Earlier this year, as chair of the board of IPAC Manitoba, I received notice that IPAC Manitoba had been awarded the IPAC Regional Group Excellence Award for 2020. This is the second time IPAC Manitoba has received the award since 2017.
The award recognizes the importance and contribution of regional group programming and services to the overall vitality, growth and value of IPAC as a national membership-based organization.
This year, our nomination was based on our “digital turn.” By now it is unoriginal to say that 2020 was not like other years. For IPAC Manitoba, it upended most of the way we did programming, including our Annual General Meeting, which was scheduled just two weeks after Manitoba went into lockdown in March, 2020.
Nonetheless, we were determined to adapt. This year has allowed us to reach out to a larger group of people, from across Canada, on a wide range of topics. We jumped into virtual events with both feet, hosting a virtual AGM in May. Since then we’ve held six virtual events with a wide range of partners. All our events have been free and open to anyone. Most events have been recorded and posted on IPAC National’s YouTube page for viewing after the fact.
IPAC Manitoba is an entirely volunteer organization. We dedicate our time and effort not because we expect awards, but because we believe in the value of public administration. An award like this tells us we are on the right path, and that our work is relevant beyond provincial boundaries.
We thank the selection committee for this, and commit to keep doing good work in 2021!
-Emmet Collins
Chair, IPAC Manitoba
IPAC Manitoba Region 