Defence Team members honoured with Government of Canada Chief Financial Officer Merit Award

No fewer than 32 Defence Team members were awarded with a 2021 Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Merit Award, during a virtual ceremony held on January 31, 2022. The awards were presented to eight individuals and members from four teams as part of the annual National Defence Comptrollers' Conference and Training & Development Forum. The virtual event was attended by 351 people from the Department of National Defence's (DND) Financial Community. Attendees included the award winners, their supervisors and family members.

Read more about this year's recipients below.

About the Award

The CFO Merit Award recognizes individuals and teams, both civilian and military, in the Defence financial community who have made exceptional contributions to the financial support and management of the department and Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) operations.

Congratulations to this year's winners!

On this page

1. Dominic Bourdeau (MWO/Adjum, Ret'd)
2. Nathalie Boutin
3. Janet Ellis
4. Maj/maj Daniel Levasseur-Simms
5. Valerie Marcella
6. Cpl/cpl Jeremie Ouellette
7. Jacinthe Simoneau
8. Cpl/cpl Natalia Toussaint
9. Automated Cashier System (ACS) & Claims Support Team
10. Centre of Expertise for Finance Data & Analytics Team
11. Payment Card Project Team
12. Royal Military College (RMC) Claims Cell Team

1. Dominic Bourdeau (MWO/Adjum, Ret'd)

Citation

Throughout his brilliant career, MWO (Ret'd) Dominic Bourdeau has mentored countless staff, led several financial systems application efforts, and positively influenced many across the financial community. Mr. Bourdeau has continually strived to improve financial accountability, processes, and knowledge based professionalism within the Canadian Armed Forces and Department of National Defence. A highlight of his positive efforts was when Dominic was part of the L1 Working Group which oversaw the creation of the Financial Services Administrator (FSA) military occupation.

Shout-out

Dominic, on behalf of MGen Boivin and the entire CANSOFCOM Command Team, congratulations on receiving this prestigious award. Throughout your career, you have continuously strived to improve financial applications and processes while also fostering knowledge based professionalism within the CAF and DND. This exceptional determination, coupled with astounding job knowledge and constant professional demeanor has inspired numerous subordinates, peers, and supervisors alike over the years. Today, you continue to be a significant contributor and utmost respected member of the CANSOFCOM family. Thank you once again for all your efforts, your continued contribution to the comptroller branch, as well as through the command is greatly appreciated. LCol Y. Lavoie.

Back to top

2. Nathalie Boutin

Citation

Nathalie Boutin is awarded for her outstanding work as the Director General Professional Military Conduct's (DGPMC) Finance Officer as well as demonstrating relentless dedication, leadership and exceptional professional knowledge in her efforts helping establish a new L1, Chief Professional Conduct and Culture (CPCC). While balancing her regular duties she has selflessly assumed responsibility as the initial L1 Financial Officer, set up all initial contracts, and played a key role in establishing CPCC's financial structure and procedures. Her efforts in the areas of finance, and contracting played a crucial role in the creation of CPCC, enabling culture change efforts across DND/CAF.

Shout-out

Nathalie, congratulations on receiving this much deserved award. Your exceptional professional knowledge and unyielding dedication represent the highest ideals of public service. The work you have done in business planning, contracting and provision of financial advice, have been critical in establishing CPCC and enabling our efforts to pursue culture change across DND/CAF. We cannot thank you enough for your efforts and we are exceptionally fortunate to have you as part of our team.

Back to top

3. Janet Ellis

Citation

Janet Ellis provides depth of knowledge within her Directorate, and is a reliable source of financial information. Her ability to provide value added guidance to stakeholders within the Directorate and our embedded Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), and Director Major Procurement (D Maj Proc) partners in the programs is truly appreciated.

Shout-out

Jan, Congratulations on receiving this well-deserved recognition of your dedication to providing financial support to the Royal Canadian Air Force pilot training programs. I know the rest of the Directorate of Air Simulation & Training and all of the other stakeholders supporting these programs join me in expressing our appreciation of your contributions. We are grateful that you are part of the team and thank you for the passion, mentorship and outstanding support you continue to provide to the Directorate. Janice Lemieux.

Back to top

4. Maj/maj Daniel Levasseur-Simms

Citation

As the Comptroller of 2 Canadian Division (2 CAD) Major Daniel Levasseur-Simms continually strives to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of current practices, tools and processes by providing innovative ideas and suggestions to improve financial operations. Under his leadership, the team is making a significant contribution to the entire community of financial services administrators within the division.

