Carlene Alexander is Ontario's first Comptroller General
November 6, 2020
With the COVID-19 pandemic creating job insecurity and massive financial challenges for citizens around the world, Carlene Alexander is counting her blessings despite an extremely heavy workload in the last few months.
She was the successful candidate to become Ontario’s first Comptroller General which is a Deputy Minister level position.
Alexander got the good news soon after agreeing to serve as the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) Interim Director of Education in late June.
“This new job is about really trying to strengthen risk management, internal control, financial stewardship and making sure that taxpayers dollars are been spent wisely and efficiently,” she said. “That’s something I am very passionate about. As a taxpayer, I want to make sure that our government is spending funds on what matters most to Ontarians. So whatever I can do to assist in this process is something I embrace.”
The newly-created office is responsible for working with ministries and provincial agencies to provide advice, share information on effective enterprise risk management and ensure risks are properly identified and managed before public money is spent, providing increased value for Ontarians.
“Our government is committed to building a smarter, more efficient government that puts people at the centre of everything we do,” said Treasury Board President Peter Bethlenfalvy. “Creating an Office of the Comptroller General will help the government root out potential problems before they take hold while better protecting frontline programs. By utilizing these best practices from the private sector, we are bringing the rigour of business to the business of government.”
With a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Dalhousie University, a Master of Business Administration from Laurentian University and a Chartered Professional Accountant certification and having worked in the financial and business sectors in the last 23 years, Alexander is prepared for the new challenge.
“All of my studies relate to business, finance and accounting and the majority of my professional experience has been on the financial side of things,” she said. “Even at the school board when I was initially hired, my role was to oversee the Board’s $3.4 billion budget as well as all of the business operations. I have a depth of experience in financial and risk management and have worked in several diverse organizations where I have navigated and addressed several complex challenges. Every organization that I have worked for in the past has helped me to build my tool box and to develop my knowledge, expertise and skills which has set me up to be successful in my new role.”
Thinking she was going to pursue law as a career evaporated after she got to university in 1993 for her undergraduate degree.
“I did really well in the finance and accounting courses and I thought I could make a career out of this,” said Alexander who was born and raised in the Uniacke Square area in Halifax’s north end. “It occurred to me that every organization needs an accountant and this would be a great career opportunity. I feel blessed to be in this field where I can keep learning and growing. Pursuing this profession has worked out well for me even though it wasn’t what I initially planned for my career. ”
Joining the TDSB in August 2017 as the Associate Director with responsibility for Operations and Service Excellence, Alexander brought expertise to the Board’s budget process, business and financial services, facility operations, capital planning and service excellence portfolios.
“One of the deliverables I am proud of is the establishment of an internal audit function which identify risks and opportunities to strengthen and improve processes,” she noted. “This function looks at how dollars are spent and makes sure all of the appropriate safeguards are in place to protect funds. Working with a key partner, I was also able to lead the transformation of TDSB’s real estate management function to leverage the value of our properties and, in doing that, ensure we are delivering value for taxpayers. I also ensured that the Board’s budget was balanced each year while making sure that students’ needs were met in an equitable manner.”
Starting her working career in the banking sector with RBC, Alexander did tax auditing for Canada Revenue Agency before moving from Nova Scotia to Ottawa 19 years ago to join the Treasury Board Secretariat as a senior analyst.
After five years in that role and nearly two years as Director of Financial Planning & Reporting with Environment Canada, she relocated to the Greater Toronto Area in the summer of 2008 and held Director positions with Human Resources Development Canada, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs and the Pan/Parapan American Games Secretariat before moving to The Regional Municipality of York as Chief Financial Officer of Housing York Inc.
In March 2016, she was appointed the Executive Superintendent of Business Services & Chief Financial Officer with the Toronto Catholic District School Board prior to joining the TDSB in August 2017.
When John Malloy retired as the TDSB Director of Education, Alexander was asked to fill the role on an interim basis in the middle of a global pandemic.
“We don’t always know how much we can take on until we are put in those positions,” she said. “I never expected to see myself in a role such as Interim Director of a school board. That wasn’t on my radar. When I was asked to do it, there was a little bit of apprehension, but I have always taken the position that it’s good to take on roles that stretch you and bring you outside your comfort zone as you never grow inside that comfortable place. I learned so much and grew a lot in that role as I did things that no one had figured out before. There was no playbook for how to manage schools in a pandemic. We were all learning as we went along. I learned that I am very resilient and could rise to whatever challenges were placed in front of me.”
When Ontario’s Education Minister Stephen Lecce recommended the province’s school boards start the new school year in September, Alexander – whose term as Interim Director of Education started on July 15 -- knew the challenges would be enormous, particularly in getting students back in the classroom for the first time since early March.
“None of us knew how it was all going to play out,” she said. “What we knew was there would be COVID cases in the schools, but we knew that we had pretty good plans in place in order to try to mitigate and minimize the spread and exposure. From that perspective, I think it’s playing out the way I expected.”
Collaborating with other senior TDSB personnel for students and teachers return to classes online and in-school under difficult circumstances, assisting her children in a virtual learning environment, preparing for a new high-level job with the provincial government and planning her wedding consumed much of Alexander’s time and energy during the summer.
“Looking back now, I don’t know how I got through my days,” she said.
With Alexander’s relatives back in Nova Scotia, she has had to lean on her husband and his family and some close friends for support during the very busy period.
They planned to wed in Jamaica on October 20, but the ceremony was rescheduled for October 1 in the Greater Toronto Area because of the pandemic.
Alexander is the daughter of Carl Gannon Snr. who founded the Black Invitational Basketball Tournament in Halifax and niece of Lou Gannon who is the president of the African Nova Scotia Music Association.
“In school, she was a very good student and very dedicated to learning,” said her uncle. “After she left Halifax, it always seemed she was getting promotions and moving up the corporate ladder.”
Alexander’s uncle and dad have been extremely impactful in her life.
“To come from a family who has invested so much in the community mean that you are going to try your best because there are people in your family who want you and other young people to succeed,” the eldest of three siblings said.
Her mother, Frances Clayton, is one of 14 children.
“She certainly instilled in me the love of family, putting them first and staying connected with them,” Alexander said.
In her spare time, she relishes reading, participating in physical activities and spending quality time with her family.
Alexander has six children – including a stepchild -- ranging in age from 25 years to 23 months.
The second oldest, Dontae Mitchell, attends Saint Mary’s University in Halifax where he’s a second-year point guard on the basketball team.
