta Region

• Michele Evans is the ADM for the Alberta region. She started on September 6, 2022.
• Michele was previously the ADM for the Workforce Strategies at the Alberta Labour and Immigration for the Government of Alberta. She also held senior leadership positions at Alberta Economic Development, Trade and Tourism, Alberta Health and other ministries.
• She has a background in both health administration and economic development policy and programs, along with private sector pharmaceutical experience.

Alberta Region (Edmonton and Calgary)

• Located at Canada place in Edmonton and the Harry Hays building in Calgary, 113 employees work within Alberta Region as of September 30, 2022. The offices contain the Assistant Deputy Minister’s office, regional grants and contributions officers, regional policy analysts, and communications staff.

Alberta Region – Service Locations (1-2 staff per location)

• The Lethbridge service location is at 704 4 Ave. S.
• The Fort McMurray service location is co-located with Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo Economic Development and Tourism at 9909 Franklin Avenue.
• The Grande Prairie service location is co-located with Invest Grande Prairie at 11330 106 St.

Contact information: michele.evans@prairiescan.gc.ca | 790-499-9145

Sundeep Cheema, Executive Director, Finance and Corporate Management

• In May 2021, Sundeep was appointed as the Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director, Finance & Corporate Management for the department.
• Sundeep joined the public service in December 2000 with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in Ottawa.
• Previously, he worked with the RCMP at the Pacific Region headquarters in Vancouver. Over his years with the RCMP, Sundeep held various portfolios such as provincial policing contracts, municipal policing contracts, federal policing, and was part of the Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Team. In addition, Sundeep has worked in a variety of leadership roles for Correctional Service of Canada in the Pacific Region.
• Sundeep is a CPA and holds a B.Comm and MBA.
• 94 Finance and Corporate Management employees work within PrairiesCan, mostly based in the Edmonton office.

Contact information: sundeep.cheema@prairiescan.gc.ca | 604-217-0162

Andrew Fraser, Director General, Corporate and Ministerial Affairs

• Andrew Fraser has served as the Director General, Corporate and Ministerial Affairs in Policy and Strategic Direction since March 2020.
• Prior to that, he held several leadership roles within the department, including Executive Officer to the Deputy Minister (Chief of Staff) from 2017-2020 and Manager, Policy, Planning, and External Relations in which he led the department’s work on the Industrial and Technological Benefits file.
• Andrew holds a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Victoria as well as a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from the University of British Columbia.

Contact information: andrew.fraser@prairiescan.gc.ca | 613-325-9159

Robert (Bob) Makichuk, Director General, Communications

• Robert Makichuk is the Director General, Communications for the department. He joined in March 2019, is on the Executive Committee table, and leads the pan-western communications team.
• Previously, Bob was Senior Director, Strategic Communications at Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. This followed over a decade of communications and policy leadership positions at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat.
• A former member of the Parliamentary Press Gallery and assignment editor at CTV National News, Bob’s prior private sector media career began in western Canada as a broadcast journalist, reporting on politics in Manitoba and Alberta. He is a graduate of Algonquin College’s Radio and Television Arts program and studied political science at Lakehead University.

Contact information: robert.makichuk@prairiescan.gc.ca | 613-324-9550