Connections - Spring 2011

EmployEEnEwslEttEr

United Way

Learning at Work2011

RAVE AwardsOn March 9, the Regionheld its first ever RAVE Employee Award for

Values Excellence.Check out page 5for more photos

and a listof the awardrecipients.

[email protected]

s�rin� 2011Kim Hodasy gets anautograph fromkeynote speaker SamiJo Small.

Staff from Housingpose for a photo.

StaceyFerris andLindaZavarellatest outthe stage.

Keynote speakerSami Jo Smallsmiles at herGold Medal fromthe 2002 WinterOlympics in Salt Lake City

2 [email protected]

Do you know the history of your department?Records related to your job are preserved in theRegion of Waterloo Archives!

The Archives has recently launched Archives Online!Archives Online allows staff to:

• search for archival records by keyword

• search histories of departments, divisions,programs and committees

• view digital copies of archival records

Archives Online has records from Regionaldepartments, divisions, programs and staff.

Why would you want/need to use the Archives?To obtain:

• photographs of staff for retirement celebrationsor historic bridges for plaques

• copies of reports, minutes and by-laws • capital budgets• aerial photographs

• research on health hazards• subdivision or historic water plans• and much, much more!

The Region of Waterloo Archives is the officialarchives for the Region of Waterloo, County ofWaterloo, Township of Woolwich, and Town ofElmira. The Archives also preserves specializedcollections documenting the history of the region.Search Archives Online aswww.region.waterloo.on.ca/archives for moreinformation!

Watch for upcoming events in April in honour ofArchives Awareness Week. There will be prizesawarded to staff who use Archives Online!

The development of Archives Online was madepossible by funding from the Museum AssistanceProgram, Department of Canadian Heritage andOfficial Languages.

~ ONLINE! ~

Join the region’s Baseball league

2011 Healthy Lifestyles three-pitch baseball

league begins the end of May. Last year

was a season full of fun and excitement as

the league leading Sunnyside Sluggers

were narrowly defeated by the Fowl Balls in

the playoff tournament. Team registration

as well as individual signups should be sent

to Greg Crane of Water Services by April

27. Please call Greg at 519-502-2770 with

any questions.

[email protected]

what do you consider the biggestchallenge in your job? what is themost rewarding?The biggest challenge in my role isbeing able to tap into the huge talentand skill set within the IT divisionand present it to the business in away that brings technology to thetable to aid in growth, innovation,customer satisfaction and ultimatelyreaching business goals andstrategic plans. When donesuccessfully this is also the mostrewarding.

what personal skills are essentialto the work you do?Leadership, ability to create a vision,strong business understanding,coaching and mentoring skills aswell as a very solid sense ofcustomer service, are the keycomponents for my role.

what do you do to relax after along day?With the age of my kids, relax isn’t aword that gets much use around ourhome. If we aren’t playing roadhockey or at the rink we are playingmini sticks in the basement, with theodd interruption from the zamboni,which is disguised as a baby stroller.It isn’t uncommon to find us alldancing in the living room to my

son’s favourite song of the week(this week seems to be Soul Sister),or running around the house playingtag. We are a very active family andlove the outdoors. Ted and I alwayshave good intentions to watch amovie or work out after the kids aresleeping, but often find ourselvesvoluntarily going to sleep, and orreluctantly falling asleep on thecouch before long.

what is your favourite meal?Wow, this is a tough one. I am notsure if I have a favourite meal, Ihave multiple… I love pasta andcheese so, maybe CheeseCappelletti???

what is your favourite holiday and why?I love all holidays, not necessarily forthe historical or religious reasonsbut for the good excuse to get familytogether - to take a break from theday to day and reconnect withfriends and loved ones.

If you could travel to one place, where would you go?I have travelled reasonablyextensively with work over theyears, but one place my husbandand I both agree is a destination ofchoice for when our children are abit older is New Zealand.

Arlene MacDonald

Arlene�is�the�new�Director

of�Information�Technology�Services.

She�just�sold�her�house�in�Barrie

and�is�currently�looking�for�a�house

in�this�area.�She�lives�with�her

husband,�Ted,�and�their�children

Eddie�(4.5)�and�MJ�(2)

and�their�two�dogs,

Nikko�and�Moukso.

3

Creating social Change – 33rd Annual Justice Dinner

“Everyoneshould�have�a�home.No�one�should�eat

from�a�garbage�can.”

