Regina – Sharon Lee Smith, assistant deputy minister with Western Economic Diversification Canada (Saskatchewan) and Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School (JSGS) policy fellow, was awarded the IPAC Gold Medal for distinguished public service in Saskatchewan. Given out at the 2013 Lieutenant Governor’s Gold Medal Award ceremony on September 19, this honour is given to a person who has shown distinctive leadership in public administration in Saskatchewan and/or has made a significant contribution in the field of public administration in the province.
Michael Atkinson, executive director of the JSGS, believes this recognition is well deserved.
“Sharon Lee has been a superb colleague in the mission of improving the quality of public administration education in the province of Saskatchewan,” said Atkinson. “Even more than her work in the classroom, the school owes Sharon Lee a deep debt of gratitude for her contributions to our internship program and our experiments in experiential learning, in particular the school’s annual case competition.”
In addition to Smith’s medal, JSGS MPA student Richard Hall was also presented with the Doug Stevens Public Policy Graduate Student Scholarship and MPA students, Scott Elliot and Nicole Maserek, were recognized for the highest marks in JSGS 801: Governance and Administration.
“Despite having worked in the provincial government for over seven years, my time at the JSGS has given me a much greater understanding of the policy development and implementation processes,” said Hall. “The Doug Stevens Award will be of tremendous assistance as I work to balance the demands of school, a career and a growing family. This scholarship will help to alleviate many of the pressures that come with being a part-time student.”
The Doug Stevens Public Policy Graduate Student Scholarship was established to assist students who are pursuing a Master of Public Administration or a doctoral degree related to Public Administration. It encourages graduate students to develop a commitment to public service, experience collaborative research, advance managerial acumen and sharpen leadership talents.
This event is organized annually by the Honourable Vaughn Solomon Schofield, Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan, and the Institute of Public Administration Canada Saskatchewan Regional Group (IPAC-Saskatchewan).
About Sharon Lee Smith
Sharon Lee Smith assumed her responsibilities as assistant deputy minister for the Saskatchewan Region of Western Economic Diversification in the spring 2008. Prior to this appointment, she served as director general at Environment Canada, and was responsible for post Kyoto negotiations on climate change and other international environmental files. Sharon Lee has also worked for Privy Council Office in the area of environmental and fisheries issues and with Health Canada as the regional director for northern health and executive director for the Aboriginal Health Secretariat, First Nations and Inuit Health Branch. She has also held various positions with the Government of Ontario.
Smith has a Master of Public Administration and an undergraduate degree in Journalism from Carleton University.
About Richard Hall
Richard Hall has completed a Master's Certificate in Policy Analysis and is currently working towards an Master of Public Administration at the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy. He works with the Information Management Unit of the Saskatchewan Archives. His interests include information governance, privacy, and the effects information and communication technology has on government.
About Doug Stevens
Doug Stevens obtained degrees at the University of Regina (BA, Honours, Public Admin), Carleton University (Masters in Political Science and International Studies) and University of Toronto (PhD in the Department of Political Science). Stevens worked for the Government of Saskatchewan as a research and planning analyst and a senior analyst, and then moved to the Public Service Commission as a senior advisor. Through Fax Direct, which he started in 1992, Doug created a network of associates across Western Canada.