2025 Employee Spotlights

Joyce Ruggles always liked office work and was open to where it might lead even if it included moving more than 2000 kilometres away to Nunavut for a couple years with her husband where she began working for the Government of Nunavut.

“It’s a really cool place; everyone should experience it,” she says. “The winters are longer, but it’s not any colder than it is here.”

Nonetheless, she was happy to return to Thunder Bay and join the City as an Administrative Assistant in 2021 in a temporary role that became permanent in 2022 where she supports the Infrastructure and Operations Department.

She describes her work as exciting, especially at the start of the year when construction season begins with plans and preparations for the work ahead.

“It’s a busy time of year as we gear up for roadwork, paving, and watermain work and the required contract books, tenders, and specs that go with that, which involves a lot of collaboration with Clerks and Engineering who are all an amazing group of people to work with,” says Joyce.

She balances the construction season work with her day-to-day duties like issuing permits, bag tags, and water FOBs that she says requires good time management.

“It’s rewarding to work in such a positive work culture that challenges me to learn new things and be a part of positive projects happening in the city.” 

Storms and sunrises are some of Susan Morgan’s favourite things. 

She feels lucky to have an open view of the dynamic skies that frame the Sleeping Giant from her office where she works as a Water Revenue Analyst in the City’s Revenue Division. 

“Sometimes, if I’m early enough in the morning, I’ll pull into Marina Park and snap some photos,” she says, “and I often walk along the waterfront during my lunchbreaks, it’s a beautiful place.”

Susan began at the City 30 years ago as a high school student in a co-operative placement with Thunder Bay Fire Rescue, which then led to some temporary positions in Community Services and Parks and Recreation before joining Revenue in 1994. There, she worked as a Cashier and Billing Clerk before becoming a Water Revenue Analyst in 2007.

Her role includes the coordination and processing of all water bills for the City including residential, commercial and City properties. She works closely with her team throughout the billing cycle to ensure water meters and readings are accurate and aligned with payment schedules.

“The work is cyclical in nature where we are balancing today’s billing cycle while preparing for the next, so there’s always a lot to do, which can be challenging, but we have a good system and a good team that gets it done.”

While Susan often works independently, she relies on a wider team, including clerks, meter readers, and staff from other areas such as Sewer & Water, and Development Services, who together share key responsibilities to successfully complete the billing process.

“I’ve always gravitated to customer service,” says Susan. “I like anticipating the needs of people and working with my team to find answers and ways to always improve.”

Employees are encouraged to nominate a colleague for an upcoming Spotlight and help shine a light on the great work underway at the City. Send nominations to rebecca.eras@thunderbay.ca 

This month we looked back at the Employee Spotlight series and reflected on our team and the meaningful work they do to keep our city running.

What began in 2020 as a way to appreciate employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, grew to encompass a wider connection with the community who resonated with the staff profiles we shared on social media.

We’ve enjoyed highlighting the purpose-driven people who make up our workforce. Their commitment to community is clear as they continue to provide the quality programs and services that help shape our city—past, present, and future.

From highlighting those on the frontlines of the pandemic, to present-day employees who share why they love working for the City on our new Careers pages, we’ve covered a lot of ground in five short years.

In 2024, we spotlighted employees working on exciting projects, such as Paula Cunningham with Build Thunder Bay, a housing initiative aimed at developing our city to become more modern, affordable, sustainable and prosperous, and Karen Kerk with CityStudio, an innovative program that links the potential of post-secondary students to City projects. We introduced new hires including City Treasurer Keri Greaves and Wellness Coordinator Brigitte Champaigne-Klassen, and we said goodbye to longtime City Manager Norm Gale and General Manager of Corporate Services Karen Lewis.

Of course, the employees we’ve profiled over the years and those yet to come are only a snapshot of the greater team here, and we wish to acknowledge all our employees who do great work serving our city every day.

Employees are encouraged to nominate a colleague for an upcoming Spotlight and help us shine a light on the great people doing great things in 2025! Send submissions to rebecca.eras@thunderbay.ca.