Hannah�Taylor

wednesday, may 25, 2011reception - 5:30 p.m. Dinner - 6:30 p.m.Bingemans, Kitchener tickets $50 each

The Waterloo Region Crime PreventionCouncil is pleased to present “Creating SocialChange” featuring Hannah Taylor, founder ofThe Ladybug Foundation as keynote speakerfor the 33rd Annual Justice Dinner.

Hannah Taylor is Canada’s youngestadvocate for the homeless. At the age ofeight, Hannah founded The LadybugFoundation, a non-profit registered charitable

foundation to raise awareness and assistorganizations that provide food, shelter andother needs of the homeless, withoutjudgment, so they can find dignity, security,hope and refuge. To date, the foundation hasraised over $2 million and supported over 45shelters and food banks across Canada. Now14, Hannah continues to believe that caringcan and will change our world for the better.www.ladybugfoundation.ca

Tickets for the Justice Dinner are $50 eachand are available through the CrimePrevention Council office at 519-883-2304 oronline www.preventingcrime.ca

[email protected]

Kathleen Gardiner

Kathleen�is�a�Caseworker�inHome�Child�Care�in�the

Social�Services�department.�She�livesin�Breslau�with�three�cats.�Her

daughter,�Sarah,�who�just�got�a�job�inSocial�Services,�lives�with�her

12-year-old�grandson,�Zack,�who�is�agreat�hockey�player!�She�enjoys�her

job�at�the�Region�and�finds�that�thereare�many�opportunities�to

expand�her�knowledge.

what do you consider thebiggest challenge in your job?what is the most rewarding?

My biggest challenge is findingplacements for childcare areasthat have no caregivers. It is abalancing act trying to keepcaregivers full, yet havingcaregivers available for space forchildren.

what personal skills areessential to the work you do?You need to be able to be able towork independently in Home ChildCare. You have to have greatorganizational skills as well. Everyday is different and you have to beable to handle change and workwith all kinds of families. We arenow Road Warriors and take ourlaptops with us.

what do you do to relax after along day?

I like to garden in my big backyard.

I also enjoy watching my grandsonplay hockey and shopping with mydaughter. I volunteer as a speakerwith Heart and Stroke and educatepeople about heart health.

what is your favourite meal?

My favourite meal is grilled chickenmandarin salad with almonds anda glass of ice water with lemon; Ialways order that in a restaurantwhen I go out with the girls forlunch.

what is your favourite holidayand why?

I enjoyed a trip to Arizona andenjoyed looking at the majesticGrand Canyon. It was a beautifulsight.

If you could travel to one place,where would you go?

I would love to go to Greece asGreek mythology has alwaysfascinated me.

The cookie tin in Water Serviceshas been offering food, fuel andcomfort to staff for more than 10years, but since 2007 theproceeds have been channelledinto an international programoffering microloans toentrepreneurs in developingcountries all over the world.

Patti Palmer learned about Kiva,an organization based inCalifornia, which collects loanrequests from microfinanceinstitutions and posts them on theirwebsite. Lenders sign up to fund$25-portions of each loan, whichare then paid back by therecipients. As each loan payment

is made, the money isrefunded to thelenders and thenbecomes availablefor re-investing ina new loan. In thisway, the cookietin has funded 80loans andcurrently has 27loans outstanding.

Entrepreneurs usethe money foreverything fromputting a roof on ahouse to buying acow so the milkcan be used to

make cheese for sale.In most cases, the

prime concern forthe borrowers isto improve theirquality of life andsend theirchildren toschool.

If you would likemore information,

Kiva.org describes theprogram and all the

initiatives funded by loans.

And drop by for a cookie sometime– your quarter might

end up in Uzbekistan!

water services’ Cookie tin – more than meets the eye

Do you know someone who would like to be spotlighted? Do you havesuggestions for new Spotlight questions? E-mail your ideas to

[email protected]

[email protected] 5

On March 9, the Region held itsfirst ever RAVE Employee Awardsfor Values Excellence recognitionevent. The RAVE awards werecreated as a direct result of theemployee survey.

Regional employees were eagerto recognize their peers. Morethan 200 employees werenominated for living our Regionalvalues. Recipients were selectedby a group of senior staff fromacross the organization andrepresented each of our fiveRegional values: service, integrity,respect, innovation andcollaboration.

Keynote speaker and OlympicGold Medalist, Sami Jo Small,inspired staff with her stories ofcharacter, determination and herOlympic dream. The awards werepresented by CAO Mike Murrayand Regional Chair Ken Seiling.

