HIRA announces winners of 2009 Celebrating Excellence Awards

The Human Resources Institute of Alberta (HRIA) honoured three top performers in the HR field with 2009 Celebrating Excellence Awards during a recent gala dinner hosted in Edmonton as part of the 2009 Alberta HR Conference. The annual Celebrating Excellence Awards are presented to HR professionals who are nominated by their peers for outstanding contributions to the HR profession and to their respective workplaces.

Mason Meyers, Human Resources Director for Globex Foreign Exchange Corporation received the 2009 Rising Star Award from Deborah Spence of The Hay Group. The Rising Star Award, sponsored by The Hay Group, is awarded to an HRIA member in the first five years of his or her career who demonstrates great promise as a future leader in the Alberta HR community. Mason was nominated for his initiative in creating a formal HR department and establishing policies and procedures that will benefit both Globex and its employees over the long term.

The Strathcona County Leadership Team took home the 2009 Award of Excellence for their People and Talent Development Program. The Award of Excellence, sponsored by Human Solutions, is awarded to an HRIA member (individual, group or team) who plays a key role in driving performance and reputation of an organization, is a catalyst for organization-wide change, and serves as a trusted advisor on organizational strategy. Judith Plotkin, vice president of business development for Human Solutions, presented the award.

Kate Reynolds Braun, The Globe and Mail’s account manager for Western Canada, presented the HRIA Distinguished Career Award to Allan McCalder, CHRP. The Distinguished Career Award, sponsored by the Globe and Mail, is awarded to an HRIA member who has made significant contributions to the advancement of the Human Resources profession in Alberta. In his current position as HR manager with Strathcona County, McCalder has made significant contributions in the areas of talent development and health and safety. In presenting the award, Reynolds Braun also cited examples of McCalder’s personal commitment to the HR profession, including volunteering as a mentor for junior HR professionals, as a member of the board of HRIA, and as a teacher and coach for HR students at Grant McEwan College.

The Human Resources Institute of Alberta (HRIA) is the professional voice of human resources practitioners in Alberta. With more than 3,600 members throughout the province, the HRIA is the not-for-profit professional association dedicated to “Advancing Excellence in Human Resources”. The HRIA promotes and encourages maintenance of professional standards in the field of human resources management and works with the Canadian Council of Human Resources Associations (CCHRA) to define the standards and processes for certification as a Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP).