2000 Fredericton Encaenia - Ceremony A
Morris, Claire Labarge
Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.)
Orator: Patterson, Stephen E.
Citation:
ENCAENIA, MAY, 2000
CLAIRE LABARGE MORRIS
to be Doctor of Letters
Happy Birthday, Claire.
Claire Morris is celebrating two important milestones in her life today. By happy coincidence, we have the opportunity of welcoming her into the UNB circle of graduates on her birthday.
Claire Morris is Deputy Minister of Human Resources Development Canada, better known as HRDC. She is not only the administrative head of this large and important department of the federal government, but is also the Chairperson of the Canada Employment Insurance Commission and Deputy Minister of Labour.
What is so interesting for us is that her career largely unfolded here in Fredericton. She came here with her husband John when he accepted the position of Director of Extension and Summer Session (to use its present name), and together they were part of the UNB family for close to thirty years. They raised their two sons, Jeremy and Regan, here and participated fully in the life of the university and community.
With degrees from the University of Toronto, including a Master of Social Work, Claire entered the New Brunswick public service in 1970. For nine years she worked in the Department of Social Services with responsibilities for staff training and development, planning, and evaluation of federal-provincial relations. At the same time, she assisted the Université de Moncton and St. Thomas University in the development of their social work programmes, and she taught courses in both.
Her bilingual skills and her ability to see beyond the day-to-day problems and minutia of her office made her an ideal candidate for senior administrative responsibilities. In 1979, she joined the Department of Health as Director of Nursing Home Services, and she moved steadily up the ladder until she became the Deputy Minister of Health, which in 1986, became the Department of Health and Community Services, the largest department in the provincial government. Even then, she had not reached the limit. In 1988, she moved again, this time to serve as Deputy Minister of the Policy Secretariat, reporting to the premier and the Policy and Priorities Committee of Cabinet. By this point, she was advising in all areas of public policy, and she had become recognized and respected for the thoroughness of her research, the breadth of her vision, and her high standards of professional conduct. In 1993, in addition to her duties as Deputy Minister, she accepted the positions of Secretary to Cabinet and Clerk of the Executive Committee, making her the top public servant in the province.
The challenges of all of these offices were enormous, especially the challenge of providing high quality government services in an era of tight financial resources and competing notions of the public good. In fact, some might say that, in leaving the top job in the New Brunswick public service to become Deputy Minister of HRDC, Claire Morris jumped from the frying pan into the fire. But in everything she has done, she has been guided by a strong social conscience and an innate sense of fairness and compassion for those who need help. As busy as her career has been, she has found time to serve on selection committees for student scholarships, the board of the Muriel McQueen Fergusson Foundation on Family Violence, and the Board of Governors of St. Thomas University. Add to this her unwavering commitment to her family, and her generous volunteer support of such organizations as CHIMO, the Boys and Girls Club, and the Pre School Centre, and one wonders where she found time to do it all; and even more so, how she managed to save a bit of time for herself, to swim, to play golf, to fish salmon on the Miramichi, or to play darts with friends.
Claire Morris has succeeded in public service because she is both a brilliant custodian of her own physical and mental resources and a profoundly committed advocate for women, students, the sick, the aged and infirm, the poor, and the many others who sometimes fall between the cracks in our modern society. A recitation of the positions she has held does not do justice to the woman herself, until we stop and recognize that every one of them has been dedicated to helping people. Every position has benefited from her determination to use scarce resources in a way that will do the greatest good for the greatest number.
In 1997, Claire Morris was deservedly chosen "Outstanding Public Servant for the Province of New Brunswick." But the fact that she has been both recognized and feted for her achievements does not minimize in the least the pride we take today in making her a graduate, honoris causa, of the University of New Brunswick. She has been a member of the UNB family for years, and we wish her many more to come, all of them as happy as this happy birthday.
From: Honoris Causa - UA Case 70, Box 3
CLAIRE LABARGE MORRIS
to be Doctor of Letters
Happy Birthday, Claire.
Claire Morris is celebrating two important milestones in her life today. By happy coincidence, we have the opportunity of welcoming her into the UNB circle of graduates on her birthday.
Claire Morris is Deputy Minister of Human Resources Development Canada, better known as HRDC. She is not only the administrative head of this large and important department of the federal government, but is also the Chairperson of the Canada Employment Insurance Commission and Deputy Minister of Labour.
What is so interesting for us is that her career largely unfolded here in Fredericton. She came here with her husband John when he accepted the position of Director of Extension and Summer Session (to use its present name), and together they were part of the UNB family for close to thirty years. They raised their two sons, Jeremy and Regan, here and participated fully in the life of the university and community.
With degrees from the University of Toronto, including a Master of Social Work, Claire entered the New Brunswick public service in 1970. For nine years she worked in the Department of Social Services with responsibilities for staff training and development, planning, and evaluation of federal-provincial relations. At the same time, she assisted the Université de Moncton and St. Thomas University in the development of their social work programmes, and she taught courses in both.
Her bilingual skills and her ability to see beyond the day-to-day problems and minutia of her office made her an ideal candidate for senior administrative responsibilities. In 1979, she joined the Department of Health as Director of Nursing Home Services, and she moved steadily up the ladder until she became the Deputy Minister of Health, which in 1986, became the Department of Health and Community Services, the largest department in the provincial government. Even then, she had not reached the limit. In 1988, she moved again, this time to serve as Deputy Minister of the Policy Secretariat, reporting to the premier and the Policy and Priorities Committee of Cabinet. By this point, she was advising in all areas of public policy, and she had become recognized and respected for the thoroughness of her research, the breadth of her vision, and her high standards of professional conduct. In 1993, in addition to her duties as Deputy Minister, she accepted the positions of Secretary to Cabinet and Clerk of the Executive Committee, making her the top public servant in the province.
The challenges of all of these offices were enormous, especially the challenge of providing high quality government services in an era of tight financial resources and competing notions of the public good. In fact, some might say that, in leaving the top job in the New Brunswick public service to become Deputy Minister of HRDC, Claire Morris jumped from the frying pan into the fire. But in everything she has done, she has been guided by a strong social conscience and an innate sense of fairness and compassion for those who need help. As busy as her career has been, she has found time to serve on selection committees for student scholarships, the board of the Muriel McQueen Fergusson Foundation on Family Violence, and the Board of Governors of St. Thomas University. Add to this her unwavering commitment to her family, and her generous volunteer support of such organizations as CHIMO, the Boys and Girls Club, and the Pre School Centre, and one wonders where she found time to do it all; and even more so, how she managed to save a bit of time for herself, to swim, to play golf, to fish salmon on the Miramichi, or to play darts with friends.
Claire Morris has succeeded in public service because she is both a brilliant custodian of her own physical and mental resources and a profoundly committed advocate for women, students, the sick, the aged and infirm, the poor, and the many others who sometimes fall between the cracks in our modern society. A recitation of the positions she has held does not do justice to the woman herself, until we stop and recognize that every one of them has been dedicated to helping people. Every position has benefited from her determination to use scarce resources in a way that will do the greatest good for the greatest number.
In 1997, Claire Morris was deservedly chosen "Outstanding Public Servant for the Province of New Brunswick." But the fact that she has been both recognized and feted for her achievements does not minimize in the least the pride we take today in making her a graduate, honoris causa, of the University of New Brunswick. She has been a member of the UNB family for years, and we wish her many more to come, all of them as happy as this happy birthday.
From: Honoris Causa - UA Case 70, Box 3
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