Virtual Shout-outs are back: See who received a “Shout-out” in April

April 15, 2021 - Defence Stories

Do you know of a co-worker who deserves a special shout out?

Are you looking for a way to recognize your peers in this current online-only environment?

Do you want to give a colleague a high-five but physical distancing still prevents it?

If you answered YES to any of these questions, then a Virtual Shout-out is the way to go!

Due to its popularity last year, the Virtual Shoutout program is back for 2021, and remain, a quick and easy way for you to publicly recognize a colleague, or team of colleagues, for a job well done.

What is a Virtual Shout-Out?

The Virtual Shout-Outs are coordinated by the Defence Team’s Corporate Awards and Recognition Secretariat (CARS), and is open to all members of the Defence Team, Military and public servants alike. Just send them a few sentences recognizing a colleague for a job well done, and voila, your shout out will be posted to the Defence Team “Virtual Shout-Out” Bulletin Board on The Maple Leaf, HR Go RH app and the Defence Team intranet.

Messages should be brief, and include; the name of the individual, why they are being acknowledged, how they achieved their goal or made their mark and its impact on the team or organization. You can check-out some early submissions to the 2021 Bulletin Board, below.

Here’s how

Please e-mail all requests for shout outs to the CARS at Awards-Recompenses@forces.gc.ca. Please also provide the email(s) of the person(s) being recognized. Please note, shout-Out recipients will be given the option to “opt out” of having their message displayed on the Bulletin Board, and submissions can remain anonymous.

You can also access a variety of resources and updated information related on how Defence is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic on the Defence Team – COVID-19 page, the DND and CAF social media accounts, and on the HR Go RH app.

Don’t delay - virtually shout-out your hard-working colleagues today!

Defence Team “Virtual Shout-Out” Bulletin Board

A shout out and thank you to Roussin Jean-Baptiste, Mame Diop, Kristina Mtanos and Heather Graham for your tremendous help in launching several financial management procedures. Your hard work, diligence, and dedication over the past year and during these unprecedented times has not gone unnoticed. You made it all possible and I would like to express my gratitude to each of you for a job well done!

- Christine Ashton

Alain Dagenais is our web coordinator, mentor and friend. He always has a positive attitude and will drop everything he’s doing to make sure that the team is taken care. He puts the mental health and wellbeing of the PA web team at the forefront of everything and has been paramount in our team maintaining high morale during the pandemic. PA Web wouldn’t be the same without him and we are blessed to have him.

- Shawn Lachance and Chris Wang

Matthew Cope is currently a PT student who has been working with our team for over a year and he brings 110% to his role each and every day he works. His continued support and commitment to our team enables us to manage a very heavy workload and volume of files. Matt started on our team as an HRA and quickly mastered that role. He then transitioned over to the programs and projects side of the shop to take on more responsibility assisting with key projects supporting the management of our student inventories and helping our clients with student staffing strategies. Matt is currently in the process of applying to medical school. He was recently selected as 1 of 600 students out of 4000 to complete the entrance interview. It goes without saying how proud we are of him. For Matt, no task is too large or too small and he is always readily available, responsive, friendly and extremely professional. Matt goes above and beyond while he is at work. In addition to his regular responsibilities with our team, he also volunteers his time to the NDWCC and in addition, provides a monthly “Dr Matt” health and wellness update as part of our regular team meetings. A HUGE thank you Matt for being such a wonderful addition to our #TeamFabulous!

- Shelley, Roxana, Bonnita & Penny

A big shout-out to Samantha Paradis for arranging excellent wellness challenges for our team.  She has some great ideas to keep us in shape mentally and physically, with options to meet up virtually as well.  These are some great ways to take care of ourselves during this challenging times! Thank you and well done Samantha!

- Anne Bank

Bravo Zulu to CPO 2 Joanne Legge for her positive attitude towards ensuring the staff of C Navy are physically fit.  She goes above and beyond to let the team know of any fitness programs being made available within the NCR through PSP. Even during this time of COVID she has made sure that Unit PT remains a benefit to our team. She is a constant source of encouragement in promoting teamwork. 

-PO 2 Terri Langdon

What can I say Saul Brown, your dedication to the RCN (C Navy) Unit PT has been amazing and very much appreciated! You take the time to ensure that all can participate no matter the level of the individual. Your constant encouragement during and outside of the class is to be noted. Your positive attitude during this difficult time has made a world of difference to so many. Thank you for all you have done.

- PO 2 Terri Langdon

All the NDHQ Library staff would like to send a big shout out to Acting Library Manager Susan Owen, thanking her for all her hard work! Since her sudden acting appointment last year, Susan really stepped up, providing strong, supportive and motivational leadership. Susan has helped keep our spirits up in the face of the pandemic and the difficult times of the past year. We’ve been able to face the challenges of providing library services in this more restricted environment thanks to Susan’s guidance, direction and team spirit, thank you Susan!

-NDHQ Library Team

Shout out to Patrick J Fleury (aka Lord Fleury) for going above and beyond to make the CFHIS Helpdesk Team’s lives easier. He is always looking for new ways to improve the way we do things. He is the go-to, know-how person on our Team when trouble arises. Even when on holidays he’s checking in to offer assistance. And if you want a morale booster for the day, just give him a call or send him a quick email and with his humoristic attitude he will get you a belly laugh.

– Ronald Edma

Shout out to Jasmin Chapados and Jimmy Beaulieu from ADM(IM) / DGIMTSP / DIM SECUR. Recognizing you for the seamless and professional Departmental Live Events that you produce. None of these virtual events could have happened without your technical expertise. You took on a new challenge with an open mind and continue to expand your skills. Working with you has been a pleasure and a big learning experience for many. Thank you for your hard work, availability, patience and guidance. Know that you are appreciated widely.

- Davia Saab

This shout out is aimed directly at the hardworking team of Military Foreign Service Section (MFSS). Prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic, this hardworking team overcame huge hurdles and yet still continued to provide top level administrative and claims service to those members posted overseas to various posts and positions around the world. Not only did they take care of pay and benefits, they also ensured that the dependents were taken care of. The success of the MFSS team exemplified hard work, determination, and professionalism under demanding circumstances and their efforts are more than appreciated.

- WO Glen Sheppard

A big shout out to the DGIIP directors for keeping up the momentum! Rutha Astravas, Nick Marum, Jeff Bean and Marjorie Joynt too! have done an incredible job keeping the business of DGIIP going despite the challenges of remote working, and IT difficulties. Most significantly, they have done it either as a new director, or new to DND, and with an acting DG! I am inspired daily by their positive attitudes, great leadership, open communication, and a willingness to work together to figure out how to make it happen. This is how we get stuff done!

– Anne Bank

Shout-Out to the staff of the Borden Family Resource Centre (BFRC). On the one year anniversary of the Covid Pandemic I reflect back to what we have faced, dealt with, and overcome. The staff of the BFRC have worked tirelessly during this crisis to provide support to the families of our military members while remaining diligent in their commitment to keep staff, families, and the children in our daycare safe from the Covid virus. The requirement to adjust has not always been easy but the staff were always available and up to the challenge. Whether it involved working after hours, being called into emergency meetings, struggling to maintain a work/life balance, painfully maneuvering through unfamiliar computer programs, or painstakingly adhering to a rigid in-house cleaning routine, the staff pulled together and supported each other so that we in turn, could support the families. I tip my hat to the amazing employees of the BFRC and acknowledge how very proud I am to work with this amazing team.

- Wanda Tucker