Shout-out

Congratulations Dan! As Comptroller of 2 Canadian Division, you combined extraordinary dedication and determination with amazing professional knowledge to achieve outstanding results. Your invaluable contributions to the advancement of our financial management capability have placed the organization at the forefront of this field. Thank you for all that you do and for the leadership and mentorship you have provided. We are very excited to see where you will take us in the future! Colonel Richard Garon.

Back to top

5. Valerie Marcella

Citation

Ms. Marcella makes a very visible and valuable contribution to the financial community as a true leading subject matter expert in all things 'Salary Wage Envelope (SWE)' and 'Salary Forecasting Tool (SFT)'. She spends countless hours assisting SWE/SFT users and managers outside of her organization to improve their own procedures and operations, despite her own heavy workload at CFB Kingston. This has had a huge and direct impact on the good financial management of public funds throughout the Kingston and 4 Canadian Division areas.

Shout-out

Congratulations Valerie on this very well deserved and hard-earned recognition! Your tremendous efforts and masterful performance in coordinating Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Kingston's Civilian Salary and Wages & Allowances have immensely contributed to our ability to successfully operate and support our lodger units, and has made CFB Kingston the envy of the entire 4^th Canadian Division and beyond in this subject matter area. The knowledge and expertise you have developed and displayed has clearly proven you as a true subject matter expert, and your willingness to go above and beyond expectations to provide professional development and training to Defence Team members both in and outside of our own organization has had an enormous and lasting positive impact on the department. From Base Comptroller Branch and the entire CFB Kingston team a huge thank you for a job extremely well done. Major Ian D. Bird

Back to top

6. Cpl/cpl Jeremie Ouellette

Citation

Corporal Jeremie Ouellete is awarded for his outstanding dedication in supporting the provision of financial management to the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering (CFMSE) and the Financial Services Administrator (FSA) Trade. Quickly adapting to changing policies, procedures, tasks, and leadership requirements while ensuring that services were improved during a demanding time.

Shout-out

Congratulations Cpl Ouellette! From all of us at Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering, we offer our sincerest congratulations on this distinguished award. Your outstanding efforts, along with your dedication, knowledge and skills have enabled the CFSME Finance Office to earn the respect of CTC and 5CDSG Gagetown. Since your arrival in 2019 you have provided outstanding service and support. This was especially noted during the COVID 19 pandemic when your professionalism, outstanding dedication and long hours ensured the school and it's students continued to receive Service Second to None.

Back to top

7. Jacinthe Simoneau

Citation

Jacinthe Simoneau is a pleasure to work with and her leadership strengths have clearly shone as she navigated her team through the first several months of the pandemic. Motivating personnel, adjusting work priorities and approaches despite severe limitations in access to the DWAN, and with staff working around their families at all hours of the day and evening, and battling exhaustion to get the job done and close the FY with great success. Managing to complete all financial operations within departmental deadlines despite the fact that human and technical resources were limited by half in those first months.

Shout-out

Jacinthe, Big congratulations to you on receiving this esteemed CFO Merit Award. So well deserved! Your positive outlook and collaborative leadership style combined with your deep expertise has served to substantially evolve and advance DRDC's critical financial initiatives and activities within a very short time frame. We are all so very, very proud of you.

Back to top

8. Cpl/cpl Natalia Toussaint

Citation

Corporal Toussaint joined the Finance team at 3 Canadian Ranger Patrol Group (CRPG) in 2018 and has made constant improvements to unit finance practices ever since. Filling the role of both Finance Admin and Acting Finance Supervisor (a Sergeant position) as of 2019, she constantly works with all levels of the chain of command within the unit to improve financial tracking and streamline processes. When tasked to support Operation LASER and Operation VECTOR in 2019-2020, she tracked all expenses and ensured payment against the various operational finance codes assigned to the unit. This involved tracking tasks and payments for 26 patrols across 29 different communities in Northern Ontario. During this time she also implemented the unit financial practices with the Zero Balance Review (ZBR).

Shout-out

Congratulations Corporal Toussaint!

