Meet the Child & Youth Advocate

Kelly Lamrock, K.C. is the New Brunswick Child, Youth and Seniors’ Advocate since February 7, 2022.

A long-time resident of Fredericton, Kelly Lamrock moved to New Brunswick from Saskatchewan with his family at a young age. He graduated from Fredericton High School in 1988 and went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts from St. Thomas University and a law degree from the University of New Brunswick. 

Following graduation, Mr. Lamrock launched a legal practice focused on administrative and information technology law. He became a regular commentator for CBC New Brunswick television and was awarded Best Canadian Television Commentary by the Radio and Television News Directors Association in 1998.

After serving as Director of Policy & Communications for the New Brunswick Healthcare Association, Mr. Lamrock returned to St. Thomas University as the Director of Student Affairs and a part-time instructor in Political Science and Human Rights, positions he held until his election to the Legislative Assembly in 2003.

During his two terms as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Fredericton-Fort-Nashwaak, Mr. Lamrock held a number of senior roles, including Opposition House Leader, Minister of Education, Minister of Social Development, Minister of Justice and Attorney-General. His policy work included the government’s poverty reduction strategy and the launch of When Kids Come First, an education plan that led to the highest student test scores in literacy and math in New Brunswick’s history. He was chosen by his ministerial peers to act as Chair of the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) and led that organization through the adoption of the Learn Canada 2020 strategic plan and the first national ministerial summit on First Nations Education. 

Internationally, Mr. Lamrock served as Chair of CONFEMEN, the education ministers’ roundtable of La Francophonie. He chaired a UNESCO summit on inclusive education in Geneva, Switzerland and served as Honourary Principal of New Brunswick—supported schools in Beijing and Shenzhen, China.

After leaving politics in 2010, Mr. Lamrock served as Executive Director of the Assembly of First Nations Chiefs in New Brunswick. He worked in Tunisia as Parliamentary Affairs Director for the National Democratic Institute, an NGO charged with offering strategic assistance to Tunisian parliamentarians and political parties in their transition to democracy. He established Lamrock’s Law, a firm focused on administrative, family and criminal law and offering consulting services to numerous NGOs, political parties and educational institutions across Canada. In 2021 he was appointed Vice-Chair of the Labour and Employment Board of New Brunswick.

Active in the community, Mr. Lamrock has served as President of the St. Thomas University Alumni Association, as a volunteer with the Fredericton Free Legal Advice Clinic and on the boards of the New Brunswick Association for Community Living and AIDS New Brunswick. He has coached youth basketball for years, including numerous city and provincial championship teams. An enthusiastic amateur actor, he co-founded Mostly the Moment Theatre Company in Fredericton and has also performed with the Gilbert & Sullivan Society and Bard in the Barracks. He has won numerous awards for stand-up comedy, most recently appearing as a finalist in Hubcap Comedy Festival’s Rising Stars Showcase.

Mr. Lamrock lives in Fredericton with his fiancée, Amanda Diggins. He has three grown children: Sarah, Kennedy and Kayleigh. Mr. Lamrock and his fiancée Amanda recently welcomed new-born Molly into their family as well.