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Time: 8:00 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.
Date: Tuesday October 1, 2024
Location: Osgoode PD, 26th Floor, 1 Dundas St W, Toronto

Keynote Speaker

Shannon Fuller

Deputy Minister, Policy and Delivery, and Associate Secretary of Cabinet. The Cabinet Office, Government of Ontario

Since joining the Ontario Public Service in 2000, she has held positions in a variety of
ministries including the ministries of Colleges and Universities, Education, Intergovernmental Affairs, Municipal Affairs and Housing and Cabinet Office Communications.

She holds a Specialized Honours Degree in Public Policy and Administration from 91��ɫ
University and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Victoria

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Throughout the day there will be many guest speakers. View the full day's agenda.

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More than 100 participants attended, eager to learn about OPS human resources priorities outlined in these extraordinary times faced with a multitude of policy challenges and a remote work environment.

In her opening remarks, SPPA Director Alena Kimakova acknowledged how the OPS adapted to the new conditions and maintained continuity in providing co-op and other valuable work placement opportunities for students of public policy and administration.

As the public service executive responsible for people and culture in OPS, Fior’s focus is on creating the conditions for public service innovation and excellence. This is done by “building an engaging workforce and culture, which is enabled by talented, diverse and inclusive leaders” he says In his role, he leads the OPS in delivering enterprising strategies, policies and programs to build a healthy, inclusive and productive workplace ethos.

During the event, Fior’s keynote speech “The Future is Now: Talent Management in the Ontario Public Service” addressed the need for leadership and diversity. Fior explained the strengths of building a strong leadership talent pipeline and a culture of effective leadership for continuous learning.

The drivers for transforming the OPS and the future of work, he says, are: being knowledgeable on the changing demographics and citizen expectations; employee expectations that reflect empathy, regular feedback, and flexible meaningful work; and the adaptability to unprecedented, and complex change, requiring agility, innovation and care in the workplace.

This vision for the future of the OPS is built on three pillars, said Fior, and includes passionately serving Ontarians; boldly enabling change; and actively empowering employees.

“We will be inclusive and diverse, innovative and creative, responsive and agile, accountable and responsible, people-centered, open and transparent, and collaborative and integrated,” he stated as his mission.

In his introduction of Fior, Professor Lorne Foster, director for the Institute of Social Research at 91��ɫ, alluded to this commitment when he said, “I had a chance to talk with Brian about this and how he manages talent; he told me that he believes in maximum transparency, the importance of sharing information and ensuring everyone understands your expectations. This was something he always appreciated as a public servant and he was able to use this experience to enable the talent in others.”

Fior, who has been a dedicated public servant with many significant portfolios, including Chief Inclusion Officer & ADM, People Strategy and Organizational Performance, where he launched a new strategy for the public service The OPS Inclusion and Diversity Blueprint, is an engaging and passionate speaker. He illustrated his vision of planning for talent at the OPS through a discussion of leadership pathways in order to diversify and nurture the talent pool through coaching and mentoring, provide opportunities for leadership development, succession plans and identifying qualified candidates from underrepresented groups in recruitment shortlist.

Participants were given the opportunity to engage with Fior in a Q-and-A session moderated by Professor Naomi Couto, director of the School’s executive-style Master of Public Policy, Administration and Law (MPPAL) program. The Q-and-A was followed by randomized Zoom breakout rooms for professional networking.

The OPS Breakfast provides an opportunity for faculty and students to meet SPPA alumni to help develop and broaden their networks. It is one of the key extracurricular activities the School provides for its undergraduate and MPPAL students during the academic year.

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The 2020 symposium was co-hosted by United Way of Greater Toronto (UWGT) and focused on the theme “Advancing Communities Through Better Business Solutions.” The topic of the symposium was best practices for achieving community benefits for large public infrastructure projects such as the Gordie Howe Bridge Project by the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, and examples like inclusive and diverse hiring, apprenticeship programs and procurement policies took centre stage at the day-long event.

