A familiar face in Windsor-Essex politics now has a new job.
Governor General Mary Simon appointed on Friday former Windsor West MPP Sandra Pupatello to an independent seat in the Canadian Senate.
She is one of three women appointed to represent Ontario. The appointment was announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Pupatello is the president of Canadian International Avenues Ltd., a management consulting firm she founded following a career in politics.
She was first elected to Queens Park in 1995 as a Liberal in what was then called the riding of Windsor-Sandwich. Pupatello was easily reelected in 1999 for the newly-configured Windsor West riding and held that seat until 2011.
During her time in the Ontario Legislature, she served as Minister of Community and Social Services, Minister of Education, Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Minister responsible for Women's Issues, and Minister of International Trade and Investment, all under the premiership of Dalton McGuinty.
Pupatello also served as the chair of Hydro One from April 2014 to April 2015.
She tried unsuccessfully to be elected to federal politics by running as the Liberal candidate in Windsor West in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. She lost both times to NDP incumbent Brian Masse.
Also appointed to the Senate are Dawn Arnold for New Brunswick, Tony Ince for Nova Scotia, and Katherine Hay and Farah Mohamed, both for Ontario.