Media Room
Press releases will be sent to the media and local IPAC regional groups across Canada immediately following the announcement of the winner in August at the IPAC Annual Conference.
2011 Winner
The Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC) is pleased to present Agapi Mavridis with the 2011 Promising New Professionals Award in recognition for her creativity and leadership in promoting inclusiveness in the Ontario Public Service.
IPAC’s Promising New Professionals Award was created in 2010 to honour an individual who, having worked for less than five years, has already distinguished themselves in the public sector. Nominees have demonstrated that they are emerging leaders and that they represent the ideals, values and abilities of sound public administration.
To the 2011 winner, Agapi Mavridis, who is a Policy and Communications Advisor in Ontario’s Diversity Office, teamwork isn't an exclusionary concept; it's inclusionary by nature. Agapi has been instrumental in ensuring that the Government of Ontario, which is one of the largest and most diverse public services in Canada becomes an organization that is accessible and inclusive.
Despite having been with the Ontario Public Service (OPS) for only three years, Agapi has led a number of highly successful initiatives which include the second round of the Diversity Reciprocal Mentoring Program. She is currently supporting the award-winning OPS Inclusion Lens Team, which was recently recognized with a prestigious Ontario Amethyst Award. “The Inclusion Lens” which is a multi-dimensional, user-friendly online educational resource includes wiki’s and blogs and a framework that supports broad and inclusive thinking in the development and review of policies, programs, legislation and services. It is a catalyst for the cultural and behavioural transformation to fully integrate diversity, accessibility and inclusion into the way the Ontario Government does business to meet the needs of 13 million Ontarians.
“The quality of her work demonstrates that she is a natural leader and approaches sensitive issues with tact, diplomacy and creative thinking” states Derek Lett, Director of Diversity Program Design at OPS. He continued to say that Agapi “lives the principles of inclusive public service, by fostering the personal growth and development of everyone around her”.
She has been Workforce Diversity Change Agent for the Ministry of Government Services, Corporate Services Division and shares her time and skills in a number of community organizations, such as the Board of the Cretans Association of Toronto.
2010 Winner
For its inaugural year, IPAC is pleased to present this Award to Samantha Cukier; a Nova Scotian who impressed the jury with her many experiences and accomplishments over three short years spent in the public service. Ms. Cukier was the first Social Marketing Coordinator for Alcohol Strategy at Addiction Services; filling a new role created to address the knowledge gap that exists when it comes to the consumption of alcohol.
In her three years working within the Nova Scotia healthcare system, Ms. Cukier quickly distinguished herself as an expert in the field of alcohol policy. Not only is she a leader in her community, participating with local schools on projects related to the detrimental effects alcohol can have, but also a leader in her province, where she is writing and being written about in newspapers. She has also been called upon across Nova Scotia and Canada for her expertise in the field.
One of her many achievements was the creation of a 60 second public service announcement that was played in movie theatres across the province; an innovative way to target an audience. The video can be seen, along with its accompanying website at http://changingtheculture.ns.ca.
“Samantha Cukier has already shown great promise over her tenure at Addiction Services,” says Maria David-Evans, Deputy Minister Alberta Aboriginal Relations and Chair of 2010 Jury,” and this is just the beginning. She is an example in her province and we look forward to the future endeavors she will pursue with certainty that she will succeed.”
