Public Service Week, 2023
2023 Departmental Innovation Award
This award is given to the department that best demonstrates an innovative approach to solving a need that benefited a section, division, the department, government as a whole or the general public.
The winner of this year’s award is the Housing Team! This team includes Verna Roche, Shelley Cole, Ann Drake, Mike Hammill, Cody Clinton, and Jason Doyle and they are being recognized for their work on addressing homelessness in Prince Edward Island. Verna and Shelley joined us recently to accept the award on behalf of the team.
Last fall, the Department of Social Development and Housing (now known as Housing, Land, and Communities) identified an immediate need to provide emergency shelter options for the homeless population on PEI. With winter fast approaching, an innovative solution was required, to find adequate, low-barrier housing solutions for the cold weather months.
Through team collaboration, an innovative solution was developed known as Park Street Emergency Shelter. The Department arranged to acquire re¬purposed modular units from the oilfield drilling industry in Alberta. They were connected to water and sewer for kitchen and shower facilities. The site has been operational since December 2022 and is considered a low-barrier shelter, the first of its kind in PEI and among the first in the Maritimes. The 50-bed shelter has accessible units for persons with physical mobility challenges, is gender inclusive, and is available for any person aged 18 and older, 7 days a week, 12 hours a day from 8:00pm to 8:00am.
Congratulations to the Housing Team!
This message has been authorized by Tanya Rowell, CEO PEI Public Service Commission
Douglas MacMaster Memorial Occupational Health and Safety Award
The Douglas MacMaster Memorial Occupational Health and Safety Award is designed to celebrate individual or team achievements by Government employees in the promotion and development of health and safety. The award honours the work of Doug MacMaster, a long serving employee of the Provincial Forestry program. Doug was a Forest Safety Supervisor who taught safety courses and made great strides to improve worker safety in our forest industry. Sadly, Doug passed away in 2004, and in his memory we honour others who also make significant contributions to develop safer workplaces on PEI.
We are pleased to present this year’s award to the PEI Analytical Lab Management Team! Team members include Lori Connolly-Brine, Angela MacLeod, Jacquelyn Garnhum, Marlene MacNeill, Tim Lynch, and Cassie Anderson. Cassie and Lori joined us recently to accept the award on behalf of the team.
The PEI Analytical Lab Management Team is recognized for their work in continually demonstrating a culture of safety and awareness. They ensure necessary certifications, protective equipment, training, and innovations are in place to prioritize occupational health and safety. The lab has a dedicated occupational health and safety committee comprised of staff and management from both the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action. They ensure safety training sessions are coordinated each year and all staff are first aid certified. Specific training on the safe use, handling and operation of new instrumentation is always provided upon installation of new equipment. The team also values the importance of employee wellness, equity, diversity, and inclusion and has coordinated learning opportunities on topics including psychological health and safety, Braver Spaces 101, and diversity.
Congratulations PEI Analytical Lab Management
This message has been authorized by Tanya Rowell, CEO PEI Public Service Commission
2023 Engagement and Collaboration Award
This award recognizes a contribution to government and citizens of PEI through meaningful engagement with the public and cross-departmental collaboration with relevant stakeholders and partners, resulting in a positive impact.
This year’s award is presented to Dr. Suqi Liu for her work in Agriculture on Crop Adaptation to Climate Change!
Dr. Liu began her work as the department’s research scientist collaborating with colleagues at Agriculture and Agri-food Canada; sharing lab space, expertise and knowledge on wireworm and its effects on Island crops. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she was assigned a large, new project: a 5-year study on the effects of climate change on Island agricultural crops in order to better equip producers of agricultural crops for the demands of climate change.
Dr. Liu is an entomologist by trade and this new project required quick adaption and a move outside her comfort zone; a daunting task for most, and she embraced this new challenge with her typical smile, open mind, willing attitude and good nature.
Dr. Liu consulted many subject matter experts and colleagues in agriculture; both in her own department and in other provinces, in other countries and other levels and branches of government. She has involved and collaborated with industry organizations, producers, academia and students and is keen to accept feedback to ensure the maximum benefit of the project is realized. She has done this with such professionalism, friendliness and dedication that she has quickly become a popular and valued partner to many organizations and working groups.
Dr. Liu has demonstrated that empowering agricultural producers with relevant, easy to use tools and information will result in the greatest success for adapting to climate change.
We thank Dr. Liu and her entire team in the Department of Agriculture for demonstrating the wonderful impacts of engagement and collaboration to benefit Island crops.
Congratulations Dr. Liu!
This message has been authorized by Tanya Rowell, CEO PEI Public Service Commission
2023 Premier’s Excellence in Leadership Award
This award recognizes a contribution to Government and citizens of PEI, resulting in a positive impact, while demonstrating excellence in leadership that embodies the overarching Public Service Leadership Competencies: Influence and Self Awareness, Builds Relationships, Leads Others, and Focuses on Results.
We are pleased to announce this year’s winner as Philip Gotell for his work in Transportation and Infrastructure on Post-Tropical Storm Fiona Residential Tree Clean-Up! Last September, after Hurricane Fiona ravaged damage across Prince Edward Island, residents could submit a request for assistance for property tree clean-up. Over 8,000 requests were received, nothing of this scale or structure had ever been undertaken before. Phil was tasked with developing a program to address these requests from initial submission to final completion and had to use innovative thinking in order to prioritize while considering critical safety, level of damage, field resources, geography, and socio-impacts, all the while communicating and coordinating with several groups including residents, contractors, utilities, non-profits, staff, ITSS, Access PEI, municipalities, and the Emergency Measures Organization.
Phil’s leadership was key to successfully delivering this program to residents. He developed and fostered many relationships, which were crucial for this program to succeed and inspired a strong team around him by focusing on goals and recognizing them through gratitude and appreciation. Phil also created a systematic program that tracked each request from start to finish creating consistency and demonstrated strong fiscal management of government funds. The impact was immense to many residents across the province, especially to those more vulnerable and less fortunate. With the impacts of climate change and future adverse weather events, we want to thank Phil and his team for stepping up to support the needs and safety of all Islanders during an extremely stressful time.
Congratulations Phil!
This message has been authorized by Tanya Rowell, CEO PEI Public Service Commission
