50 employees receive 2001 Public Service Award of Excellence

A group of dedicated public service employees was honoured today at a formal ceremony held at the Arts and Culture Centre in St. John's. The Clerk of the Executive Council, Deborah Fry, presented the 2001 Public Service Award of Excellence to 50 individuals from all regions of the province.

The Public Service Award of Excellence was developed by the public service for the public service. The award recognizes individuals and teams in the public service of Newfoundland and Labrador who have demonstrated exceptional performance in tasks associated with a position or project and have positively impacted the quality of the work environment or the quality of service delivery to clients in the areas of leadership, valuing people, innovation or service delivery excellence.

"The public service of Newfoundland and Labrador is renowned for its dedication and effectiveness in delivering services to the people of this province. The individuals and teams behind the delivery of these services are not always visible to the public. This award helps both to recognize those who dedicate their lives to public service and to put a face on the many programs and projects that contribute to the overall running of the province," said Ms. Fry.

Premier Roger Grimes also congratulated award recipients and saluted the public service in his address during the ceremony. "We have a strong and committed workforce who, every day, deliver services to the citizens of Newfoundland and Labrador. Their professionalism, dedication, energy and innovative ideas make our province a better place to live and our government organization a better place to work," said Premier Grimes. "I know I speak for all elected officials when I say that we have the utmost respect and appreciation for the public service and the work they do. I heartily congratulate these Public Service Award of Excellence recipients; they are outstanding players on an outstanding team."

A total of 62 individual nominations and 40 team nominations were received, representing more than 600 employees from every region of the province. A seven-member selection committee familiar with but at arm�s length from the public service was established to review the submissions. Five teams and 10 individuals were selected to receive the first annual Public Service Award of Excellence.

In June of last year, the Clerk of the Executive Council announced this award, and information was sent to all departments in all regions of the province. Public service employees were encouraged to nominate a colleague or team, and a group of volunteer coaches was established to offer assistance by answering questions or providing help in the completion of a nomination form. Nominations were received until mid-February of this year.

Media contact: Deirdre Robinson Greene, Communications, (709) 729-0084.

2001 Public Service Award of Excellence recipients

Tom Beckett, Department of Government Services and Lands (St. John�s).
Leonard Bursey, Department of Human Resources and Employment (Corner Brook).
Joan Dawe, Department of Health and Community Services (St. John�s).
Roger Haynes, Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation (St. John�s).
Gene Hickey, Department of Human Resources and Employment (Grand Falls - Windsor).
Judgment Enforcement Remote Access Team (Department of Justice): David W. Jones; Pauline Butler; Robert Drake; Paul Foote; Sandy Hounsell; Brenda Malone; Joan McCarthy Wiseman; Debbie North; Dianne Noseworthy; Patricia Sheehan; Colin Tibbo; Joan Veitch.
Haseen Khan, Department of Environment (St. John�s).
Labrador Tree Nursery Team (Department of Forest Resources and Agrifoods): Bruce Roberts; Diane Montague-Blake (Happy Valley - Goose Bay).
Anne-Marie McGrath, Public Service Commission (St. John�s).
Cheryl Penney, Department of Human Resources and Employment (Corner Brook).
Rod Regier, Department of Industry, Trade and Rural Development (St. John�s).
Kay Riggs, Department of Industry, Trade and Rural Development (Marystown).
Team RuralEXPO 2001 (Department of Industry, Trade and Rural Development): Terry Johnstone; Diana Cose; Carolann Harding; Paula Roberts; Margie Slaney; Lynn Sparkes; Denis Sullivan (Eastern Region).
Victim Liaison Officer Program Team (Department of Justice): Dave Dewling; Jerry Belbin; Terry Billard; Jim Courtney; Sam Flanigan; Hector Freake; Elaine Hancock; Cecil Lynch; Dennis Morgan; Gordon Noseworthy; Glen Petten; Tony Tobin (Intra-provincial).
Western Region Quality Assurance Team (Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture): Mark Lowe; Hubert Anderson; Jeff Gould; Monique Hynes; Karen Loder; Tracy Slaney; Alvin White (Western Region).

Ministerial Statement - Public Service Award of Excellence
Award Recipients

2002 04 30                          3:55 p.m.