I'll go first.
Mr. Chairman, I was appointed to the Immigration and Refugee Board in June 2004. I applied for the position in January 2002. It went through a series of checks, I would say. My application was first vetted against criteria, I understand, and I was informed that it would now go forward. I had to then appear for a fairly extensive written test. After the test, I had to provide references, and I know that my references were checked quite extensively. After that, there was a three-person committee that interviewed me. After that, I was informed that I had been successful and that my name was on this list.
Then in early 2004 I was informed that there was one more step as a result of a new process that had been constructed, and I would have to appear for one more interview. At that time, I was interviewed by the former chairperson, Mr. Jean-Guy Fleury, as well as the assistant deputy chairperson in Toronto and one other community person. As a result of that interview, my name was put forward to the minister, and I was informed that I was appointed in 2004.
With respect to the deputy chair position, the deputy chair position was advertised on our website in the fall of 2006. I applied. I was called for an interview in December 2006. I was interviewed by a representative of the Prime Minister's Office, of the Privy Council Office, and the then minister's office, and the former chairperson was also present, although he didn't actively ask any questions.
As a result of that interview, I was informed that three names had been put forward and that I was one of those three. Eventually I got the word saying I was the one who had been picked.