Vancouver's |
Sarah Tobun |
July 2015 |
Ontario's |
Ian Provis |
Autumn 2013 |
Victoria's |
Paul Brown |
Spring/Summer 2012 |
Capital's |
Gail Somers |
Autumn 2011 |
Ontario's |
Richard Slee |
Spring/Summer 2011 |
Alberta's |
Roberta Luk and Gisele
Dansereau |
Winter 2011 |
St. John's |
Terry Paddon |
Winter 2011 |
Fredericton's |
Yvonne Samson |
Autumn 2010 |
Halifax's |
Jim Wentzell |
Spring/Summer 2010 |
Victoria's |
Gordon Gunn |
Spring/Summer 2010 |
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Vancouver's Sarah Tobun

Sarah Tobun has
been a member of the Vancouver Chapter of fmi*igf for approximately
13 years. In addition to her full-time job at Environment Canada,
she has also been actively involved with the Vancouver Chapter
Board for many of those years taking on the role of Program
Director, Vice-President, President, Past-President, Communications
Director and currently Treasurer. During her tenure with the Board,
Sarah was also the Chair of the "Passing the Torch - Going for
Gold" two-day PD event in 2010 which was themed and planned around
the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. This hugely successful event provided
financial support for the Vancouver Chapter, allowing it to
continue to promote free or low-cost professional development
events for its members. The Chapter is very grateful for Sarah's
participation and looks forward to her continued support in the
future.
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Ontario's Ian Provis

The Ontario Chapter is run exclusively by volunteers so it
depends on the critical contribution of individual members like
Ian Provis. Ian has been a strong supporter and
member of the Ontario Chapter Board for only a few years, serving
as Vice-President this past year. However, in that short time, Ian
has become a pillar of the Ontario Chapter organization making
significant contributions. His passion, enthusiasm, energy and
leadership exemplify the best attributes of a FMI Volunteer. Ian
holds a CPA, CA designation and brings to the Ontario Public
Service significant private sector experience including gaming,
manufacturing and entertainment.
There's never been a job too small, too big, too technical or
too heavy for Ian to take on. Ian's done it all at one point or
another. Whether it was finding speakers or presenting at an event
himself, or taking lead for all of the audio/visual technical
demands of this year's Public Sector Management Workshop
(PSMW 2013) in Toronto, AS WELL AS, lining up all of the
musical entertainment for the various events, or almost
single-handedly taking responsibility for PSMW's first ever
promotional CD featuring Ontario musicians, or just
helping to share the transporting of seemingly endless carloads of
supplies for each and every event.
Ian is always there to lend a hand or an ear, offer a smile or a
suggestion and generally share the load. His will be a hard act to
follow! Sadly, Ian's day-to-day job responsibilities necessitate
that he leaves the Board this year and he will be sorely missed. As
Manager of Accounting Policies in the Accounting Policy and
Financial Reporting Branch, Office of Provincial Controller
Division, Ontario Ministry of Finance, a new demanding project has
him moving in different directions this year. The Ontario Chapter
wishes him all of the best.
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Victoria's Paul Brown

A successful volunteer organization like the FMI depends upon
the critical contributions of its individual members. Board members
and other volunteers contribute their enthusiasm, energy,
leadership skills and capacity to making our organization a
success. Paul Brown, a member of the Victoria
Chapter's board since September 2004 exemplifies the best
attributes of an FMI volunteer. As our Program Director, Paul
assembled a strong Program Committee that has planned and delivered
an exceptional educational program each year. As the Committee
Chair, Paul ensures that each member has the opportunity to
contribute to the program in line with their skills, interests and
capacity. While it's always a team effort, Paul often takes
personal responsibility in recruiting speakers, organizing venues
and making sure the events run smoothly. After eight years on the
Board, Paul has decided to step down and his shoes will indeed be
hard to fill. Paul Cumberland, Chapter Past President adds, "Paul
was a real mentor to me when I was Chapter President, providing
advice and setting examples while allowing me to gain confidence
and experience. He is a true friend to me and to FMI and, as his
legacy, we are extremely fortunate to have his wisdom and
enthusiasm infused into the board's strategic direction."
Paul is a partner in 3e Training Inc., a Victoria-based company
specializing in providing training solutions to public sector
clients. Since 1988, Paul has focused his efforts on the
development and facilitation of workshops specific to how
government is changing the way it conducts business, allocates
resources, makes decisions, delivers services and infrastructure
and defines accountabilities. These include workshops on contract,
financial and risk management, transfer payments through
conditional grants and contribution agreements, outcome-based
business planning, performance measurement and reporting. His
principal clients are the provincial governments and Crown agencies
of Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan; Yukon Government; and,
Washington State Government. 3e Training has also been extremely
generous in providing administration and IT support for FMI events
over the years. Paul attended the University of Toronto, completing
undergraduate and graduate studies in health sciences.
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Capital's Gail Somers

