Ria McBride Public Service Management Award
The Ria McBride Public Service Management Award for women is sponsored by the State Services Commission. The goal of this prestigious award is to help women, including those who have not previously undertaken academic studies, who have already demonstrated potential, to advance to higher levels of responsibility in the Public Service.
Stephanie Martin was awarded the Ria McBride Public Service Management Award in 2015.
Tribute
The award honours Ria McBride, who was the first woman appointed Chief Clerk of the Public Service Commission (which preceded the current State Services Commission). Ria McBride worked for the Public Service Commission from 1946 to 1960 overcoming prejudice and obstacles as a woman in a then male domain. She was the first non-Maori to be appointed to the Maori Welfare Division of the Maori Affairs Department, serving as Administration Officer there from 1960 to 1967, when she became head of the Housing Division. Upon her "retirement" in 1970, she pursued equal employment opportunities for women, as a founder member of the National Advisory Council on the Employment of Women. In this role she helped set up the Accident Compensation Commission. From 1978 to 1980 she was one of the first full-time human rights commissioners.
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Stephanie Martin (far right) and fellow awardees at the Wellington Awards Ceremony, 2015
Stephanie began working for Inland Revenue in 2004 when she was employed into the Contact Centre as a Customer Services Representative. Since then Stephanie has developed her career by taking opportunities as they have arisen. While currently seconded as a Team Leader, Stephanie's substantive position is that of a Recovery and Enforcement Specialist for Collections where she is responsible for providing technical support for their people, managing complex tax debt cases and trailing new initiatives. In 2011 Stephanie enrolled at Waikato University and began studying part-time towards a Bachelor of Law. The 2015 Ria McBride Public Service Management Award will help support Stephanie through the remainder of her study after which she looks forward to further developing her career in the public service.