On October 30, as part of its Montréal Apéros events, the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, in partnership with the Jeune Chambre de commerce de Montréal, held the fourth edition of the Marcel Côté Award at the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal.
The Marcel Côté Award
The Public Policy Forum created the Marcel Côté Award in 2015 in honour of the esteemed economist and founder of the SECOR Inc., which was the largest independent strategic management consulting firm in Canada until its acquisition by KPMG in 2012.
The award recognizes outstanding leadership in public policy and civic discourse at the municipal, provincial, federal and international levels. For the fourth edition, the following three leaders received the Marcel Côté Award:
Violaine Des Rosiers
As co-executive director of the Maison de l’innovation sociale, Violaine Des Rosiers fosters the implementation of projects that have a positive social impact across Québec. She is also co-author of two non-fiction compilations of stories relating to her humanitarian experiences around the world – including with the International Red Cross – collaborating with local governments to develop policies and laws that protect women and children and coordinate civil and military responses during conflict and natural disasters.
Nancy Neamtan
Nancy Neamtan is a strategic consultant for the TIESS (Territoires innovants en économie sociale et solidaire). She is a member of the Order of Canada and an officer of the Ordre national du Québec. She has honorary degrees from Concordia University and Université du Québec en Outaouais. Active in the community and the social economy sectors for over 45 years, Ms. Neamtan made her mark as president and CEO of the Chantier de l’économie sociale, working there from its beginnings in 1999 until August 2015. This experience earned her national and international recognition for her outstanding contribution to the social economy sector.
"This award is recognition of the value of the work we do – which I have contributed to for the past 30 years – to promote public policy that reflects the belief that economic development, social development, protection of the environment and our cultural vitality must not be worked on in silos, but rather in an integrated manner to promote inclusive, sustainable growth."
Guillaume Lavoie
An expert on the collaborative economy and on public policies, Guillaume Lavoie has advised public and private organizations at home and abroad, and has been invited to speak at over 200 conferences on the subject. He has worked in public diplomacy, public policies, international relations, and, more recently, as a city councillor at Ville de Montréal. He also chaired the Government of Quebec’s working group on the collaborative economy. An engaged social entrepreneur, he is the co-founder of the Collège néo-classique and a lecturer at the École nationale d’administration publique (ÉNAP).
"I had the opportunity to meet Marcel Côté a number of times, and I witnessed his outstanding leadership in public policy. Receiving an award that bears his name and celebrates his memory and legacy is an extraordinary honour. The development of public policy in the general interest is one of the noblest of quests, which deserves to be encouraged and recognized. Thank you to the Public Policy Forum, the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal and the Jeune Chambre de commerce de Montréal for contributing to the significance of this commitment"