Dr. Raeleen Manjak recognized by Success Pitchers as one of the 10 Most Admired Women Leaders in HR – 2022
The University of Fredericton (UFred) would like to congratulate Dr. Raeleen Manjak for being recognized as one of the 10 Most Admired Women Leaders in HR – 2022 by Success Pitchers.
Dr. Manjak currently teaches Human Resource Leadership courses in UFred’s MBA and EMBA programs, while also holding a faculty position at the Okanagan School of Business and serving as the Director of Human Resources for the City of Vernon.
During her interview with Success Pitchers, Dr. Manjak shared how she came to work in the field of human resources.
“HR picked her rather than the other way around. It became all about giving back and helping to positively affect and transform the lives of the people she has the honour and privilege of working with”.
In Dr. Manjak’s position with the City of Vernon, she strives to create a positive workplace culture that focuses on “open, transparent communication and a chance for advancement, recognition, and quality of life.” She went on to say:
“We celebrate our team by elevating our recognition programs and through living our corporate values. Because of this, the work of our entire organization has been recognized through various awards, including: The Best Places to Work Award, for multiple years, Excellence Award for Best Learning & Development Strategy, Young Influencer Award, 5-Star Rewards and Recognition Award, and Innovative HR Team Award.”
Dr. Manjak also created a program for the City of Vernon to foster a positive environment for all employees. The program is built around “strengthening their management, leadership, communication, and conflict-resolution abilities, which has helped to establish a uniform language and set of standards for all City employees”. On top of this, the City’s HR Division is considered a leader in British Columbia’s local government because of its strong focus on employee growth and overall wellbeing.
Dr. Manjak attributes the award not only to her hard work but to the support and efforts of those around her:
“It is very difficult to put into words how humbled and honoured I am. I often say that it takes a Village to do this work and I can absolutely, wholeheartedly agree that without my Village, achieving such a significant recognition would have been almost impossible. This type of recognition is shared with my team, my current and past mentors who have always believed in me, my students, and with my own personal hero, my husband, Scott.”
Future plans and ongoing projects for Dr. Manjak
Dr. Manjak recently completed a series of presentations and co-presentations based on her work with the City of Vernon, which dove deeper into “performance leadership, the City of Vernon’s learning and development program, and the City’s formal mentoring program”. She is also looking forward to October 2022, when she will have the opportunity to present as a featured panelist at the Western Cities HR Conference 2022, “Beyond 2022; Rejuvenate”.
With her love for teaching the students at UFred, she plans to continue sharing her knowledge and “encouraging each of them to continue to be curious, courageous, and bold.”
Congratulations again, Dr. Manjak! Read more about her recognition on Success Pitcher’s website here.