Elenore Arend

As Associate Deputy Minister, Elenore leads the Crown Agencies Secretariat (CAS) and reports directly to the Deputy Minister to the Premier. CAS serves as a central agency within the BC provincial government, acting as the primary liaison for select Public Sector Organizations (PSOs). It supports over 250 PSOs, including Crown agencies, boards, commissions, tribunals, advisory bodies, and independent authorities, to ensure they operate effectively, align with government priorities, and serve the public interest. These PSOs manage nearly two-thirds of the provincial budget.

Elenore’s expertise in public sector governance helps ministries and their PSOs quickly adapt to emerging government priorities, and ensures that changes in PSO mandates are implemented effectively.

Elenore oversees the Crown Agencies Secretariat (CAS), ensuring that the public's interest is considered in supporting Public Sector Organizations (PSOs). Her responsibilities include:

• Board Appointments: Managing the recruitment process and recommending board appointments for Crown Corporations, Health Authorities, Post-Secondary Institutions, and other PSOs to provincial ministers.
• Governance Advice & Training: Providing public sector governance advice and training to around 3,500 board members, overseeing approximately 250 PSOs.
• Mandate and Service Plans: Overseeing the development of mandate letters for Crown agencies, and coordinating the creation of service plans and annual reports for the provincial government.
• Liaison Role: Acting as the primary liaison between the provincial government and key organizations like ICBC, BCLC, LDB, and BCFA, ensuring their operations align with the government's strategic direction.
• Support for Government Initiatives: Supporting the Deputy Minister to the Premier, the Premier, and various ministers in managing issues and advancing initiatives that support BC’s economy and respond to public interests.
• Communications & Governance Support: Developing and implementing PSO sector communications and governance support, including outreach, training, and advising ministries and PSOs on governance best practices and government priorities.

Elenore’s expertise in public sector governance ensures that PSOs quickly adapt to new government priorities, and successfully implement changes in their mandates.

Elenore was appointed Associate Deputy Minister and Chief Executive Assessment Officer for the Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) in September 2020. In this role, she led the agency responsible for conducting environmental assessments on major projects, such as metal and coal mines, energy projects, and infrastructure developments. Her focus was to ensure that potential environmental, economic, social, cultural, and health impacts of these projects were thoroughly assessed.

As the Chief Executive Assessment Officer under the 2018 Environmental Assessment Act, she managed the complex environmental assessment (EA) process, which is crucial for permitting major projects in BC's Natural Resource Sector. The process involves extensive public and First Nations engagement, with a review period of 3 to 5 years. This thorough evaluation process considers the concerns of various stakeholders, and could involve billions of dollars in capital investment.

In her role, Elenore had several key responsibilities:

• Leadership and Reporting: She reported directly to the Deputy Minister to the Premier and supported multiple ministers in making statutory decisions related to environmental assessment certificates.
• Decision-Making: She made statutory decisions under the Environmental Assessment Act, and those delegated by the Minister.
• Management: Led an office of approximately 150 employees with a $17M budget, overseeing four divisions: EA Operations, Strategic Services and Compliance, Corporate Services, and Communications & Engagement.
• Implementation of the 2018 Environmental Assessment Act: She helped implement the new Act, developing regulations, policies, and procedures, and entered into Government-to-Government agreements with First Nations, local and federal governments, as well as compliance agreements with project proponents.
• Indigenous Rights and DRIPA: She played a leadership role in the negotiation and implementation of the first two joint decision-making agreements under the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA).
• Balancing Interests: She worked to balance public interests with government and political priorities, particularly when economic investments conflicted with goals like Clean BC, or reconciliation with First Nations.
• First Nations Engagement: Elenore ensured First Nations across BC were effectively engaged in the environmental assessment process, and that their rights under the Act were respected.
• Cross-Border Challenges: She navigated environmental assessments involving American tribes and their interests.
• Managing Controversial Projects: She successfully managed projects with significant public interest, like the Trans Mountain Expansion, seeking solutions that balanced environmental, public, First Nation, and economic interests.
• Compliance and Enforcement: Led the Strategic Services and Compliance and Enforcement Division, ensuring major projects adhered to Environmental Assessment Certificate conditions, including enforcing penalties or stop-work orders when necessary.
• Environmental Protection: Elenore led the creation of new compliance tools under the Act to address environmental concerns, notably during the construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline, protecting critical habitats, and setting new standards for pipeline construction in BC.

Elenore’s leadership at the EAO ensured that major projects were thoroughly assessed, public and First Nations' concerns were incorporated, and environmental protection standards were upheld while navigating complex political and economic interests.

Elenore was appointed Assistant Deputy Minister of BC Corrections in November 2017, where she led over 2,500 employees in ensuring public safety through the supervision of adults in provincial custody or under court-ordered community supervision. She managed correctional services for individuals 18 and older involved in various stages of the justice system, aiming to reduce reoffending and protect communities.

