Victoria city manager Gail Stephens has been honoured as one of the top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada for 2010 in the Public Sector Leaders category.
The Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Awards is Canada’s most recognizable award for the country’s highest achieving female leaders in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. Stephens joins a community of 522 women across Canada who has received this recognition. The complete list of 2010 winners can be found at www.top100women.ca.
“The citizens of Victoria are well served by Gail’s outstanding leadership. Her expertise and experiences are helping our city grow and thrive,” said Mayor Dean Fortin. “But Gail is more than just an outstanding public servant; she is an outstanding role model and mentor. This is what makes her a real leader.”
Stephens accepted the role of Victoria city manager in July 2009. She is responsible for all city operations including fire, engineering, parks, planning, corporate services, and sustainability.
Stephens has previously held the roles of vice-president of finance and services at the University of Calgary, and CEO for the BC Pension Corporation, one of Canada’s largest
pension administrators. She was the first chief administrative officer for the City of Winnipeg (1998-2003), replacing a board of commissioners. As CAO she helped lead a diverse team of departments including police, fire/paramedics, transit, community services, water and waste, and public works to become one of the most cost-effective city governments in Canada with a citizen satisfaction rating of over 92 per cent.
This is the second time Stephens has received this distinction; she was previously the recipient of the Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award in 2003.
“Every year, we honour the exceptional female leaders of Canada,” said Women’s Executive Network founder Pamela Jeffery. “They each have remarkable achievements and Top 100 is a mark of their success and how they have supported their communities, companies, and organizations. Our Top 100 community is a powerful group of women who are at the top of their game, exemplify success, and empower the next generation of women to take their careers to the next level.”
Stephens will be celebrated this evening at the Top 100 Awards Gala Dinner at the Allstream Centre in Toronto. The gala is the finale of a full-day celebration that offers Top 100 Winners an exclusive morning of networking and professional development.