To underscore the importance of partnerships for advancing community benefits in Canada, the symposium opened with two keynote addresses: first by Daniele Zanotti, president and CEO of UWGT, followed by John M. Beck, Chairman of Aecon Group Inc.

LA&PS Dean J.J. McMurtry welcomed the symposium participants along with co-hosts Nation Cheong, vice-president, Community Opportunities and Mobilization, UWGT and Alena Kimakova, director of SPPA.

Systemic barriers, visionary leadership, effective stakeholder engagement and project management issues were discussed by panelists and an audience representative of the diverse groups that partner for social and economic benefits for local communities: the corporate sector, labour unions, non-profit and advocacy groups, community members, public servants, academics and students.

Experts from the United Kingdom were able to offer insights from the experiences of another jurisdiction with a longer track record of community benefit agreements, including their enforcement and impact measurement.

The symposium concluded with a participant engagement session to facilitate further co-operation across sectors, and outline the key lessons learned and suggestions for improvement. 91��ɫ President Rhonda L. Lenton also attended the session and thanked the participants for their engagement.

“It will be interesting to see the role that community benefits play in restarting the economy after the covid-19 economic shutdown,” said Kimokova.

While the pandemic’s different impact on Canadians from different socio-demographic groups has clearly been brought into focus, at the same time, industry groups have already called on the federal government to relax the provisions for diversity employment on infrastructure projects to achieve faster economic recovery. The Toronto Community Benefits Network, United Way Greater Toronto, United Way Centraide Windsor-Essex, and Lenton, on behalf of the University, and others have responded by issuing a letter to federal government “to remain steadfast in its commitment to integrate and expand community benefit expectations in publicly funded infrastructure projects” in the face of the current challenges to achieve recovery and growth with equity.

The symposium was co-sponsored by the Institute of Public Administration of Canada Toronto Regional Group (IPAC TRG) and the lunch break included ethnographic virtual reality presentations from:

• the Firgrove Mixed Media Oral Narratives Project by Professor Joel Ong from the Department of Computational Arts and Director of Sensorium at the Centre for Digital Arts and Technology, and David Han, PhD student, Cinema & Media Arts, a collaboration between 91��ɫ and the Firgrove Learning and Innovation Community Centre in Jane-Finch; and
• Ancient Thoughts and Electric Buildings by Michael Trommer, PhD student, Cinema & Media Arts, an ethnographic VR cinema/ambisonic project which examines the portion of Toronto’s downtown core that stretches along Toronto's Gardiner Expressway – a site of extensive condo and commercial development as well as a locale that a large number of homeless people call home.

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This year, alumnus Jim Cassimatis, interim associate deputy minister of ServiceOntario, delivered the keynote address. Cassimatis reflected on his public service career, offering a candid account of some of the challenges he experienced over the last three decades. From technology to ethics, the public service tackles a constantly evolving set of realities in its mandate to deliver on commitments that politicians have made to the public, he said.

Cassimatis has devoted his career to the implementation of government programs and services. He offered advice to students and more junior alumni, noting that first, sound budgeting and management are essential for successful program delivery; second, learning the intricacies of program delivery takes time; and third, it is important to move laterally to gain exposure to different functional roles in the public service to appreciate the complexities of implementation.

He also cautioned junior colleagues against rushing to move up the career ladder prematurely, as risks are inevitable in the face of steep learning curves and the need to build one’s leadership capital.

Awards

From left to right: MPPAL Director Dagmar Soennecken, Professor Lorne Foster, MPPAL alumna Amuna Baraka-Clarke and University Professor Emeritus Ian Greene

The first award presented at the dinner celebrated public service excellence and leadership. The 2019 year marks the 10th anniversary of the first graduating class of the school’s Master of Public Policy, Administration and Law (MPPAL) program, and on this occasion the School’s Alumni Network – YUSPPAAN – established the Foster – Greene Award for Excellence in Public Policy, Administration and Law. The award is named after the MPPAL program’s inaugural graduate program directors – University Professor Emeritus Ian Greene and Professor Lorne Foster – and recognizes an alumnus/alumna of the MPPAL program whose work has demonstrably and significantly advanced social justice, human rights, ethics and good governance in congruence with the program’s founding principles. The award recipient will normally have a minimum of 10 years of work experience in the broader public sector.