Gail Somers has become a familiar
fixture at fmi*igf Capital Chapter events. Over the past seven
years, she has worked tirelessly for the fmi*igf Capital Chapter
and the fmi*igf National Board of Directors.
Gail Somers presently holds the
position of Senior Manager, Corporate and Government Banking with
Scotiabank. She has been with Scotiabank for over 25 years, twenty
of which in the Ottawa area. Ms. Somers is a strong supporter and
long-time volunteer of the Financial Management Institute of
Canada, both at the Capital Chapter and National levels. For more
than seven years, she has participated on the fmi*igf Capital
Chapter Board in numerous positions from Program Chair to
President, and presently serves as the Chapter's Past President.
Prior to joining fmi*igf Capital Chapter, she was actively involved
in numerous Board positions with the Treasury Management
Association of Canada (Ottawa Chapter.) Actively involved in
the community, Ms. Somers has also served as a Community Guider and
Contact Guider for the past 25+ years.
The fmi*igf Capital Chapter Board
of Directors would like to thank Ms. Somers for her faithful
dedication and recognize her as a pillar of our community. We are
very grateful that Ms. Somers continues to support the Board and
its activities.
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Ontario's Richard Slee

The Ontario Chapter is a thriving and busy organization, with a
very active Board of Directors and over 300 members. The Chapter
also successfully delivers three highly interactive and stimulating
professional workshops each year, well-attended by members on-site
in Toronto and via web-cast to ten provincial cities. None of
this would have been possible without Richard
Slee, the founding President of FMI Ontario. It was
Richard who lobbied for, and won approval, from the Ontario
Provincial Controller to sponsor the Ontario Chapter. Through his
enthusiasm and unflagging dedication, the Chapter has grown leaps
and bounds since its inception in June 2006. The Ontario Auditor
General is a strong supporter of our organization, and thanks to
Richard we have been able to attract many well-known speakers,
including Sheila Fraser (Auditor General of Canada), Richard
Charlebois (CFO of the Public Service Commission), Clary Ottman (VP
and Comptroller of Canada Post), and Charles-Antoine St-Jean
(former Comptroller General of Canada.)
Richard Slee was born and raised in Toronto. He graduated from
the University of Toronto with a Certificate in Public
Administration, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and
political science, and awarded the general proficiency prize in
public administration.
His career with the Ontario Public Service spanned 36 years and
began with the Register General's Office. He has worked in the
Ontario Labour Relations Board, Occupational Health and Safety,
Internal Audit and the Finance areas of the Ministry of Labour. In
February 2002, he moved to the Ministry of Finance, Office of the
Provincial Controller as Senior Analyst, Controllership Policy and
Practices. He retired in November 2008.
FMI Ontario is not the only organization to have benefited from
his skills and support. He is past president of the Queens Park
Public Speaking Club (a member since 1976), as well as, past area
governor of the Toronto Downtown Area of Toastmasters
International, a private non-profit organization dedicated to
improving people's communications and leadership skills. He is also
a member of the American Institute of Parliamentarians, and
founding president of the Parliamentary Society of Toronto of which
he is now Secretary. He is currently the Director of Communications
for the Queen City Yacht Club. Somewhere he has managed to find the
time to conduct courses in public speaking and common parliamentary
law to public and private organizations.
Richard is married to Mary Harsant, an Accountant, and they have
one son, Joshua aged 17. He is an avid sailor who, with his family,
lives on his boat during the summer on Ward's Island. Richard has
recently retired from the Ontario Public Service, and has indicated
that he will retire from FMI Ontario as well. The members and Board
of Directors of the FMI Ontario Chapter would like to acknowledge
and thank Richard for his dedication over the past five years.
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Alberta's Roberta Luk and Gisele Dansereau