And the award recipients are…

For service:

Maxim Chigak, Organic Chemist,Water Services Donald Graham, Technologist I,Transportation Jennifer Arsenault, Bus Operator,Transit Services Craig Crawford, SeniorProgram/Analyst, InformationTechnology Services Ann Stephenson and CliffEggleton, Paramedic Team,Emergency Medical Services

For innovation:

José Bicudo, Senior ProjectEngineer, Water Services

For respect:

Clara D’Cunha, ProgramAssistant, Employment andIncome Support Dave Degouveia and Gerry Lefler,Cambridge Fleet SupervisorTeam, Transit Services

For Integrity:

Diane Schofield, Health and Safety Advisor,Employee Relations

For collaboration:social Housing renovationand retrofit program team

Jeffrey SchumacherLisa SeawardMary ParentHelen GeorgiouCarol TeigenKrista ScottAlba MichelucciDoris Zettel and Tom Pedlar

Honourable mentions went to:

Cyndi DieneschJackie GoodGreg ProctorLee ScheererKathy Thomas

sunnyside tAmsImplementation team

David ThompsonDavid PeplinskiZel SousaLori McDonaldGus Gutierrez

Each of the recipients and theirstories will be featured on theemployee portal over thenext few months. Besure to check in andread these inspiringand often emotionalstories of how ouremployees are livingour values and makinga difference in ourcommunity every day.

Take time to recognize aRegional employee today bysending an email, card or e-card,showing appreciation in uniqueand tangible ways, or just sayingthanks!

rAVE Employee Awards for Values Excellence

SERVICE – Donald Graham

COLLABORATION – The Social HousingRenovation and Retrofit Program Team

SERVICE – Cliff Eggletonand Ann Stephenson

SERVICE – Maxim Chigak

[email protected]

Employee Development • Communicating with

Confidence• Enhancing Personal and

Interpersonal Effectiveness• How to Prepare for an Interview at the Region• Performance Development Program (PDP)

Workshop for Employees • Understanding Social Styles

leadership (manager and supervisor specific)• Emotional Intelligence for Managers• Leader as Trust Builder• Performance Development Program (PDP)

Workshop for Managers

wellness• Meals and Moves to Maximize Metabolism

Corporate Health and safety• Chainsaw Operator• Elevated Work Platform• Health and Safety Orientation for Lead Hands /

Team Leaders• Landscape Equipment Safety• Mould Abatement• Noise Awareness and Hearing Protection• Propane Handling, Welding, Hot Work Permit• Respirator Fit Testing• Respirator Selection, Care and Use• Spills Response

learning at work

learning at work 2011

The 2011 Learning at Work calendars have arrived, and have beendistributed to all locations.

Course registration can be accessed through the Region’s onlineTraining Registration System. You can access it through the greenDetails and information tips are posted to help with registration andfrequently asked questions.

There are popular returning programs and exciting new trainingofferings that support employee development, health and safety, andkey employee engagement survey priorities.

Newfor 2011

The rapid transit team just finisheda busy round of public consultationthat included seven open housesacross the region, mall and marketdisplays and a live webcast. Morethan 1,000 people attended thepublic consultation centres andalmost 600 people have submittedwritten comments on theimplementation options. Elevenoptions were presented connectingCambridge, Kitchener and

Waterloo. One option is full busrapid transit (BRT), one is full lightrail transit (LRT), and another eightoptions are various combinations ofLRT in the north and adapted busrapid transit (aBRT) in the south.The 11th option is “business asusual” - i.e., no rapid transit at all.However, it has already beenconcluded that this option is notviable, both for economic reasons(including forfeiting all of thefunding from the provincial andfederal governments) and for thenegative impact it would have onquality of life throughout thecommunity.

After considering public input,Regional staff will present apreferred implementation option inApril. The public will have theopportunity to provide input througha second series of publicconsultation centres in early May2011. Staff will also be visitingmalls and markets across WaterlooRegion.

For more information about theproject and to find details onupcoming public consultation,please visitwww.region.waterloo.on.ca/rapidtransit.

Catching up with rapid transit

[email protected]

Every year, the Region bandstogether to raise hope for thosestruggling and suffering in ourcommunity. We pledge donations,host events, and run Friday casualdays to give back to this community ina way that suits their needs. Thoseneeds range from food and housing,to needs of the mind, body, and soul;whatever the need, the agencies ofUnited Way will guide and assist themalong the way.

