Safety and Health Professional Wins Public Service Award

Manitoba Premier Gary Filmon presented one of the first annual Manitoba Service Excellence Awards, which recognize the outstanding efforts of provincial government employees at work and in the community, to a health and safety professional.

Ian Brown, safety and health officer, Workplace Safety and Health Branch, Manitoba Labour, received the Civil Service Award, one of six awards handed out by Filmon.

"Among the ranks of the provincial civil service are countless employees who go far beyond the call of duty, both on the job and as volunteers in the community," the premier said. "This new awards program is a way of thanking these individuals for their dedication, drive, and creativity. They are making a difference every day by improving government service to Manitobans and by contributing to their community."

This is not the first award Brown received for his volunteerism. In February 1999, he was awarded a "Hard Work and Dedication" plaque to recognize 15 years of volunteer work with the East Side Eagles Football Club. He was also instrumental in the expansion of the Anderson Park Community Building and in the negotiation, fund-raising, and project management of the construction of the new facility and field at Kildonan East Regional School.

Brown served as president and commissioner with the Manitoba Affiliated Football Association and has been president of the Manitoba Minor Football Association for the last seven years. This association is responsible for the football program within the City of Winnipeg and has more than 800 participants. Along with his executive duties, Brown still manages to coach and maintains a position on the board of Football Manitoba.

In addition to his football duties, Brown was active in securing the field hockey platform for the Pan Am Games and was involved in negotiations that resulted in an agreement being signed to hold the field hockey venue at the site managed by East Side Eagles.