Nominations for OMSSA's 2024 Awards are closed. If you have any questions, please contact OMSSA at info@omssa.com.
OMSSA encourages nominations that reflect the diversity of its membership, in particular from individuals from racialized groups and Indigenous Peoples to ensure that our awards are reflective of the racial diversity of the populations its members serve.
Nominations for our 2024 Awards are CLOSED!
Any OMSSA member can nominate another individual, including themselves
Only one nomination per member will be accepted
Nominators must receive sign-off from their Commissioner/Lead
Nominators can submit nominations online! Click on the button below and fill in the form to submit your nomination directly to OMSSA. If you have any questions, please contact OMSSA at info@omssa.com.
David Thomas has been involved in policy development and training for over 30 years.
Many of you know David from past years employed by OMSSA as a Lead Trainer in their Social Assistance Training, commencing from 1994, and in more recent years as a Lead Trainer for the SAIL Curriculum, and currently with Ontario Works (OW) Directive Training and Life Stabilization.
David is involved with various leadership initiatives providing skills and competencies designed to improve service quality, build organizational capacity, enhance service system management, and further service integration. David’s role in supporting integration includes managing multiple projects related to implementation and delivery of streamlined services for clients and staff alike.
David dedicated his career to training and policy advice, his networking with members has continued to build superior working relationships, including several speaking engagements at past OMSSA conferences, most recently on Life Stabilization at the 2023 OMSSA Exchange Conference. David is also working with OMSSA Staff on the development and framework for the OMSSA Municipal Human Services Certificate Program.
His work currently with Human Services Integration includes infusing the business process and project management roles into current OMSSA Education curriculum and promoting integrated OW case management practices amongst the various OMSSA Professional Development Workshops.
David has a Life Skills Certificate in True Colours – Personality Dimensions and engages staff to promote diversity in skills acquisition that can be shared to benefit organizational achievement through common and distinct individual or corporate goals that increase capacity and relationship building in the future. His contracts include multiple projects for OMSSA, in the business sector with a large communications corporation, and non-profits that encourage employees to take ownership of their performance and development plans.
In the past David worked several years as a Caseworker and Employment Supervisor throughout the 1980s, and as a Senior Manager in Employment Services throughout the 1990s with York Region.
He has most recently completed a course towards his Master of Education through Athabasca University with only one course left before graduation. David will tell you that learning is life-long as demonstrated by his career and commitment to working with others.
2020: Dr. Gary Bloch, St. Michael's Hospital
2019: Jim Grieve, The Retired Teachers of Ontario
2018: Janet Menard, Ministry of Community and Social Services
2017: Terry Cooke, Hamilton Community Foundation
2016: Senator Ratna Omidvar, Senate of Canada
2015: Senators Art Eggleton and Hugh Segal, Senate of Canada
2014: Janet Gasparini, Social Planning Council of Sudbury
2013: Clyde Hertzman, Professor, School of Population and Public Health, UBC
2012: Armine Yalnizyan, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
2011: Sherri Torjman, Caledon Institute of Social Policy