Rewards and Recognition

President's National Awards

The President's National Awards (PNA) are presented each year to recognize employees for outstanding performance and achievements.

The PNA is designed to promote a spirit of co-operation, mutual respect, excellence, quality and responsibility. It encourages and recognizes initiative, flexibility and innovation in performing tasks that are above and beyond the call of duty, while linking to the Agency's business objectives. In addition, the Awards foster the CFIA's values and ethics by rewarding openness, integrity, trust, professionalism, respect, commitment, and a positive outlook. These represent the basis for our behaviours and relationships with our clients and one another.

External Awards

Some examples of external awards that employees of the CFIA have won in the past:

• Public Service Awards of Excellence (PSAE): From 2005 to 2009, CFIA employees were recognized annually with one or more of these prestigious awards. In 2012, Heather Arbuckle was honoured in the "youth" category for her role in establishing the Agency's Plant Business Line delivery model, which has set the standard for delivery models throughout the Agency.
• Outstanding Achievement Award: Considered to be the most prestigious award in the Public Service, this award is presented to senior public service employees who have distinguished themselves by a sustained commitment to excellence. Philip H. Amundson received this award in 2007 for his admirable work throughout his career in the Western provinces.
• Association of Professional Executives of the Public Service of Canada (APEX) Award: Each year, APEX highlights management excellence and leadership of federal public service executives. In 2008, Liz Singh was awarded this honour for her "significant contributions as a scientist, a manager, and a leader" under the category of career contribution.
• The GTEC distinction awards recognize leadership, innovation and excellence in enabling and managing e-government in federal, provincial, or municipal public service. In 2009, the CFIA was honoured, along with Agriculture and Agri-food Canada and Public Works and Government Services Canada, for its New Headquarters Complex under the category of Shared IT Infrastructure.

• Michelle C. Comeau Human Resources Leadership Award: In 2012, Lee-Ann Altmann received the Michele C. Comeau Human Resources Leadership Award, an award for excellence and leadership in the public service's HR field. Lee-Ann and her team implemented the PeopleSoft Shared Services Cluster - a standard HR system and business processes to support the HR function in the CFIA, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Health Canada, and the Public Health Agency of Canada, serving over 38,000 employees.