YUSPPAAN Board Member Kevin Giddings (MPPAL '15) championed the establishment of the award and presented it to its inaugural recipient, Amuna Baraka-Clarke (MPPAL,'18). Baraka-Clarke’s career spans three decades in the non-profit sector, including 15 years at senior leadership level. She currently holds the position of director of human resources and operations for the Jane/Finch Centre. In this role, she strengthens organizational structures and practices through strategic human resources interventions and the engagement of policy. She is also a 2019 CivicAction DiverseCity Fellow and sits on various boards, including the newly engaged 91��ɫ Black Alumni Network.

The School also recognized the contributions of two public sector partners for the practicum opportunities they provided to our fourth-year Bachelor of Public Administration (BPA) students. Professor Peter Constantinou, the school’s experiential education coordinator, highlighted the championing roles of: alumnus Claudio De Rose (BA spec. hon. PPA '98), acting executive director, driver and vehicle program development and modernization in the Road User Safety Division of the Ontario Ministry of Transportation; and Louise Simos, who currently leads a team responsible for ServiceOntario’s intergovernmental relations and data services at the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services. Simos recently received the highest award in the Ontario Public Service (OPS) – an Amethyst Award – for digital disruption and for an innovative new intranet for the 60,000-plus OPS employees.Professor Peter Constantinou with practicum honoree Claudio De RoseFourth-year BPA student John Soriano with his practicum supervisor Louise Simos

Several other awards were presented to students and alumni, including:

The Undergraduate Student Award presented to Sukhpreet Singh from the BPA spec. hon. (management stream) program (class of '19) for his leadership and service to the Public Policy and Administration Student Association (PPASA) in a variety of roles for three years and most recently as president in 2018-19.

Singh joined the federal public service in May as an access to information and privacy analyst at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, and expressed his gratitude at the dinner to his parents, and SPPA faculty and staff for their support during this journey.

The Graduate Student Award was presented to Tiago De Oliveira for his service as director of communications for our Graduate Students’ Association during the first year of his MPPAL studies in 2018-19, and contributions to organizing a career panel for students, the school’s municipal symposium and several networking events.

De Oliveira currently holds the position of payroll transformation project lead with the City of Toronto. He is a graduate of our BPA spec. hon. program (law, justice and public policy stream, class of '14) and also holds a certificate in human resources management from 91��ɫ.

The Best 2019 Major Research Paper Award was presented to Ryan Clancy (MPPAL, class of '19) for his research on the City of Toronto’s response to gun violence. MPPAL Director Dagmar Soennecken served as Clancy’s research supervisor and highlighted his background and aspirations combining a bachelor of commerce, chartered professional accounting (CPA) designation and commitment to social justice in line with 91��ɫ’s and MPPAL values.

Clancy recently transitioned from the OPS to LIFT Philanthropy Partners as the senior manager, impact investing with emphasis on social finance and impact. He also serves as vice-chair of the Board of Regeneration Community Services, a not-for-profit that provides housing support for persons with mental health and addiction challenges.

MPPAL students Rebecca Ganesathas, Joana Jabson, Asare Kester-Akrofi, Sindiswa Moyo and Gurjeet Virdi were presented with the Best Team Award for their participation in the 2019 IPAC-CAPPA National Case Competition. Soennecken also acknowledged the work of the team’s long-standing coach John Wilkins, and MPPAL student Richard Mohammed was named honorary member of the team for his unparalleled dedication and constructive support of the team at every tryout.Taylor Dallin (centre) with her parents and Khushbu Dhaliwal, PPASA vice-president (far left) and Gurkamal Dhahan, PPASA president (far right)From left: Khushbu Dhaliwal, PPASA vice-president, award winner Rehana Lalani, her mother, and Gurkamal Dhahan, PPASA presidentAward winner Anjali Singh (centre right) with her parents and Khushbu Dhaliwal, PPASA vice-president (far left) and Gurkamal Dhahan, PPASA president (far right)

