Oil industry manager to take on job as NDP leader’s chief of staff

The Saskatchewan NDP is set to name an oil industry manager currently living in Houston, Texas, as the new chief of staff to party leader Ryan Meili.

Olin Valby, who will leave TransCanada Corp. when he starts next month, is Meili’s first major hire since winning the party’s leadership race in March.

According to his online resume, Valby — a former ministerial assistant in Lorne Calvert’s NDP government — has 20 years of combined experience in government and the oil industry.

Meili said Valby, whom he has known for 20 years, has a “real understanding ” of how legislative business and the oil business work.

“(He) was really successful working on big projects and working to get results,” Meili said.

Asked what people should make of the hire by the NDP, which has been criticized by the government for its approach to pipelines and the oil industry, Meili said he wouldn’t make too much of it in any direction.

“It’s really about finding people with the qualities we need to do the job, and his experience in that field helps us to have a better understanding of the needs in that field, but that is more immaterial. It’s more the skill set that he brings,” he said, adding he is looking forward to having Valby on board as part of the NDP government’s project to form government.

Valby pledged $5,000 to Meili’s leadership campaign.

Valby, who could not be immediately reached for comment on Thursday, will replace Deb McDonald, who has been serving as Meili’s interim chief of staff.

McDonald replaced George Soule, who was hired to be former interim leader Trent Wotherspoon’s chief of staff.

Soule stayed on as chief during Nicole Sarauer’s tenure as interim leader.

McDonald will stay on temporarily as Volby transitions into the new role.