Key Influencer – Justin Marshall- Chief of Staff to Alberta’s Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services

Source: LinkedIn

Justin Marshall serves as Chief of Staff to Alberta’s Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services Mike Ellis, bringing more than six years of experience within the Government of Alberta and the United Conservative Caucus. Having served as a Chief of Staff since October 2022, Marshall has become an experienced member of the government’s senior political staff, combining a background in communications with years spent navigating ministerial offices and provincial politics.

Marshall began his political career in 2020 as a Communications Officer with the United Conservative Caucus before being promoted to Press Secretary later that year. He spent more than two years in that role before his promotion to Chief of Staff in October 2022. Justin’s progression from caucus communications to senior ministerial leadership has provided him with experience managing media, stakeholder relations, political strategy, and the day-to-day operations of government offices.

Before entering politics, Marshall spent nine years working in radio and journalism across Alberta and Saskatchewan. His career included roles as a reporter and radio host, with several years spent broadcasting in communities including Lac La Biche, Bonnyville, Cold Lake, St. Paul, and Wainwright. That experience gave Marshall an extensive familiarity with rural and northern Alberta, a perspective that is particularly relevant in a public safety portfolio where policing models and service delivery can differ significantly between urban centres and smaller communities.

Marshall now works within a ministry responsible for several prominent and politically significant files. The government’s current priorities include expanding the role of Alberta sheriffs as a potential full-service policing option for rural and smaller communities, supporting municipalities considering alternative policing models, developing provincial policing priorities, and advancing specialized sheriff units focused on fentanyl and border security. The ministry is also tasked with work on search and rescue funding, a provincial DNA laboratory, and additional resources to combat human trafficking and child exploitation.

Marshall holds a Bachelor of Arts from St. Thomas University in Fredericton, where he studied communications, journalism, and political science. His combination of media experience, familiarity with rural Alberta, and several years in senior political roles gives him a broad understanding of both how government decisions are made and how they are communicated to the public. As the province continues advancing significant changes to policing and public safety, Marshall will remain an important figure in helping translate the government’s priorities into political strategy and implementation.