HR consultant given Award of Excellence by BC HRMA

HR team, HR advisor, professor also winners

HR consultant Eileen Stewart has been given the Award of Excellence: HR Professional of the Year by the British Columbia Human Resources Management Association (BC HRMA). The award is given to an individual who contributes to an organization by achieving significant business results and demonstrating exceptional leadership both as a personal and professional role model.

For more than 35 years, Stewart has been making HR work for businesses, educational institutions and the greater community in her leadership positions at the City of Vancouver, the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, the British Columbia institute of Technology (BCIT) in Burnaby, B.C., the University of Victoria and Vancouver Coast Health.

For Stewart, strong HR and good leadership have long been synonymous, said BC HRMA. As the author of Essentials of Managing Human Resources and HR program head at BCIT from 1999 to 2007, her passion for people practices has made significant contributions towards increasing the profile and impact of professional HR management. Her revitalization of the HR program at BCIT has seen it remain the top program in the School of Business for 10 years.

Nominated finalists alongside Steward were Crysta Knyston, vice-president of human resources at WCG International HR Solutions, and Diane Taylor, HR manager store operations at RONA.

Award of Excellence: Innovation

The HR team at the Capital Regional District (CRD) in Victoria — consisting of Chris Neilson, senior manager of HR; Sarah Hood, manager of workforce development and strategies; HR managers Mary Stock and Nadine Dillabaugh; and HR advisors Angela Maunders and Elaine McMath — is the winner of BC HRMA’s Award of Excellence: Innovation. The award recognizes an individual or team that has successfully implemented an innovative and progressive program or project to a new or ongoing HR challenge or opportunity.

The team designed and implemented “iLead,” a new approach to leadership development that would change the way their leaders thought about leadership, their role as leaders and the CRD as a whole. Developed in partnership with Royal Roads University in Victoria, iLead brings together executives, managers and supervisors to explore new perspectives and highlight leadership aspects at all levels of the CRD.

Forging direct links between HR strategy and iLead outcomes, the initiative has resulted in a leadership program grounded in the CRD’s culture shift, said BC HRMA.

Ann Leckie, partner at RDL Management and HR consultant to Teldon Media, was a nominated finalist alongside the CRD team.

Rising Star Award

Tyler Cheyne, HR advisor at Omicron Canada, was the winner of the Rising Star Award, which recognizes and honours a BC HRMA member who is “lighting the HR community on fire.”

In two short years at Omicron, Cheyne’s willingness to embrace challenge and strong communication skills have made a significant impact, said the association. In taking charge of the company’s Timesheet software and redesigning the employee orientation for the system, he reduced late or inaccurate submissions by 75 per cent in his first year.

Working together with Omnicorn leadership, Cheyne went on to assist in developing demographic and skills analysis profiles that were translated into the company’s 2012 workforce planning.

Cheyne was also a driving force of the Winter Olympic spirit as the volunteer training facilitator for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) and he also volunteers with BC HRMA within the communications, certified human resources professional (CHRP) and professional development portfolios.

Alongside Cheyne, nominated finalists included: Nikki Cescon, HR advisor at Kelowna Flightcraft Group, and Candice Wright, labour relations research analyst at the BC Public School Employers’ Association.

Fellow CHRPs

This year’s fellow CHRP (FCHRP) recipient was Craig Pinder, a professor of organizational behaviour at the Peter B. Gustavson School of Business at the University of Victoria.

As the author of four books and numerous articles on the subject, Craig is both a recognized scholar and key practitioner, best known for his practical approach to work motivation, said BC HRMA. In 2005, he was named “Distinguished Professor” for his academic excellence and contributions to the greater university community.

Whether consulting to business or contributing his experience to the bigger picture of the HR profession, Craig’s discipline, rigour and insights have benefited countless workplaces, said the association. That same academic rigour was invaluable during the development phase of the CHRP designation when Pinder sat as designate chair with the BC HRMA board.

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