Back to top

9. Automated Cashier System (ACS) & Claims Support Team

Team members: Marcel Boulianne, Topo Fu, WO/adj Caroline Adam and Capt/capt Yong Zeng

Citation

The Automated Cashier System (ACS) and Claims Support Team developed a "Testing approach" using readily available DND technology (MS Excel and SharePoint) to engage a group of testers and achieve qualitative and quantitative test results for new functionality, prior to being introduced in a production environment. The approach is simple, easy to follow and provides a user-friendly, visual output that clearly shows test results for numerous tests on a single page.

Shout-out

I would like to express my congratulations to Marcel, Topo, WO Adam and Capt Zeng for this award.  Thank you for your dedication and excellence in developing and establishing a practical approach and testing strategy. The team has performed an amazing job in establishing and deploying this new process while working collaboratively with colleagues and clients responsible for testing. The approach is simple but the result is a clear and simple visual summary of the testing. This allows us to proceed with confidence in validating the new functionality that was developed or introduced. I am especially grateful to have the synergy of the CAF members and civilians providing their input and oversight in developing a sound solution. Dan Lichtenstein

10. Centre of Expertise for Finance Data & Analytics Team

Team members: Trina Pas-Burke, Evan Arthur, Lan Chen, Wilco Denissen, Renuka Kuruppu, Ron Mayor, Tyler McGonegal and Mike Purser

Citation

For advancing Finance Analytics in the Department of National Defence, through innovation, transformational initiatives, agile delivery of analytics products, improving finance data integrity, and excellent client service. Throughout the pandemic, the Financial Analytics Section, continued to be creative, exceeded expectations in the delivery and support to the finance community by providing timely, trusted, and dynamically presentable financial data to assist decision making.

Shout-out

Team, Congratulations on this well-deserved award for your amazing work in advancing financial analytics in the department. Thank you for your remarkable teamwork and for always going over and above to not only meet but exceed expectations in delivering timely and trusted financial dashboards, data extracts and other financial analytics and reporting products. The leadership you have demonstrated as the Centre of Expertise for financial data and analytics and your unwavering support to all users across the department have not gone unnoticed. Thank you for your hard work and dedication. Go team, Bravo!! Marva George

11. Payment Card Project Team

Team Members: Josée Scott, Mike Mulvihill, Johanne Rossignol, Vanessa Marsden, Kelli Cockerell and Linda Poulson

Citation

The Payment Card Project Team of Josée Scott, Mike Mulvihill, Johanne Rossignol, Vanessa Marsden, Kelli Cockerell and Linda Poulson is recognized for their outstanding contributions to the Department's financial operations. Throughout 2021 and despite being faced with an unsurmountable timeline, their efforts and unmatched dedication to mission success in ensuring the smooth transition to the new payment card service providers was unparalleled. These efforts had a direct impact to ensuring that CAF units and their members could provide uninterrupted logistics support to their respective operations.

Shout-out

Mike, Josée and the Payment Card Team members, congratulations on receiving this prestigious award. As DND/CAF Payment Card Program Coordination Team. Your combined extraordinary dedication and determination with astounding will to succeed, has been instrumental to delivering the new Payment Card program. Tirelessly going above and beyond to ensure our CAF members were supported through this important transition, is a true testament to each and everyone's empathetic leadership. Your work in overseeing the launch of the new Payment Card program, your diligent support to CAF members is truly remarkable. Now you can all breathe a sigh a relief, you have DONE IT! Bravo Zulu. Col Annie Perry

12. Royal Military College (RMC) Claims Cell Team

Team members: Jo-Ann Gervin, Anne Wills, Lisa Freeman, Francesca Benjamin, Cpl/cpl Milon Dey and Cpl/cpl Johnny De Leon

Citation

During the peak of the pandemic, the Royal Military College (RMC) Claims Cell sent 1,200 Naval/Officer Cadets home. They moved every cadet off the campus in a near-immediate timeframe, to 1,200 individual locations, accomplishing the single largest personnel movement in recorded College history, all while learning to function in unprecedented times.

Shout-out

I would like to say a sincere congratulations on receiving this award. Through the last year, the claims sections has continually exceeded all expectations and have been relied upon to support the Royal Military College and it's cadets through truly unique times. This section was key to coordinating the largest personnel movement in the history of the College, and you did it with professionalism, an operational focus and a jovial attitude. Thank you for your hard work, and again, congratulations on this award.

You are truly a remarkable team. Major J. Yokom

Back to top