Gleaned from a Departmental publication and re-arranged
by Laval Desbiens - 2 May 2008
Bob Bissell
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On the day of my retirement I will have completed 35 years of service in the
federal government. I started in 1972 during the growing days of the Department of Communications
in Acton, Ontario and then just before Christmas of 1972 moved to the Toronto
District Office. I transferred into the Toronto Regional Office within a week or
two of arriving back from my honeymoon (1977). I then moved back into the
Toronto District Office as a manager in 1987. The last move was to Kelowna in
the fall of 1990.
While working as the Manager of Spectrum Development in the Toronto
District office in the Spring of 1990, I applied for the Hamilton District
Director's job. I knew the office, the staff, and I was born and had lived
within the Hamilton District. One of my staff let me know that there were two
positions going to be run on the same competition and the second one was
Kelowna. Jane and I were going to move somewhere anyway and I thought that if
the interview was being done at the same time there might be only one or two
additional questions on the board. I applied for both positions. I ended up
having to choose between Kelowna and Hamilton. Jane and I debated long and hard
about where we would go and concluded that Kelowna was the only appropriate
destination (my family lived in the San Francisco Bay area). When we stepped off
the plane for the first time I knew I was in the right place. It took Jane a bit
longer to be convinced but she too knows that this is home.
There are a lot of people who have had the greatest impact on me and my career
and to name them all would result in a very lengthy list. My wife -
without her long and constant support we would not be here.
Bruce Drake -
mainly because he did get me here (there are several other reasons but space is
limited). Penny - because she gave me considerable freedom and guidance
to do some very interesting projects. Gord Herrmann - he was my Spectrum
Management conscience and the rock on which the Kelowna office operated.
Mike
Power - while I worked for him in the Ontario regional office he got me to
think on a "big picture" basis and when he was the director of the Toronto
District he taught me people management. Vic Decloux - the director of
the Toronto District Office when I arrived in Toronto in 1972; on the day I met
him I decided that the "director" was the job I wanted. And my friend,
Adam
Bielecki, who has taught me about community capacity building and building
partnerships. As I said there are many other people. A clerk by the name of
Betty Kennedy whom I worked with in the Toronto District SOC gave me a
thorough education in proper government processes and procedures and how to deal
with clients among other things. The loyal and trusting members of the OFCWA
opened my eyes to new visions. Finally, and in no particular order,
Serge
Bertuzzo, Wayne Choi,
Morris Bodnar, John Nosotti,
Gary Paugh, Doug Kinsey,
Dennis Lanthier,
Mitch St. Jacques and a host of HQ, regional and district
people, friends and acquaintances in Other Government Departments, my bosses
while at SpectroCan, the office staff here both present and retired all have
influenced me.