Four individuals and four teams will receive the Premier’s Award for Excellence in Public service for 2018. Premier Scott Moe says, “The individuals and teams being honoured have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to their work, which is reflected in the success of our province.” For a complete list of the recipients, see this story at cjwwradio.com.
2018 Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Public Service Recipients
Khang Nguyen, Public Service Commission – Emerging Leader
Khang is a Digital Communications Consultant at the Public Service Commission (PSC). He has built a
reputation as a well?respected emerging leader in the PSC. As PSC’s project lead for Taskroom, Khang
demonstrated leadership throughout the project. Taskroom was a complex project with many moving
pieces and many stakeholders. Khang was responsible for the project from inception to completion and
modeled our values every step of the way. He understood Taskroom had to be a tool that allowed fellow
government colleagues to find the information they needed easily and quickly; he remained focused on
the client throughout the project. Khang lives our values by always being accountable for his actions. He
is always willing to lend a hand, becoming the go?to guy for help with live?streaming. He is a strong
member of the communications team, organizing monthly potlucks and bringing treats to celebrate
others’ achievements.
Brent Preston, Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety – Emerging Leader
As Manager of Health Standards, Brent has seamlessly amalgamated two significantly distinct units,
Radiation Safety and Occupational Hygiene. He has supported and contributed to the development and
implementation of improved statistical tools for more effective intelligence gathering and inspection
methodology, helped procure much needed equipment for effective performance of officers during
inspections, contributed to the completion of the reclassification of the Radiation Safety Officer
positions, has been instrumental in the revamping of the provincial Radiation Health and Safety
Committee and has overseen the introduction of emerging radiation technologies. He embraces
challenges as opportunities and engages his colleagues at all levels with his calm, competent demeanor.
His unit has learned to do more with less in support of the division and the ministry in meeting our
objectives. While doing so, his team has grown closer and more effective in their quest for excellence.
Erin Layton, Legal Aid Commission – Individual
Erin Layton has been a legal aid lawyer for 17 years, 10 of those spent in Prince Albert and the last seven
in La Ronge. Erin works diligently and ethically to ensure that the difficulties experienced by her clients
are represented fairly in court. She does not exaggerate or diminish the experiences of her clients, she
simply asks the court to deal fairly with those lived experiences. She has excellent client management
skills and expertly explains the criminal justice and law processes to her clients in such a fashion that
puts them at ease, despite significant language barriers. When difficult social or psychological client
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situations arise, Erin goes well beyond what is expected of the average defence lawyer, by engaging
directly with available social and psychiatric services to assist her clients do not fall through cracks or are
forgotten. All of this she does with poise, respect, kindness, and an abundance of humility. Erin is an
asset for justice in northern Saskatchewan.
Kevin Mooney, Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) – Individual
As the Director of the Employee Health and Safety Branch, Kevin oversaw the development and
implementation of the Safety Management System and the Attendance Management System. As lead of
the branch and key initiatives, Kevin successfully built support among executive and senior management
teams by consistently demonstrating excellent subject matter expertise, by pursuing implementation of
the systems through well laid out strategies, a tactful and understanding approach and perseverance
when faced with challenges/obstacles. Through Kevin’s leadership, a significant accomplishment in 2018
was SLGA being removed from WorkSafe Saskatchewan’s priority employer program which targets
employers with the highest injury rates in the province of Saskatchewan, in addition to achieving a
record low number of injuries and reaching for the first time the Government of Saskatchewan’s longterm
goal of average sick leave usage of seven days per FTE. Kevin demonstrated unflagging integrity in
his commitment to reducing injuries among his co?workers.
Health System Restructuring Transition Team, Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA)
The move to a single Health Authority was driven by a commitment to improve the efficiency of the
health system, to reduce duplication of effort and, ultimately, to improve frontline patient care for
people across the province. One of the first actions of the Transition Team was to determine the
principles that would guide their work, which included a patient first approach; focus on quality and
safety; open and transparent communication; collaboration and engagement; respect for people and
culture; and evidence?based decision making. The team placed a premium on open, honest and
transparent communications with all affected parties, engaged many in the development of the work
and ensured their actions were embedded in the principles of effective change management. The work
of the Transition Team has laid the foundation for the SHA to continue its transformational journey,
including full implementation of all of the Advisory Panel’s recommendations.
Joint-Use School Early Learning Working Group Team, Ministry of Education
In the fall of 2014, the Government of Saskatchewan announced plans to proceed with a P3
procurement model to build nine joint?use schools in Regina, Saskatoon, Warman and Martensville.
Each of the nine joint?use schools would include a 90?space early learning and child care centre. An Early
Learning Working Group, including representatives from the five school divisions and the ministry, was
created. The group focused efforts on designing and implementing a new model for child care to be
tested out in the nine new joint?use school sites. The approach taken to developing the model is working
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to generate stronger linkages between child care, schools and the larger community so that children are
well prepared and supported to learn and develop. The model is also designed to engage parents in
their children’s learning early to maintain relationships for young children as they move from child care
to school. As a result, children get a good start and are ready to learn at every stage in their education.
The collaborative approach of the Early Learning Working Group was a different way of engaging
partners in program development incorporating their contributions from design to implementation. The
new model was implemented in the nine joint?use school child care centres in the fall of 2017.
Ready to Work, Tourism Careers Team – Tourism Saskatchewan
Ready to Work (RTW) Tourism Careers Team is a career awareness, skills development and transition?to employment
program that assists individuals in finding long?term, rewarding careers in the tourism and
hospitality sector. The program is delivered by the Saskatchewan Tourism Education Council (STEC), the
industry education and training department of Tourism Saskatchewan. Ready to Work has provided
training and work experience in more than 50 Saskatchewan communities including several First Nation
Communities. The program provides a nurturing environment for people to acquire knowledge, develop
skills, gain confidence and transition to a fulfilling career within the tourism sector and other sectors of
the economy that employ tourism?related occupations and professions. Since its launch in 1994, Ready
to Work has mentored more than 5,600 participants, achieving an average completion rate of over 85
per cent and an employment or returned to school rate of over 80 per cent.
Regina Bypass Project, Phase I Completion Team – Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure (MHI)
The Regina Bypass is the largest transportation infrastructure project in Saskatchewan’s history, and is
also Saskatchewan’s first highway project delivered as a private?public?partnership (P3). This delivery
model has enabled construction far sooner than if it had been delivered through conventional means.
Completion of Phase 1 of the Regina Bypass Project has already improved public safety by removing
at?grade intersections along Highway 1 East, eliminating high?speed intersection collisions. Four fatal
collisions occurred at intersections along Highway 1 East between 2003 and 2012, and all were
preventable. Completion of the Regina Bypass will also reduce congestion and improve the efficient
movement of traffic in the Regina region. Travel demand modeling estimates 21,000 vehicles per day
will use the Regina Bypass by 2040. The MHI team continues to work as one team with all parties
involved. The ability of the MHI team to work collaboratively with others has been crucial to the success
of Phase 1 of the project. For example, this collaboration accelerated completion of one component of
Phase I – the Pilot Butte Interchange – 20 months ahead of the original schedule. The substantial
completion date for the project is October 31, 2019.