Office of the Leader of the Official Opposition Welcomes New Senior Staff to Queen’s Park

QUEEN’S PARK – Today, Leader of the Official Opposition Patrick Brown welcomed new members of his senior staff in the Office of the Leader of the Official Opposition. The new staff will bring a wealth of government experience and knowledge to the table, and will prove valuable as the Ontario PC Leader continues to hold the Liberal Government accountable.

Nicolas Pappalardo will be joining as Chief of Staff.  He will transition into the role part time beginning in February and will assume the position full time on July 1st.  Nicolas has a diverse background in government, law, business and non-profit sectors both locally and internationally, including at the United Nations.  He grew up in Toronto where he studied at St. Michael’s College School and the U of T, and obtained his law degree in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  From 2009 to 2014, Nicolas served in the Prime Minister’s Office as the Advisor for Ontario and Manager of Regional Affairs.  He was most recently Chief of Staff to the Minister of Transportation in Ottawa.

Pina Martino, Brown’s current Interim Chief of Staff, will transition out of her role and assume the position of Deputy Chief of Staff responsible for Communications, Policy & Research and Legislative Affairs.

Paul Hong will be joining the Leader’s office as Deputy Chief of Staff responsible for Tour and Stakeholder Relations (Professional Associations and Communities) starting December 7th.  Paul most recently served as the Director of Policy to the Minister of National Defence in Ottawa.  He advised on Canadian Forces policies with respect to Iraq, Syria, Ukraine, naval procurement, and appointments. From 2008-2014, he served as an advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs in a number of different senior positions. He also has experience working in the Office of the Secretary to State for Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity. Paul received an Honors Business Administration degree from the Richard Ivey School of Business, the University of Western Ontario. He is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School.

Nita Kang will be taking on Special Projects and continue to play a key role in our cultural outreach initiatives.

Lesli Tomlin will be assuming the position of Director of Tour on January 11th. Lesli began her political career at Queen’s Park, first managing the schedule of the Labour Minister and then quickly moving on to serve as advance in the Leader’s office. In early 2004, she joined the Office of the Leader of the Official Opposition in Parliament Hill, serving as lead (and only) advance, successfully managing tour through two years and two federal elections. Lesli served the Prime Minister designate and then joined the Federal Government’s Ministry of Finance as Executive Assistant the day after he was sworn in, adding international tour, protocol and policy to her experience.  She remained with the Minister, returning to Toronto as Director of Regional Affairs, until he retired in 2014. Lesli has a broad, successful tour and strategic background, including in opposition.