Doerkson names three more senior staff for the premier's office
Premier-designate Lorne Doerkson has announced Angelo Isidorou as principal secretary, Allie Blades as deputy chief of staff and Shane Mills as executive director of communications, completing the senior team for his premier's office.
Announcement. A campaign, a party or the City chose to say this. voche.me reports it as their claim. Read the original report on pgdailynews.ca.
Premier-designate Lorne Doerkson announced three additional senior appointments to the premier's office on November 12, 2026: Angelo Isidorou as principal secretary, Allie Blades as deputy chief of staff and Shane Mills as executive director of communications and issues management. The Prince George Daily News reported the announcement.
The three appointments, together with the naming of Dimitri Pantazopoulos as chief of staff on November 10, complete the senior political team in the premier's office ahead of the swearing-in on November 20.
Doerkson said in the announcement: "Angelo, Allie and Shane bring experience, good judgment and a strong understanding of what it takes to make government work." No biographical details about the three appointees were included in the Prince George Daily News report.
Online reaction to Isidorou
Daily Hive reported that some BC residents posted concerns online following the Isidorou appointment. The article cited two past associations: a 2017 incident in which Isidorou, then director of the NPA Vancouver municipal party, was photographed at a Trump campaign event wearing a hat supporting the then-US president; and a 2019 period in which he briefly worked with the federal People's Party of Canada.
After a 2021 backlash over the 2017 incident, Isidorou resigned from his then-role, telling media he had been "just a dumb 20-year-old" at the time. Daily Hive reported he threatened legal action against some outlets but did not file suit. By 2024 he had a role in the BC Conservative party organization.
Aaron Hoffman, a political scientist at Simon Fraser University, told Daily Hive that party direction should not be judged solely on staff appointments.
The outgoing NDP government and other parties had not publicly commented on the appointments as of the time the Prince George Daily News published its report.
When the team takes office
All four senior appointments take effect when Doerkson and his cabinet are sworn in. That ceremony is scheduled for November 20, 2026. At that point the premier's office begins operating as a governing office rather than a transition team.
Lorne Doerkson won the Cariboo-Chilcotin district on October 24. The promises his government made during the campaign are tracked at /bc/provincial-2026/tracker.
Questions this story answers
Who are the three people Doerkson named on November 12?
Doerkson named Angelo Isidorou as principal secretary, Allie Blades as deputy chief of staff and Shane Mills as executive director of communications and issues management. These appointments were announced on November 12, 2026 and take effect when the premier and cabinet are sworn in.
Who was appointed before these three?
On November 10, Doerkson named Dimitri Pantazopoulos as chief of staff to the premier. With the November 12 appointments, the four senior positions in the premier's office are now filled. The voche.me article on that announcement is at /bc/provincial-2026/news/lorne-doerkson-names-chief-of-staff-november-2026.
What reaction has the Angelo Isidorou appointment received?
Daily Hive reported that some BC residents raised concerns online about Isidorou's past, including a 2017 incident in which he was photographed wearing a hat supporting then-US president Donald Trump while he served as director of the NPA, a Vancouver municipal party. Daily Hive also reported that Isidorou worked briefly with the federal People's Party of Canada in 2019. Following a backlash in 2021, he resigned from his then-role and said at the time he had been 'just a dumb 20-year-old.' No legal action he threatened in 2021 was subsequently filed, according to Daily Hive.
What did Doerkson say about the appointments?
Doerkson said in the announcement reported by the Prince George Daily News: 'Angelo, Allie and Shane bring experience, good judgment and a strong understanding of what it takes to make government work.' No further biographical details about the appointees were included in the Prince George Daily News report.
What is a principal secretary's role in a BC premier's office?
The principal secretary is a senior political adviser to the premier, handling the relationship between the premier's office and the governing party's caucus and priorities. The role is a political appointment, not a career public service position, and it lasts only while the government is in office. Unlike deputy ministers, who are career civil servants, the principal secretary works for the political side of the government. The BC government's own organizational structure places the principal secretary as a bridge between the premier's political work and the governing function of the office.
When do the appointments take effect?
The Prince George Daily News report states the appointments take effect when the premier and cabinet are sworn in. That swearing-in is scheduled for November 20, 2026. Until then, Doerkson and his team are operating as a transition government, not yet holding formal executive authority. All four senior political appointments in the premier's office, including Pantazopoulos as chief of staff, begin their roles on that date.
What is the BC Conservative government's stated priority?
Doerkson's announcement, as reported by the Prince George Daily News, frames the appointments around 'delivering for families, workers and communities across British Columbia.' The specific platform commitments the government has made are tracked at /bc/provincial-2026/tracker.
Where can I follow what Doerkson's government promises and does?
The voche.me promise tracker at /bc/provincial-2026/tracker follows the Conservative Party of BC's platform commitments and what the government does about them. Each promise links to the platform page and is updated when the government acts.
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