CUTA presents 2009 National Employee Recognition Awards

MONTREAL , Nov. 16 /CNW/ - The Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) presented its Employee Recognition Awards recently in Montreal , Quebec in the award categories: Employee Excellence; Volunteer/Advocate; Outstanding Achievement or Support for Public Transit; Distinguished Service and Lifetime Achievement. Also awarded were the Centennial Scholarship Recipients. These were all presented at the Awards Breakfast of the CUTA Fall Conference at the Marriott Chateau Champlain Hotel, Montreal , Quebec , at a ceremony beginning at 8:00 am .

The Employee Excellence Awards are presented upon the recommendation of individual employers to recognize a major contribution or an outstanding achievement in the areas of heroism on duty, significant accomplishments on special projects and outstanding volunteerism on behalf of the local transit system. The Volunteer/Advocate Awards highlight the achievements of those who actively promote or champion public transit in Canada . The Outstanding Achievement or Support of Public Transit Awards demonstrated achievement in improving the efficiency and/or effectiveness of public transit in Canada . The Distinguished Service Awards are awarded to individuals who have made a significant, ongoing contribution to public transit through advocacy, leadership, workplace improvement initiatives, or policy or legislative initiatives. The Lifetime Achievement Awards are presented to individuals who have concluded or are concluding their careers and have made extraordinary contributions to public transit in Canada on a sustained basis.

    
    This year's recipients are:

    Employee Excellence Award Winners

    Radenko Knezevic - Coast Bus Mountain Company, Vancouver BC
    Marino Verzeroli - OC Transpo, Ottawa ON
    Peter Johnson - GO Transit, Toronto ON
    Randy Smith - BC Transit, Victoria ON
    Rick Mulvogue - Toronto Transit Commission, Toronto ON
    Audra McKinley - Grande Prairie Transit, City of Grand Prairie AB
    Pierre Raby - Société de transport de Montréal, Montreal QC

    Distinguished Service Award Winner

    Dennis Fletcher - ENTRA Consultants , Toronto ON
    Pascale Beaumont, Odette Beaudry, Nadia Bessim, Marie-Hélène Breton,
     Chantal Dubuc, and Alfred De Grâce -  Société de transport de Montréal,
     Montreal QC
    Luc Champagne - Société de transport de l'Outaouais, Gatineau QC

    Outstanding Achievement or Support for Public Transit Award Winners

    Alain Beaudry - Société de transport de Montréal, Montreal QC
    Jacques Couture and Yves Lafrance - Société de transport de Montréal,
     Montreal QC
    Susan Dickison - Durham Region Transit, Whitby ON

    Lifetime Achievement Award Winners:

    Ron Drolet - BC Transit, Vancouver BC
    Desmond Liggett - St.Albert Transit, City of St.Albert AB

    Centennial Scholarship Award Winners:

    Samuel Boisvert - University of Calgary, Geography Major
    Anne-Louise Chauvette - Université of Québec's INRS, Masters in Urban
     Studies
    Alisha Mody - University of British Colombia, Masters in Planning
    Patrick Whalen - Memorial University, Bachelor of Commerce
    Andrew Wisniewski - University of Waterloo, Honours Co-operative program
     in Planning
    

The recipients were selected by a national committee of transit professionals. CUTA congratulates all its winners for their outstanding contribution to public transit in Canada .

A full list of recipients can be found at: http://www.cutaactu.ca/en/employee_recognition_awards

CUTA is the voice for enhancing the public transit industry in Canada . Association members include public transit systems, suppliers to the industry, government agencies, individuals and related organizations in Canada .

For further information: Media Contact: Maureen Shuell, CUTA Director of Communications, Tel. [phone] ext. 105