Key achievements during her tenure include:

• Evidence-Based Practices: Ensuring risk assessment, case management, program delivery, and staff training were effective, culturally appropriate, and fair.
• Stakeholder Relationships: Building strong partnerships with criminal justice stakeholders, First Nations, and academics to align with government priorities.
• Union Relations: Establishing a positive relationship with the BCGEU and representing the employer in collective bargaining.
• Collaboration: Working with ministries, First Nations, academic institutions, and community partners to address client and inmate risks and needs.
• Budget Management: Overseeing a $250 million branch budget effectively.
• Technology: Innovating to build, operate, and maintain integrated client and inmate management technologies.
• Healthcare Reform: Leading the transfer of correctional health services to the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) to improve healthcare standards for inmates.
• First Nations Engagement: Entering Government-to-Government agreements with First Nations, and partnering with the Sts’Ailes First Nation to enhance cultural competency and reconciliation efforts within corrections.
• Research and Reform: Contributing to academic research with expertise and experience in correctional research, and participating in national criminal justice reform initiatives.
• Right Living Units: Establishing units in correctional facilities focused on rehabilitation and behavioral change.
• Facility Projects: Leading capital and facility projects to design safer and more efficient facilities, such as the rebuild of the Nanaimo Correctional Centre, and renovations to the Surrey Pretrial Services Centre.
• Mental Health Strategy: Representing BC Corrections in a provincial working group on mental health in the justice system.
• COVID-19 Response: Successfully implementing protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in correctional facilities. Her leadership during the pandemic led to only one case of COVID-19 in a correctional facility, with the individual recovering.

Elenore’s leadership focused on public safety, rehabilitation, and addressing the intersection of mental health and the justice system, while ensuring that the correctional system operated efficiently and with integrity.

As Provincial Director of the Strategic Operations Division of the Corrections Branch, Elenore provided leadership to enhance public safety by ensuring that the right technology, research, programs, and policies supported correctional staff working with people in custody, and clients in the community. Her role focused on culturally appropriate, trauma-informed services, grounded in research and best practices.

Key achievements include:

• Research and Program Development: Ensured effective research, policies, and programs were in place to guide case management, focused on changing criminal behavior.
• Policy Leadership: Led the development, analysis, and evaluation of BC Corrections' policies, including drafting legislation and service standards, and conducting consultations with stakeholders to align initiatives with the Branch’s strategic priorities.
• Cognitive Behavioral Programs: Developed and implemented cognitive behavioral programs, including intimate partner violence programs, to reduce crime factors and improve public safety.
• Indigenous Programs: Led the Indigenous Programs and Relationships unit, addressing the over-representation of Indigenous peoples in the justice system, and working with BC First Nations to ensure culturally relevant approaches and partnerships.
• Evidence-Based Approach: Led the Performance, Research, and Evaluation Unit, ensuring BC Corrections applied evidence-based strategies to develop and assess programs.
• Subject Matter Expertise: Contributed to academic research on cognitive behavioral programs, like the Respectful Relationships and Substance Abuse Management programs, and co-authored research on the Drug Treatment Court of Vancouver.
• Technology and Information Management: Led the development and maintenance of technologies that inform decision-making and assess public safety risks, including the operation of critical operational information systems, and GPS-enabled electronic supervision tools for clients in the community.
• Cross-Ministry Collaboration: Built strong cross-ministry, inter-jurisdictional, and stakeholder relationships to meet government priorities and support criminal justice and public safety efforts.
• Drug Treatment Court Leadership: Co-chaired a steering committee for the Vancouver Downtown Community Court, and managed the funding agreement for the Drug Treatment Court.
• Government Engagement: Represented BC Corrections in various government committees, including Legislative Committees, Public Accounts, and working groups on mental health and youth transitions in the justice system.
• Financial and Human Resources Management: Managed the financial and human resources of the division to ensure its success.

Elenore’s leadership in research, policy development, cross-jurisdictional collaboration, and program implementation helped enhance BC Corrections' effectiveness and supported the broader goals of public safety and justice reform.

As Deputy Provincial Director of the Community Corrections and Corporate Programs Division, Elenore managed key corporate portfolios for BC Corrections, including research and evaluation, information management, information technologies, and program development. She played a crucial role in supporting cross-ministry initiatives and policies within the division. Elenore also worked closely with the union representing correctional employees and represented the employer in Component Bargaining, ensuring effective labour relations and alignment with government objectives.

As the Regional Director for the Northern Interior Region of Community Corrections, Elenore oversaw all operational and program decisions for community corrections offices in the region. Her responsibilities included strategic planning, staffing, budgeting, monitoring, evaluation, and administration of community correctional services. Elenore ensured the quality assurance of services delivered by probation officers to clients through a team of local managers, making sure services and programs met the requirements of legislation, ministry policies, branch standards, and provincial strategic plans.

As the Local Manager of the Prince George Community Corrections office, Elenore set the vision for the office to align with the Community Corrections Division’s mandate. She provided leadership, mentorship, and feedback to both professional and administrative staff, ensuring high-quality probation and bail services to clients, justice partners, and community agencies. Additionally, Elenore led a provincial peer review process to ensure that the skills of probation officers across the province in risk assessment were consistent with policy and best practices.

As a probation officer at the Prince George Community Corrections Office, Elenore was responsible for assessing, managing, and supervising adult clients under community supervision. In her role as an officer of the court, she also assisted in preparing court reports and responded to client needs by applying risk assessments and case management strategies.