Roberta Luk and Gisele Dansereau have been pillars on the Board
of the FMI Alberta Chapter since the mid 1990's. When reminiscing
about the past, they talk about the growth of the Chapter from a
three-member Board of Directors (including Past President, Patrick
Stewart) organizing Treasury Board speakers to days of a larger
Board of Directors putting on full PD days with multiple speakers
from different areas. If you were to ask them, they would tell you
that being part of the Board of Directors was a great experience
that has opened up opportunities for meeting many people within the
public sector and other financial communities. The experience
gained has provided them with skills and contacts that have helped
them in their public service careers. As well, they have made
friendships that will last for many years to come.
Roberta Luk has recently retired from the public service after
15 years with Justice Canada as Regional Director, Finance &
Administration. Prior to this Roberta worked in several government
departments, as well as in the private sector, receiving her CGA
designation in 1982. Now that she is retired, Roberta hopes to
spend time travelling with her husband.
Gisele Dansereau is with Western Economic Diversification as
Manager of Resource Management & Reporting. She has been with
WD since 1998. Prior to this, she worked with the Public Service
Commission in Winnipeg and Edmonton, in a number of different
positions, including Finance Clerk; Pay & Benefits Specialist;
Finance Officer; and, Manager, Finance and Corporate Services.
The Board of Directors of the FMI Alberta Chapter would like to
thank Roberta and Gisele for their tremendous contribution and
many years of service to fmi*igf. Despite
being formally retired from the Board, both Roberta and Gisele
continue to provide support to the current Board members in many
capacities. We wish them both all the best in their future
endeavours.
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St. John's Terry Paddon

In 2010, the St. John's Chapter recognized Terry
Paddon, Deputy Minister of Finance, Government of
Newfoundland and Labrador, with a Lifetime Membership in
recognition of his continuous support with the Chapter. Mr. Paddon
supported the PSMW held in St. John's in 2006 and served as
Honorary Co-Chair. He was instrumental in ensuring an excellent
turnout from the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and, in
particular, from the Department of Finance.
As part of his continued support of the Chapter, Mr. Paddon has
been a frequent presenter at the St. John's Chapter sessions.
Typically, his presentation on "Economic and Financial Overview of
the Province" attracts the highest number of attendees of all the
Chapter's professional development events, including record
participation by employees of the Department of Finance.
Terry Paddon began his career in the financial industry as
Manager of Assurance Services for Clarkson Gordon/Ernst & Young
(1978-1986). From there he worked as a controller with Murray and
Co. and later as corporate controller with the Hart Group of
Companies (1986 - 1990). He joined the provincial public service as
a Manager of Tax Audit, with the Tax Administration Branch of the
Department of Finance in 1990. His career in the public service
continued with the Taxation and Fiscal Policy Branch, where he
worked as Director of Tax Policy from 1995 to 1998 and Assistant
Deputy Minister from June 1998 to January 2004. Terry Paddon was
appointed Deputy Minister of Finance for Newfoundland and Labrador
in January 2004, and Secretary to Treasury Board in May 2005.
In addition to his public service experience, Mr. Paddon had
held positions in the private sector including the public
accounting industry. Mr Paddon holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree
from Memorial University of Newfoundland and was admitted to the
Institute of Chartered Accountants of Newfoundland in 1980. She
also worked with the Department of Transportation, as Manager of
Consulting and Audit, and is currently the Director of Corporate
Finance for the Departments of Local Government and
Environment.
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Fredericton's Yvonne Samson

