By Catherine Arber

Mickie Donley, CHRP, is the human resources coordinator with the City of Courtenay. Her career with the City began 21 years ago as an executive assistant to the chief administrative officer for a community of approximately 12,000.  With no dedicated HR function at the time, responsibilities for related issues, such as collective bargaining, resided with her manager, and resulted in Mickie’s exposure to a wide range of human resources issues.  When the demands of the work increased, particularly in the area of occupational health and safety, a full-time human resources position was created: Mickie was its first employee.  The municipality and its employee base has since grown, and the human resources function has expanded as well.

You began without any formal education in HR.  What did you do to change that and how important is continuous learning to you now?
After becoming a human resources professional, I enrolled in the former Open Learning University and took a number of credits in management studies and attended as many courses and conferences as possible.  My managers were very supportive of the human resources function and my training.  I studied hard, took the preparation courses and received my CHRP, which I’ve maintained through professional development.

Working independently in a function that was new to you, who did you turn to for advice?
It was challenging to figure out the answers to the range of human resources issues that I faced.  There were no seasoned human resources practitioners in my organization and few even close geographically.  I relied on my local government contacts who specialized in human resources that I met at the annual Western Cities Conference.  Since those early days, the volume of work required more resources and we hired a strategic human resources professional as well as an occupational health and safety specialist. I really appreciate the ability to work in a team for learning, support and expertise.

What makes Comox Valley the place to build a career?
I live in the best spot in the world.  The Comox Valley area encompasses the City of Courtenay, Village of Cumberland and Town of Comox, as well as the surrounding rural areas. It is a paradise here with the natural beauty, recreational activities, excellent facilities, and friendly community-minded people. Once, when I advised a BCHRMA staff person I’d be unable to attend a cafe meeting in Vancouver on a regular basis because of the travel, I was reminded:  “… but you get to live in the Comox Valley!”

What are the benefits of working for a municipality?
I am passionate about working for local government.  Everything you’re doing for your employer, you’re doing for your community so there’s a vested interest in doing the best job you can.  Your family, friends, and community all benefit.  It’s so rewarding to see the fruits of your labour every day.

How does your BC HRMA membership serve you in the Comox Valley?
We have a small core group of members, mostly from the public service, who regularly attend our professional development sessions.  Other than the large employers, most organizations here don’t have a dedicated human resources function. As we have more limited professional development opportunities than in bigger centres, I think it’s more important to have a network of human resources professionals.

What was the impetus for your region’s shift towards BC HRMA lunch and learns events?
I was frustrated with the limited opportunities for professional development locally.  Courses and conferences were held in Victoria or in the Lower Mainland where the time to travel and cost is prohibitive. I started organizing the mingles, which began with more of an after-work social focus. Based on feedback about timing and limited learning opportunities, we’ve moved to a learning round table format scheduled at lunch time to give us a chance to learn, share and connect with each other.

The group has a wide range of interests and we’ve had roundtables on performance management, disability case management, onboarding programs and mentoring.  The success of the roundtables is dependent on participation and leadership discussion.

Catherine Arber is a Manager of Audit and Review with an independent office of the legislature, the Office of the Merit Commissioner, which provides oversight and insight in BC public service hiring.