Undergraduate Program Director and Professor Joanne Magee and Gurkamal Dhahan, president of the PPASA, presented the awards to this year’s winners of our high school essay contest for sharing their thought-provoking Vision for Canada:

• First prize: Taylor Dallin, Grade 12, Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts, North 91��ɫ, for her essay entitled “Seeing 20/20: A Vision for 2020 and Beyond Which Brings Indigenous Issues to the Forefront;”
• Second prize: Rehana Lalani, Grade 12, Glenforest Secondary School, Mississauga, for her submission asking: “Is it possible to advance both economic and environmental policy?”
• Third prize: Anjali Singh, Grade 12, Francis Libermann Catholic High School, Scarborough, on the status of women in Canada.

The evening concluded with the presentation of two alumni awards by SPPA Director Alena Kimakova:

The Emerging Leader Award was presented to Shireen Salti (MPPAL, class of '17) who was recently named the executive director of the Canadian Arab Institute, a national not-for-profit, non-partisan organization that focuses on issues and interests of the Canadian Arab community through research, education and community engagement. The institute strives to be the leading policy and research organization on domestic policies of concern to Arab Canadians. Salti has held various positions with the Ontario Public Service, the Ontario Legislature Internship Programme and the Council of Ontario Universities. In 2017, Salti received both the school’s Graduate Student Award for her contributions to student life and the Best MRP Award in the MPPAL program for her major research paper on the settlement of Syrian refugees in Toronto.

The Alumni Recognition Award was presented to Ashley Cabral (MPPAL, class '17) for her exceptional dedication to creating professional development opportunities for our students and alumni, as well as leadership and strategic vision for our alumni network. Cabral juggles a hectic schedule as executive advisor to the assistant deputy minister of the Ministry of the Solicitor General, Chair of YUSPPAAN and board member and the New Professionals Lead of the Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC). She is also the recipient of the 2017 SPPA Emerging Leader Award. Her commitment to service excellence and visionary leadership to achieve client-centered, outcome-focused service delivery transcend all areas of her work and are assets to the alumni network and the school.

The evening was moderated by BPA alumna and 2017 recipient of the University-wide Robert Tiffin Student Leadership Award Munisha Basiram. In attendance were also Associate Dean Students Peter Avery of the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies (LA&PS) and Tony Haddad, who recently joined the school’s Advisory Committee after a distinguished career in the municipal public service. The event was supported by Nicole Glassman of the LA&PS communications team and SPPA staff members Maria Flores, Jasmattie Jewan and Shakira Bacchus.

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She holds two Masters degrees. The first is a Master in Public Policy, Administration and Law (MPPAL) from 2013 and more recently a Global Professional Master of Laws (GPLLM), which she completed in late summer 2020. In addition, she holds post-graduate certificates in Strategic Leadership, Dispute Resolution, and Project Management, as well as being a certified Law Clerk and Paralegal. Judy’s interest in education, both educating herself and helping to educate others, is profound. She carried this interest to serve as the Co-Chair of the National Education Program Committee for the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF) where she also served as a National Board Member. Social activism and the pursuit of equality, fairness, and justice, especially for women and girls, has always been at the cornerstone of Judy’s community involvement which involved serving as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Women’s Support Network or 91��ɫ Region for 6 years.
 
Leading with purpose and ensuring that all persons have equal access to opportunities and resources is extremely important to her as she selected career, academic and volunteer pursuits. Law-based education has not only helped raise her own awareness but also helped inform, educate and empower those around her. She embodies “education is power” through her own fervent commitment to self-learning and teaching others both in her professional and personal life.

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Minister Matthews will reflect on what drew her into politics in 2003, her 13 years at Queen’s Park as an MPP and as a Minister, and her work on landmark policy initiatives from the Poverty Reduction Strategy and the creation of the Ontario Child Benefit, to the creation of the Ontario Student Grant and the most ambitious reforms of student assistance in North America.

Space is limited, please RSVP early at: A light breakfast will be served

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Lecture Poster (PDF)

Please fill out the RSVP form to let us know you will be joining us:

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