Yvonne Samson has been a member of the Fredericton Chapter since
1998 and has held many positions at both the regional and the
national level, including the position of Chapter President for
three consecutive years. To recognize her continued dedication,
Yvonne recently received the FMI Fredericton "Member of the Year"
award for 2009-2010.
In addition to representing the Fredericton Chapter at many
events and meetings at both the Atlantic and the national level,
Yvonne currently serves as the Atlantic Liaison Director on the
fmi*igf National Board of Directors. Yvonne played a key role on
the PSMW 2002 Organizing Committee, held in Fredericton, and a
decade later, has accepted the role of one of the local co-chairs
for PSMW 2012, the 25th Annual Public Sector Management Workshop,
to be held at the Fredericton Convention Centre in May 2012.
Over the past few years, Yvonne has served on both fmi*igf
National and Fredericton Chapter Nominating Committees, the fmi*igf
National Chapter Working Group, and helped with the fmi*igf
National Policy Review project. In addition she has been providing
assistance towards the development of a new FMI Chapter in Moncton,
New Brunswick.
Yvonne received her BBA from the University of New Brunswick in
1996 and her chartered accountancy designation in 2000. She began
her career in the public sector in 1997 with the Office of the
Auditor General where she was in charge of various audits including
the financial statements for the Province of New Brunswick.
Yvonne has greatly contributed to fmi*igf at both the Chapter
and the National level, and FMI Fredericton takes this excellent
opportunity to recognize all the hard work of Yvonne and our many
volunteers.
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Halifax's Jim Wentzell

Jim Wentzell has been a member of the Halifax Chapter since
2002. He became the chapter's treasurer in 2004 and has been on the
executive ever since. Jim has been a member of the Organizing
Committee for PSMW 2010 since the chapter began preparing for the
conference over three years ago. As Operations Manager, Jim managed
everything "behind the scenes" that ensured PSMW 2010 ran smoothly
in Halifax.
In his everyday life Jim is the Chief Administrative Officer for
the Town of Mahone Bay on Nova Scotia's beautiful south shore. The
town has a population of 904 and operates its own electric light
and water utilities. Jim manages these and all aspects of the
town's business along with a staff of 10. Some of the challenges
currently facing the town include the declining rural population,
aging population, tourism dependent commercial sector, the tax
base, affordable housing, infrastructure renewal and implementation
of the new PSAB guidelines regarding municipal capital assets.
Jim has over 37 years experience in both municipal and school
board financial administration. He was one of several School Board
employees to work on the team that designed and implemented SAP as
the accounting system for all School Boards in Nova Scotia. He has
served on the executive of the Association of Nova Scotia
Administrators and currently is a representative on the Union of
Nova Scotia Municipalities CAP Assessment Review Committee.
Responsibility and accountability are two things Jim feels
strongly about and he operates by example in managing his staff,
working for his Council, dealing with all levels of government and
in performing his duties for PSMW 2010. He is a hard worker and can
be seen sitting at his desk many evenings always looking for ways
to better serve the citizens of Mahone Bay. Always thinking, one of
Jim's quotes is "Weeks never end - they always recycle."
SouthShoreNow.ca
CAO
Recognized
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Victoria's Gordon Gunn

When the fmi*igf Victoria Chapter
reflects on the value of our volunteers, our thoughts are often of
Gordon Gunn standing above all.
Although Gordon is a very
successful associate partner at KPMG, he has no qualms about
rolling up his sleeves for work that is so often required of
fmi*igf board members. He has served in many pivotal roles,
including Secretary, Treasurer, Vice-President, President and
Past President and just about anything else in between including
supporting national endeavours such as his recent participation on
the Working Group that developed Social Networking (Web 2.0)
Guidelines for the fmi*igf.
The icing on the cake is his
willingness to pass on his knowledge as a valued speaker at
national and local events. Informally, and of equal importance, he
has been a key advisor to new fmi*igf directors. Through his
consistent example, Gordon exemplifies professional, effective
governance.
Gordon's tireless volunteerism
isn't limited to fmi*igf. He has participated on the boards of the
Information System Audit and Control Association, the Vancouver
Island Chapter of the Canadian Association of Management
Consultants, and Ballet Victoria amongst others. A special
commitment of Gordon's is serving as a Secretary-Treasurer on the
Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness. Gordon's social
commitments aren't a recent epiphany. In 1989, Gordon conceived the
Great Canadian Family Picnic, and then rallied volunteers to
organize the Canada Day event that for 10 years, attracted tens of
thousands of people to Victoria's beautiful Beacon Hill Park.
Gordon is unique in his level of
dedication. He's a strategic thinker, a pragmatic leader and a
reliable team player who exudes credibility and is respected by
Board members and Chapter membership alike. He is an ambassador for
the fmi*igf organization. His commitment is pure, and his fellow
Directors are keenly aware that his involvement is not about
personal aspirations or accomplishments, it's truly about "giving
back."
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