Interim Chief Civilian Director Appointed

INFORMATION BULLETIN
Independent Investigations Office
For Immediate Release

Surrey, B.C. – An interim Chief Civilian Director (CCD) has been appointed to head the Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of BC as current CCD MacDonald retires on Wednesday.

Sandra Hentzen, currently Chief Operating Officer (COO) at the IIO, has been appointed interim CCD effective May 9, 2024 by Order In Council today as the current head of the IIO, Ronald J. MacDonald, KC retires on May 8, 2024.

“Working with such an amazing team of dedicated professionals has been a privilege and is an outstanding way to conclude my 39-year career in the justice sector,” comments MacDonald. “I leave the IIO in Sandra’s capable hands. Having had the pleasure of working with Sandra since my arrival at the IIO in 2017, I have found her to be an exceptionally strong people leader and mentor, and she has demonstrated qualities essential for the CCD, including courage and collaboration, which make her well-suited to maintaining the public’s trust. I am confident that she will ensure the IIO continues to be well-positioned for success through this transition period.”

Sandra worked as a consultant with the IIO in 2016/17 before becoming COO in August 2018. She brings a wealth of experience in executive leadership and Human Resources, having spent the last 15 years in executive roles. Her most recent role before joining the IIO was the Executive Vice President, Human Resources at TransLink, from which she retired in 2015. Sandra holds a CPHR designation and is a Certified Executive Coach.

“I want to thank Ron for his years of service with the IIO and for British Columbians. I wish him all the best in his retirement starting next week,” said Hentzen. “It is my pleasure to act as interim CCD until the Province appoints a new permanent CCD in the coming months. I look forward to serving the public in this capacity and continuing both to deliver on the IIO mandate and further some of the essential projects our office has underway. These include working with government to review the investigator compensation model and the charge approval in IIO cases.”

Background

The IIO is the Independent civilian oversight agency of the police in British Columbia. It investigates all officer-related incidents that result in serious harm or death, whether or not there is any allegation of wrongdoing.