Sandra McKenzie

Sandra McKenzie, Deputy Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development.

On April 16, 2014, Sandra McKenzie was appointed Deputy Minister of the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.  Prior to this, Ms. McKenzie was the Deputy Minister of the Department of Labour and Advanced Education, and Acting Deputy Minister for the Department of Economic and Rural Development and Tourism. She was appointed Deputy Minister of Labour and Advanced Education in January of 2012, joined the Department of Economic and Rural Development in March 2010 as Chief Operating Officer, and was appointed Associate Deputy Minister in January 2011. Ms. McKenzie has extensive government experience, including more than two decades with the Province of Nova Scotia in the fields of adult education, workforce development, and policy and planning. She also chaired the Ships Start Here Partnership, which brought together government, business and leaders in the province to support Nova Scotia’s bid for the federal shipbuilding contract. Currently, she is Chair of the Atlantic Workforce Partnership Deputy Ministers’ Steering Committee. In 2005, Ms. McKenzie joined Treasury and Policy Board, the central agency responsible for advising the Nova Scotia cabinet and its subcommittees on both policy and budget issues. In 2009, she joined the newly created Policy and Planning Office, the central agency with responsibility for identification, prioritization and development of government policy issues, plans and strategies. Ms. McKenzie holds a Bachelor of Design from Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University and a Master’s of Public Administration from Dalhousie University. She is a past member of the Board of Directors for Pier 21 and is a member of the Board of the Halifax Youth Foundation, the Province House Credit Union, and several community- and school-related volunteer boards. She lives in Waverley with her husband, Wade, three children, and many pets.