National Public Service Week

Curtis Hamilton

Curtis Hamilton
Service Desk Officer, Base Information Services, Client Services

How long have you been working as a public servant?
16 years

What’s the best part of your job?
Being able to resolve members’ IT issues.

What does being a public servant mean to you?
It means I am proud to be a Computer Systems group member. I can see the results of my actions albeit small in the overall mission or operation at hand.

How do you think public servants contribute to the work that the Defense Team does?
We allow military members to serve all Canadians.

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Rod Wood

Rod Wood
Main Warehouse Manager (Naval Supply Depot), Base Logistics, Colwood

How long have you been working as a public servant?
I started June 20, 2000 as an STS 3 Term employee.

What’s the best part of your job?
Working with people from all over the country.

What does being a public servant mean to you?
It is an opportunity to give back to my country.

How do you think public servants contribute to the work that the Defense Team does?
We are equal partners with the CAF. We are here all the time and provide continuity in many day-to-day as well as strategic areas. The CAF brings the most up-to-date training and ideas, together we form a cohesive team.

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Mike McLean

Mike McLean
Chief Fire Prevention Officer, CFB Esquimalt Fire Rescue

How long have you been working as a public servant?
13 years

What’s the best part of your job?
I enjoy being part of all the different construction projects, large and small, watching our Base infrastructure grow and develop while improving our community’s quality of life.

What does being a public servant mean to you?
Being part of a larger team that not only serves CFB Esquimalt, but makes positive contributions to our country.

How do you think public servants contribute to the work that the Defense Team does?
I think the contributions we make are vital to our CAF, so they and their families will always feel safe while on operations, within CFB Esquimalt or at home.

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Brian Rapanos

Brian Rapanos
Service Desk Analyst, Base Information Services

How long have you been working as a public servant?
I have accumulated 7 years of work experience in the public service in my time with the DND, Correctional Services Canada, and the B.C. government.

What’s the best part of your job?
The best part of my job is having the chance to help and support the thousands of CAF members who tirelessly risk their lives to protect our country and keep us all safe so we can continue to live peacefully here in Canada.           

What does being a public servant mean to you?
To me, being a public servant means being part of the operations and functions of Canada. It means working with the utmost integrity and professionalism as representatives of our nation and helping to ensure the country runs smoothly and that all citizens of Canada have access and are supported by the services that the Government of Canada provides. I am truly honored to have the chance to work in my capacity with the public and my colleagues.

How do you think public servants contribute to the work that the Defense Team does?
At BIS, public servants are critical to the operations of computer systems, communication systems, and security infrastructure.  We hold operational roles such as desktop support technicians, software programmers, server and network administrators, security analysts, and mobile device administrators.  There are many complex facets to IT and the public servants here at the Base take on these roles and manage the entire IT infrastructure so that our CAF members can focus on their operational duties.

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Brendan Carver

Brendan Carver
Procurement Manager, Base Logistic Procurement and Contracting Division

What is Base Logistic Procurement and Contracting?
We are the user driven procurement cell for MARPAC and its lodger units.

How long have you been working as a public servant?
I have been a public servant since Jan 2019, having served 7.5 years as a CAF Member prior to that.

What’s the best part of your job?
The best part of my job is the consummate team of professionals that I am privileged to lead every day. Our team has been working non-stop since COVID-19 to provide goods and services to MARPAC and their lodger units. The team is always eager to take on challenges, as well as learning and growing together. It truly makes the work personally worthwhile.

What does being a public servant mean to you?
Being a Public Servant gives us the ability to contribute to our amazing Canadian Society through our careers and professions. Having a business background, my education was based around profitability of a corporation. In the Public Service, we aren’t there to make a profit, but to deliver programs in the interests of all Canadians. To me, applying my skills to public service is about way more than profit, it is about doing a job that other Canadians would be proud of. We are part of something bigger than a stock price or a quarterly dividend cheque.

How do you think public servants contribute to the work that the Defense Team does?
Public Servants within DND provide the ability for many important functions to have continuity and stability, so that the military members can focus on their operational goals. Just look around the base at all of the functions we have; Base Logistics with their massive materiel management operation, FMF with all of the skilled trades, robust administrative support – all of this work is completed so that the Navy can do their job and contribute to Canadian National Defence. It is truly an honour to deliver the professional services we perform as public servants, so that the Pacific Fleet can do their business of providing Canada with National Security.

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Jennifer Buck

Jennifer Buck
Budget Resource Officer, Base Logistics

How long have you been working as a public servant?
I started in November 2015, so almost 6 years.

What’s the best part of your job?
The people, I have had an amazing amount of support when it comes to my career aspirations, even when I was unsure what those would be.  I have met some wonderful people in my time working here and formed some great friendships as a result. 

What does being a public servant mean to you?
Especially over this past year, the job security that we as public servants have had and the support to balance many aspects of our lives that were affected through the pandemic. We were able to do our jobs with little interruption, which enabled the CAF to continue their operations in supporting our country when we needed it the most.

How do you think public servants contribute to the work that the Defense Team does?
I think public servants contribute to the CAF in the continuity they offer to the positions they hold. There is an exceptional amount of corporate knowledge held by many Public Servants that help to support the CAF and keep the day-to-day operations continuing, especially during posting season and Changes of Command.

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