Our 2010 campaign raised animpressive $233,000 for United Wayfunded agencies and that numbercontinues to grow! When the two-week campaign blitz ends each year,the campaign of giving continues on.Employees from several departmentsplay a role in coordinating thecollection of donations to the planningand preparation of events all yearround. To these staff, THANK YOU!They are the support system thatrecognizes giving must never stop,because the need never stops.

If you are interested in becoming aUnited Way Campaign Coordinator,or you have event planning skills tooffer, please [email protected]. Beinga hero to someone in need doesn’t

require a suit of armor or a cape;being a hero merely requires timeand belief in a worthy cause.

United way loanedrepresentatives and their storiesBy Rhonda Gould

Working at the Region we are allfamiliar with United Way, eitherthrough pizza lunches or casual dressdown days. From September toDecember 2010, I had an opportunityto work full time on a secondment for17 weeks as a LoanedRepresentative with Kitchener-Waterloo United Way.

I was able to see firsthand wheremoney is needed and where themoney goes in our region. The dollarswe raise in the Region do go a longway to make a difference in the livesof families and individuals in our owncommunity. I am very thankful that Iwas able to be part of United Way.

Together we can all be change,make change, see change …

I would like to thank the Region ofWaterloo and CUPE 1883 for thisgreat experience and for supportingthe Loaned Rep Program.

By Cheryl Marcy

From September to December 2010 I

had the opportunity to be a LoanedRepresentative with the United Wayof Cambridge & North Dumfriesworking on the fall fundraisingcampaign. I have many memoriesfrom this experience, but especiallythe impact that United Way agencieshave on the lives of so many peoplein our community.

The work was an interesting mix ofproject management and eventplanning while supporting ourpartners to meet their fundraisinggoals. Some fundraising events werethe Great Restaurant Challenge, theStarlight Film Festival (an all nightmovie event for 13 to 18 year olds), awalk/run-athon, hamster races… andattending a lot of lunches!

It was a great experience for me bothprofessionally and personally. It gaveme an opportunity to use skillsdeveloped through my career at theRegion to give back and be involvedin my community in a way that I wouldnot have otherwise…always wearingmy Live United shirt!

Thank you to the Region of Waterlooand CUPE 1883 for this opportunityand supporting the LoanedRepresentative program!

the way to success is the United way

Achievement Night Dec. 9, 2010when it was announced that we not only reached

but surpassed our fundraising goal!!

The beginning of2011 is bringing withit a number of newbeginnings for theRegion and itsemployees. Thisyear we have a newRegional Councildeveloping a newStrategic Plan thatwill establish priorities and guide ourwork over the next four years. This isan important time to look atcommunity input and ensure that weare doing the things that make thebiggest impact – the things that trulymake a difference in our community.There will be continued opportunitiesfor staff input into the strategicplanning process and we will besharing the public input with you as

well. Watch for updates on the portaland on staff bulletin boards.

We also recently held our first everEmployee Awards for ValuesExcellence recognition event. Theevent celebrated the work of all ournominees and award winners indemonstrating our Regional values ofservice, integrity, respect, innovationand collaboration. We look forward tomaking this an annual event.

Finally the Region is about to launch abrand new website. The new site willimprove our ability to communicatewith the public, provide easy-to-access information about our servicesand make our website moreaccessible. The website committeewill be looking for your feedbackbefore the official launch this spring.Be sure to log on, get a sneak peekand provide your input. Watch theportal for details.

2011 certainly promises to be anotherbusy and exciting year at the Regionof Waterloo!

social mediaby the

numbers

YouTube exceeds 2 billionviews a day

There are 200 millionaccounts on Twitter

1 in every 13 peopleon earth are active

Facebook users

The Region has over 500followers on Twitter

Words to Live By

“Innovation is the abilityto see change as anopportunity – not

a threat.”

Do you havea question for mike? send it to

[email protected]

Using social media to reach the community

The Region started posting regularupdates on Facebook and Twitter atthe beginning of the year. Updatesinclude videos and photos, mediareleases, Council Info, newsletters,information about jobs at the Region,updates from Public Health, WasteManagement, Grand River Transitand much more. In March, the Regionbroadcasted a live webcast aboutrapid transit from 150 Frederick St.

Social media is just another tool that

the Region is using to get information

about our programs and services to

the public. More immediate two-way

dialogue is possible through this tool.

A social media policy will be

presented to Council in April. If you

have questions about how the Region

is using social media, contact

Corporate Communications.

[email protected]

Connections - Spring 2011

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Transcript of Connections - Spring 2011