1st Session, 41st Parliament,
Volume 148, Issue 172

Tuesday, June 11, 2013
The Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, Speaker

Senate Administration

Staff Recognition Awards

Hon. Mobina S. B. Jaffer: Honourable senators, on Friday, June 7, I had the privilege of participating in the Senate’s annual Staff Recognition Awards ceremony. I joined Senator Cowan, Senator Tkachuk and several other honourable senators in celebrating the hard work and accomplishments of the remarkable people who help us to serve Canadians. The ceremony, organized through the Senate Human Resources Directorate and led by Reina Bernier, recognizes the outstanding achievements and contributions made by Senate employees throughout the year.

Till Heyde, from the Chamber Operations and Procedure Office, won the Speaker’s Award for Excellence.

Nadia Charania, who has led my team since 2009, and Karma MacGregor, from Senator Marshall’s office, shared the Leadership Award.

The Senate awarded the Community Service and Humanitarian Award to the staff involved in the Friends of the Senate program: Claudine Carrière, from the Finance and Procurement Directorate; Ermina Stoianovici, from the Human Resources Directorate; Marie France Bonnet, from the Office of the Law Clerk; Helen Krzyzewski, from Senator Enverga’s office; Gisèl Seikaly, from Senate Protective Services; and Nadia Charania, from my office.

Monique Malette, from Senate Protective Services, won the Client Service Award; Maria Hernandez, from Building Services, won the Team Spirit Award; Sébastien Payet, from Senator Joyal’s office, won the Diversity Award; Jim Cooke and Manelia Kaazan, from the Information Services Directorate, won the Innovation and Suggestion Award. The Client Services Centre won the bouquet award. Lynn Sowa, from the Human Resources Directorate, won the Clerk’s Appreciation Award; and Roger Laframboise, from the Information Services Directorate, won the Clerk’s Recognition Award.

Another very special and very important member of my team was also recognized at last week’s ceremony. Biko Melville is a proud member of the Friends of the Senate program and for the past eight months has been a member of my team. If you ask the rest of my staff what their favourite day of the week is, they will most likely respond “Friday” because that is when Biko comes to the office to work with us.

Honourable senators, I would like to thank Reina Bernier and her team at the Senate Human Resources Directorate for organizing such a wonderful ceremony. I would also like to thank Gary O’Brien, Clerk of the Senate, for his ongoing support and leadership. I am proud of the great work we do in the Senate, and I am eternally grateful to all who help to make that work possible.

Honourable senators, please join me in congratulating the nominees and recipients of this year’s Senate Staff Recognition Awards for their hard work and commitment.

Hon. Senators: Hear, hear!