Marilyn McNamara
Chair, Employment and Assistance Appeal Tribunal

Marilyn holds a Bachelor of Science at Memorial University of Newfoundland (1974). She obtained certification in Mediation and Negotiation at the Justice Institute of British Columbia (1995), balancing the practical aspects of dispute resolution with a Master of Arts in Dispute Resolution at the University of Victoria (2005). During this time, Marilyn worked for BC Ferries as the Manager, Corporate Services, responsible for access and privacy legislation as Information and Privacy Officer. Marilyn also holds a Master of Laws, specializing in administrative law, and a Graduate Diploma in Justice System Administration, both from Osgoode Hall Law School, York University. She worked as a member of the Employment and Assistance Appeal Tribunal, since its establishment in 2002, and was appointed Chair in April 2006.

Since her appointment, she has established a number of governance tools following best practices for administrative tribunals. The Competency-Based Learning and Development Tool is used in performance evaluations, which must be completed prior to recommendations for reappointment. It assists members by analyzing their skills and abilities, indicating areas where members would benefit from additional training. A mentor program was established to enable new members and chairs to be coached by experienced members.

Marilyn also developed a computer-based program (CBT) for new members, which allows them to complete training in their home and at their own pace. New members can sit on a panel upon successful completion of the CBT. A new module is being developed to assist applicants, who may have no experience with administrative law or with the relevant legislation, to acquire the prescribed skills and knowledge, thus increasing the number of people who are able to serve their community as members of the Tribunal.

In support of openness and accountability, the Tribunal is now posting its decisions on its website. To address the inevitable tension between the competing values of openness and privacy, Marilyn has instructed members not to include personal identifiers in decisions and instituted a privacy review of each decision prior to posting.