---
title: "Doerkson names three more senior staff for the premier's office"
description: "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."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/bc/provincial-2026/news/doerkson-senior-staff-appointments-november-2026"
last_updated: "2026-11-12T21:10:55.863Z"
---

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](/bc/provincial-2026/candidates/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](/bc/provincial-2026/tracker).

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](/bc/provincial-2026/sitemap.md) for all pages.