The recipients of the 2006 Public Service Award of Excellence will be formally recognized in a ceremony to be held at the Fairmont Hotel in St. John's today. The ceremony gets underway at 1:30 p.m. The Honourable Danny Williams, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, and Gary Norris, Clerk of the Executive Council, will be on hand to present the awards.

The individual award recipients are Denise Hanrahan, Richard Hayes, Kerry Pope and Roxie Wheaton. Several teams were also recognized: The Court of Appeal Registry Staff, Low-Income Drug Implementation Team, MIRIAD team and the Working Group for the Poverty Reduction Strategy.

"To be a public servant means to hold a public trust. In all things, it means to put the common good ahead of any private or individual interest, to serve democracy, our democratic institutions and the duly elected government of the day," said Premier Williams. "These men and women honoured today with the Award of Excellence have undertaken some of the most enormously challenging and rewarding work that has seen them become role models for their communities and their colleagues in the wider public service, and I congratulate them for their outstanding achievements."

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. The award recognizes overall achievement in areas of excellence such as service delivery, leadership, innovation and relationship building.

"The stories of these individuals and teams powerfully illustrates that working in the public service of Newfoundland and Labrador is not simply a job," said Gary Norris, Clerk of the Executive Council. "Their ability to respond to changing needs is the measure of their success as public servants. I heartily salute their accomplishments, unwavering service, and the future contributions that these men and women will make to our province on a daily basis. Congratulations to each and every one of them."

The premier also congratulated everyone who was nominated for this award, and encouraged employees to recognize the contribution of their colleagues by nominating them for the 2007 Public Service Award of Excellence.

For more information on the Public Service Award of Excellence and the recipients, go to www.gov.nl.ca/excellence  

Media advisory: Media representatives are invited to attend the ceremony. For further information, please contact Doris Walsh at 709-691-7478.

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