Kinew promotes existing official to serve as Manitoba's top civil servant

Premier Wab Kinew has promoted an existing Manitoba civil servant to serve as the province's most powerful unelected official.

Sarah Thiele is the new clerk of executive council and cabinet secretary, the NDP government announced late Thursday afternoon.

The clerk serves as the head of Manitoba's public service, which spans dozens of departments and thousands of employees.

Thiele served as Manitoba's deputy minister of transportationunder the PC government. Prior to that, she served as an assistant deputy minister in both the families department and the treasury board secretariat.

Thiele replaces Kathryn Gerrard, the final clerk in former premier Heather Stefanson's executive council.

The province also published a list of all the new deputy ministers in charge of government departments.

Several PC-appointed public servants, includingdeputy clerk Elliot Sims and economic development board secretary Michael Swistun, are no longer deputy ministers.

Other officials, includingdeputy health minister Scott Sinclair and deputy sport minister Jeff Hnatiuk, are keeping their jobs.

New NDP appointees include Brian O'Leary, the former superintendent of Seven Oaks School Division. He will serve as deputy minister of education and early childhood learning.