[2021-09-23] Thank you CPAB

Today, employees of the Communications and Public Affairs Branch (CPAB) for Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada celebrated my retirement from the Public Service. Close to 200 people tuned in via Zoom to offer tributes, stories, videos, smiles, surprises and love.

I was incredibly moved by the many complimentary things my colleagues had to say. As I've written before, we often have no idea what we have meant to others or the impact we have had on an organization. Retirement parties provide a glimpse that we might not otherwise get into our degree of influence.

A recurring phrase today was "The house that Jen built," referring to my imprint on CPAB. What a wonderful thought that my legacy has endured even after my departure—in the people, processes and systems of the branch. Of these three, it's the people who matter most. As my boss said today, our relationships with people create the most indelible memories: warm recollections that stay in our hearts.

My staff used many words to describe me: kind, respectful, courageous, inspiring, caring, generous, creative. As I reflected on what adjective I would assign to myself, the one that immediately came to mind was grateful. Throughout my time with CPAB, I felt tremendously grateful for everything my staff did to support me. They were not only efficient, knowledgeable and talented, but also hard-working, patient, innovative, diligent and dedicated beyond belief. Communicators are among the hardest working employees in the Public Service, and CPAB employees—whose work directly affects the health and safety of Canadians—are conscientious to an extreme.

CPAB staff might have sighed when I joined the branch, thinking, "Who is this person who knows so little about the communications function?" They might have balked when I asked them to work into the wee hours of the morning, developing a last-minute news release, or being ready to make a website go live at 3:00 a.m., or organizing an internal event in three days that would normally take three weeks or even three months to pull off. They might have rolled their eyes when I proposed a "sticky session"—a high-energy brainstorming session with Post-it notes in every colour. Perhaps they did sigh, balk and roll their eyes, but I never saw it. What I saw, day after day and year after year, was a commitment to meeting impossible deadlines and producing high-quality products. Without that commitment—to the work, to the organization and to me—I would never have succeeded. And for that, I am exceedingly grateful.

My thanks to:
  • The organizers of today's event; I know how much work goes into a production of this magnitude, from the presentations, games and speeches to the scenarios, briefing notes and creative surprises.
  • The MC and all the speakers, including my boss, successor and executives.
  • All my employees for the memories, the best wishes, and the gifts: the balloons and a fruit bouquet that showed up at my door this morning, a gift certificate for gardening supplies, and generous donations to Ovarian Cancer Canada and The Terry Fox Foundation.
  • My family for their behind-the-scenes work in support of the organizers, answering questions and making suggestions.
You all made today remarkable and special.

I will remember my time with the Health Portfolio with fondness and gratification. I was not alone in building the house that is CPAB. To all branch employees—past and present—take pride in your accomplishments.