Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly has appointed former television journalist Tom Clark as Canada’s envoy in New York City.

Clark will be Canada’s consul general in New York, putting him in charge of Ottawa’s efforts to sow cultural and economic ties in the Big Apple, as well as in neighboring American states and in Bermuda.

Clark comes to the role after serving as chair of public-relations firm Global Public Affairs, and he moderated the Conservative party’s English leadership debate last May.

A biographical note from Global Affairs Canada notes that during a 45-year career in journalism, Clark covered politics, conflict and economics all around the world.

The department notes that Clark has been posted to Washington, D.C. and Beijing, and that his experience in public relations put him in touch with senior business leaders as they navigated public-policy issues.

He is not the first former broadcaster to come into the role; Pamela Wallin, who is now a senator, served there between 2002 and 2006.