Defence Team Members Shine at National Human Resources Leadership Awards

October 1, 2020 - Defence Stories

On September 14, the Human Resources Council of Canada awarded six individuals and two teams from across the public service with the Michelle C. Comeau Human Resources Leadership Awards.

Two Defence Team members were among the finalists with another being selected as an overall winner for their contributions to leadership in the human resources field in the federal public service.

The nominees are comprised of individuals guided in their work and their professional conduct by acting democratically, professionally, ethically and having strong people skills.

A big congratulations to Colonel Keith Osmond, Penny McEwan, and Danielle Simard on being recognized for their hard work and dedication on a public-service wide level!

To learn more about each individual and their achievements, please read their citations below:

Colonel Keith Osmond was a finalist for the Business Leader Award. Colonel Osmond is recognized as a partner of civilian HR; in that he supports initiatives from development through to implementation. He embodies the values it takes to care for people, including building a diverse and inclusive environment, and translates this into clear language and meaningful programming. He brings a strong leadership style to his military and civilian managers alike and instills in them the confidence to step out of their comfort zone and to pursue continuous learning. It takes a unique person to be able to lead both military and civilians – Col Osmond successfully executes this day in and day out. We thank you for all your contributions.

Penny McEwen was a finalist for the New Human Resources Talent Award. Penny’s contributions to HR, Staffing and Compensation have been significant! She is seen as a leader within the HR community and is an innovator who can make sound recommendations based on a solid understanding of how the HR teams and HR systems interconnect. Penny approaches her work with an eye for process improvements and with the goal of simplifying information for the client. She has successfully developed and piloted several initiatives, which have been applied to all staffing teams, and have changed the way work flows from Staffing to Compensation. We look forward to seeing what you will continue to accomplish in your career.

Danielle Simard was awarded the HR Leader Award. Danielle is a leader who understands that a high-performing, modern, healthy and respectful workplace will clearly enable her and the organization to achieve its business objectives. As the leader for Classification and Organizational Design at the Department of National Defence, Danielle is a key player on working horizontally with other government departments and with OCHRO. She maintains open communications, contributes to inter-departmental working groups and is firmly moving DND forward on Classification Modernization. Congratulating you, Danielle, and thanking you for all contributions to the HR community.

Congratulations on all your achievements. We are proud to have you as part of the Defence Team!