Profile: Krista Locke

Energized by my job

Krista Locke is a participant in the Fellows Program and considers it a great way to build networks between the federal government and other sectors within Canada.

On September 18, 2007, Krista Locke found herself in a new and very different environment as Visiting Executive with SaskEnergy Incorporated, Saskatchewan’s natural gas utility. Having been chosen to take part in a Government of Canada Fellows Program assignment, she was adding another experience to her journey as a federal public servant. The Fellows Program is an executive level program providing federal public servants with a developmental exchange. Participants have an opportunity to work with organizations in other sectors of Canadian society including business, academia, not-for-profit and other levels of government both within Canada and internationally.

“Being a Maritimer and experiencing life in a Western province as well as working with a leading company in the energy sector makes for an amazing experience,” says Krista.    

SaskEnergy is a provincial Crown corporation that employs 1,100 people across Saskatchewan. It serves over 332,000 residential, farm, commercial and industrial customers and maintains the largest integrated natural gas distribution and pipeline system in North America. As a Government of Canada Fellow, Krista experiences how SaskEnergy operates at each level of the organization. She is able to get to know the company, the people and the culture first-hand. 

A mentor and a buddy

Her supervisor and mentor, Dean Reeve, is the Executive Vice-President. With his input and guidance, Krista leads strategic projects, such as the improvement of SaskEnergy’s strategic planning process and an analysis of the company’s recruitment and retention processes. Working collectively and individually with the corporation’s executives provides her with many styles of leadership and decision-making approaches. She also has opportunities to discuss with senior management the issues and challenges in the natural gas business, from the volatile commodity world, to operating in the harsh prairie winters. 

Her assigned “buddy,” Jacquie Kerr, is the Director of Customer Solutions. The two are working together to provide leadership on implementing the new Customer Information System, to date the largest systems change for the company. Once completed, it will allow SaskEnergy to provide better service to its customers and be more user-friendly for employees using and maintaining the system. Its success depends on a company-wide change strategy.

Government of Canada Fellows Program

Being a Fellow is a great way to build networks between the federal government and other sectors within Canada. While in Saskatchewan, Krista volunteers with the Institute of Public Administration of Canada’s executive committee, participates on Saskatchewan’s Federal Council and has made many connections within the energy sector. She volunteers in the local community and at her children’s schools to experience Saskatchewan’s diverse culture. Everyday, she receives questions about the federal public service, including, for example, how we operate, the type of work that we do and the opportunities for employment. Krista openly shares her own stories and talks about the Public Service and the work that we do across Canada and abroad.

Being a public servant

Some of Krista’s prouder memories as a public servant include negotiating land claims in the Northwest Territories, receiving a thank you from a young person she had mentored and listening to a veteran talk about his service during the war. “Public servants make a difference in the lives of Canadians and contribute to making Canada one of the best countries to live in,” says Krista. Whether it be working with First Nations communities or ensuring exemplary service to our veterans, the opportunities as a public servant—to find your passion and make it happen—are endless!

Working in another part of Canada in the Fellows assignment allows Krista to appreciate the beauty and diverse cultures of the country’s regions. Her involvement with various organizations demonstrates that common issues exist across organizations. Working together and sharing ideas helps to identify successful and innovative solutions. So far, Krista’s career with the federal government has been challenging, insightful and extremely rewarding personally and professionally. She can honestly say that she is energized by her job.

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