Building better municipalities together.
Learn About Cama Membership
Building better municipalities together.
CAMA’s 2026 Jennifer Goodine Inspirational Leadership Award has been presented posthumously to the late Stéphane Labonne, former Deputy CAO for the City of Maple Ridge, BC. The presentation was made on May 27 during the President’s Dinner at the CAMA National Conference in Whistler, BC.
Established by the CAMA Board of Directors in 2025, this distinguished award recognizes a municipal leader who demonstrates extraordinary leadership rooted in integrity, compassion, resilience, and perseverance — particularly in the face of significant personal or professional adversity.
The Board and Selection Committee were unanimous in their belief that Stéphane embodied every one of those qualities.
Throughout a distinguished municipal career that included leadership roles in Edmonton, Hinton, Morinville, and Maple Ridge, Stéphane built a reputation not only as an exceptional municipal leader, but as someone who genuinely cared about people. Following his diagnosis of metastatic pancreatic cancer in December 2023, he faced his illness with extraordinary courage, grace, and optimism while continuing to inspire colleagues, friends, and communities across Canada.
During the President’s Dinner, delegates viewed a special video message recorded by Stéphane shortly before his passing on April 8, 2026. In the video, he spoke openly about his love for local government, his appreciation for the CAMA family, and the importance of leadership grounded in kindness, humility, and service to others.
“Stéphane reminded all of us what leadership truly looks like,” said Jennifer Goodine, Executive Director of CAMA and CAMEA. “Even during the most difficult chapter of his life, he continued to lead with remarkable strength, compassion, and grace.”
CAMA was honoured to welcome Sabrina, his partner, to the stage to accept the award on Stéphane’s behalf during the emotional presentation. Stéphane’s legacy of leadership, resilience, professionalism, and humanity will continue to inspire municipal leaders across Canada for years to come.
