Institute of Public Administration (IPAC) Lieutenant Governor's Award Presentation to Al Maurer

December 2, 2009

Good evening…Mayor Mandel…City of Edmonton Councillors…distinguished guests… ladies and gentlemen…and a special good evening to our guest of honour…Al Maurer.

It's a pleasure for me present Al with this special award and to thank him for 40 years of top-notch service to the people of Edmonton.

It occurs to me that Al has seen the city through a remarkable amount of growth, as well as some key moments in the city's history. I know that Al started in the roads division, so he might think back on Edmonton's history in terms of traffic.

I'm sure he's faced many challenges over the years, including navigating city drivers through the explosion of construction that comes with boom times, through the introduction of key services like the LRT and the development of major projects like Commonwealth Stadium and West Edmonton Mall.

Or maybe Al thinks of his years with the city in terms of traffic-stopping events like Royal visits and centennial celebrations…or really, really important events like Edmonton Eskimo Grey Cup parades.

And I'm sure that Al's memories of his time with City Hall include more sobering events as well, like record breaking snow storms and floods or the terrible tornado that ravaged Edmonton in 1987.

Through it all, Al Maurer has been a truly skilled, insightful and devoted servant of this city. He's helped to see Edmonton through a doubling in population, through boom times and lean times and through century-topping celebrations and heart breaking losses.

I can pretty much guarantee you that through those four decades of sterling service to Edmontonians, Al hasn't received anywhere near the thanks that he deserves. And I guess that's the fate of any truly successful public servant. If you do your job very well, your hard work becomes more or less transparent and the people you serve are able to go about their daily business enjoying the benefits of a well-run and well-planned community without ever stopping to think about the people who work hard to create that success.

When a resident talks about the things they enjoy about this city…about amazing parks and green spaces, strong, welcoming neighbourhoods, solid infrastructure and timely, well-planned programs and services…you never hear them say "I think I'll just pick up the phone and thank the city manager for a job well done."

For a good public servant like Al Maurer, knowing that you've made a difference is really all that matters. But there are times when special acknowledgement is needed, and this is one of them. As Her Majesty the Queen's representative in Alberta, it's my honour to present the 2009 Lieutenant Governor's Award for Excellence in Public Administration in Alberta to Al Maurer. Al, your contributions to the City of Edmonton will stand the test of time and your commitment to public service will inspire others for many years to come.

Finally, I'd like to thank all members of IPAC for your dedication to promoting the value of public service and for everything you do to keep our communities, our province and our country going strong.

Thank you and enjoy the rest of the evening.