Welcome to Government House, the ceremonial home of all British Columbians. Congratulations to Ms. Linn Teetzel. I have perused your letters of support that have come from all parts of British Columbia and it is a very impressive list of supporters. Your achievements are likewise very impressive and there is no doubt that your nomination for this award is well deserved.

Public administration is one of those vital building blocks that must be in place and operating very well if we are to see what we call “good government.” When government is running well, it is often those visible leaders who are credited for this, and those in the background who generally do all the hard work are rarely acknowledged.

My own experience with local government is when, in the ‘70s, the Federal Government saw fit to fund local government for First Nations in BC. I was on council when we built a small office. I remember going inside after the opening ceremonies and then wondering, what now? We had never been given any training for things like budgeting, planning, or staffing. We learned firsthand by many mistakes what public administration was.

Today, programs like the one developed by Linn Teetzel have transformed how we do business at the community level. We now have our own conferences, professional development, evaluations and so on. Running government requires sound management. Without this important component, all the rest becomes useless appendages to a body that does not move forward.

Thank you all for coming today to honour a most deserving member of our collective community and once again congratulations to Ms. Teetzel.

LOCATION:1401 Rockland Avenue
Victoria, British Columbia
Canada V8S 1V9

PHONE:(250) 387-2080

FAX:(250) 387-2078

EMAIL:ghinfo@gov.bc.ca

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