Provincial Director
Led the 24/7 operation of adult custody correctional centres housing ~2,900 incarcerated people. With an operational budget of $200M+ and ~2,500 employees, was accountable for financial, material and human resources, and the promotion of positive employee relations, capital, operating and program strategies.Provided leadership to team of senior leaders in support of their ability to meet service plan goals and human resource strategies. Known for my team-based approach, used trust, transparency, encouraged risk taking to promote innovation and creativity, open and honest dialogue, shared knowledge, encouraged discussion and team-based problem solving when there were competing interests, used influence and inclusion to minimize the need for formal authority to execute goals.Promoted empowerment and creative problem solving through delegation and information sharing to enhance ownership and empowerment over task and performance. Fostered a creative environment through critical reflection, problem analysis, risk assessment and rewarding innovation.Built strategic alliances with key internal and external stakeholders who influenced staff engagement and correctional operations by establishing trusting partnerships and encouraging transparent dialogue, e.g., worker advocates, prisoner advocates, indigenous leaders, human rights agencies, Ombudsperson, etc. The outcome of my decisions directly impacted the public, staff and offender safety, not to mention the overall perception of the government’s ability to keep communities safe, so my collaborative and fair approach with stakeholders was critical.Created and managed change using my intimate knowledge and developed skills in the areas of human resources, public service, correctional environment and using goals and key indicators to set direction, to build a coalition of support, while communicating widely, responding to resistance to change and facilitating the implementation of successful change actions.
