BC Public Service employees who led the emergency response to devastating floods and wildfires, advanced reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and improved safety on Highway 16 are among those honoured with this year’s Premier’s Innovation and Excellence Awards.
“Public service employees are the driving force making government better for every British Columbian. Their hard work and commitment to innovation makes this province a better place for us all,” said Premier John Horgan. “It is an honour to present these awards to such extraordinary, dedicated employees. Congratulations to all the finalists and winners.”
Public service employees were recognized for applying new, innovative ways of providing services in eight categories: Innovation, Leadership, Organizational Excellence, Partnership, Emerging Leader Legacy, BC Public Service Hall of Excellence and, new for this year, Evidence-Based Design.
“Each and every day, thousands of civil servants work behind the scenes to keep our province running and deliver the services British Columbians count on,” said Carole James, Minister of Finance. “As the minister responsible for the BC Public Service Agency, I would like to thank all of B.C.’s hard-working civil servants and congratulate the winners of this year’s awards.”
The awards recognize work at both the regional and provincial level. The regional awards recognize projects and individuals that impact a specific region, while provincial awards recognize projects or individuals whose impact is felt provincially or across multiple regions. A panel of independent adjudicators and judges determine the finalists and winners of the Premier’s Awards.
Quick Facts:
- The Premier’s Awards were launched in 2004 and are held annually.
- In 2018, the program celebrates its 14th year of being the most prestigious recognition for the BC Public Service.
- This year, a new category highlights the BC Public Service’s commitment to evidence-based design in program or policy development.
Learn More:
Learn more about the BC Public Service Hall of Excellence and previous B.C. Legacy winners: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/organizational-structure/publicservice/hall-of-excellence
A backgrounder follows.
Backgrounders
The Province of B.C. congratulates the following recipients of this year’s Premier’s Innovation and Excellence Awards:
- Evidence-Based Design: The Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General and partners, including the BC Coroners Service, developed a new approach — unique in North America — to producing data to improve prevention efforts in B.C.’s opioid crisis.
- Emerging Leader: Christine Bootsma, assistant deputy warden, has led positive change in the Nanaimo Correctional Centre by introducing new programs focused on building connections between inmates and their families, integrating right living and restorative justice practices, and finding innovative educational opportunities for inmates.
- Innovation: The Kaska, Tahltan and Taku River Tlingit First Nations and the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation formed a unique 3Nations-B.C. regional partnership that represents a substantial change in the Province’s approach to reconciliation, in line with the principles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
- Leadership: Jennifer Fraser’s leadership and mentor skills are well-utilized in her role as regional manager, project delivery and director, Trans-Canada Highway Program with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. She has implemented significant process improvement initiatives, resulting in better cross-ministry engagement, improved use of human resources and enhanced relations with First Nations.
- Organizational Excellence (tie - two recipients):
- Emergency Management BC’s Central Provincial Regional Emergency Operations Centre in Kamloops was the Province’s key response and recovery hub for the unprecedented floods and wildfires of 2017. Throughout these historic events, staff demonstrated outstanding performance, teamwork and dedication to public safety.
- Together, the Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation Council and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture are improving the lives and health of Indigenous peoples in B.C. through innovative use of sport and physical activity — the first program of its kind in North America.
- Partnership: The Highway 16 Transportation Action Plan is an example of an extraordinary partnership and collaboration between the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, First Nations, BC Transit and local governments to provide safe, reliable and affordable transportation for remote communities along Highway 16.
- Legacy: James (Jim) MacAulay’s 30-year career as a Crown prosecutor with the BC Prosecution Service has benefited B.C.’s environmental integrity as MacAulay has led several high-profile cases that helped shape the boundaries of environmental justice in British Columbia.
- Legacy: For more than 27 years with the Ministry of Finance, including 14 years as assistant deputy minister of the revenue division, Elan Symes has demonstrated leadership, strategy and compassion, cultivated her organization’s charity mindset and positive workplace culture, and successfully led large initiatives to meet the evolving needs of B.C.’s taxpayers in the digital age.
- BC Public Service Hall of Excellence: Regarded as a national leader in forest meteorology and climate change adaptation, David Spittlehouse’s work has guided the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development in its mandate to develop policies and programs in an era of climate change to support forest sustainability.
https://news.gov.bc.ca/18367
Office of the Premier
