Brad Fisher has taken the top gong at an awards ceremony for public servants in New South Wales for his “tireless commitment” to delivering a program of electrical upgrades to public schools across the state.
The electrical senior project manager from NSW Public Works is a decorated public servant who oversaw the delivery of the Cooler Classrooms Program. The project involved the installation of air-conditioning systems, solar PV cells and electrical upgrades to approximately 1,200 schools.
NSW public service commissioner Kathrina Lo congratulated Fisher, who has also previously been recognised by his own agency for the ‘think differently’ award in 2022 and the regional NSW award in 2023 for his efforts.
“Brad Fisher’s dedication to delivering the Cooler Classrooms Program, ability under pressure and willingness to go above and beyond, enabled the program to reach more schools than originally forecast,” Lo said.
“Congratulations Brad and all the other deserving winners from this special evening.”
Fisher was among a cohort of state mandarins who have been honoured for high-quality performance across education and healthcare, the economy, and excellence in service delivery.
The 2023 Premier’s Awards were held on Wednesday. Winners in eight categories were recognised for the meaningful difference they made to the every-day lives of people in NSW.
NSW premier Chris Minns said the awards celebrated those who set the standard for the public sector.
“Congratulations to all our winners and finalists for your commitment and contribution to a better future for our state.
“I’m proud of our public service and am already looking forward to what we will achieve together for the people of NSW over the coming year,” the premier said.
Alexandra Rumo was also awarded the Anthea Kerr Award for outstanding achievement and deep commitment to public sector values.
The senior outreach solicitor at Legal Aid NSW, worked with the disaster response legal service to support flood devastated communities across NSW. She recently travelled thousands of kilometres over several months to deliver trauma-informed help, ensuring communities had their legal needs met.
Other government teams took home awards for building a resilient economy (the Department of Planning and Environment’s innovation project — modular construction), connecting communities (Department of Communities and Justice’s assertive outreach program — Tweed Heads), driving public sector diversity (Department of Customer Service NSW — Quiet Hour), excellence in service delivery (Transport for NSW — Digitising of vehicle inspections (R-Safety App)), highest quality healthcare (NSW Health Pathology and Murrumbidgee Local Health District), and world-class education and training (TAFE NSW and Department of Education).
