Charities and communities win big through AGLC

Headquartered in St. Albert, Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC), is the Government of Alberta’s Crown enterprise that oversees the gaming, liquor and cannabis industries in the province.

In her tenure as a policy analyst for AGLC, Heather Fitzpatrick has supported policies and procedures governing all three industries, including Alberta’s unique charitable gaming model.

Alberta is the only province in Canada where charitable organizations are licensed to conduct and manage casino events. AGLC also licenses charitable organizations to fundraise through bingo and by selling raffle and pull tickets.

Beneficiaries include everyone from food banks and seniors’ groups to eligible amateur sports and performing arts organizations.

“We’re always working to ensure our policies support stakeholders and make things accessible,” says Fitzpatrick. “Ultimately, the goal is to support communities and charitable groups while maintaining safety for Albertans."

AGLC’s core values are integrity, respect, collaboration, innovation and inclusion. That last value is one that was added as part of an overarching commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Fitzpatrick, a 25-year AGLC employee, is also co-chair of an employee resource group that organizes a series of awareness campaigns and learning events focused on diversity and inclusion.

“Our stakeholders rightfully have high expectations,” she says. “Because of that, we are constantly evolving, and our values have evolved with us. It’s really exciting to see the corporate commitment to growing not only our business but also our culture and people.”

CEO Kandice Machado says AGLC’s core values are built into every aspect of the organization’s activities, including recruitment, employee recognition and leadership development.

“It’s important that it starts from the top, making sure our leaders really embody our values on a daily basis,” she says.

Machado is another tenured AGLC employee, having joined 20 years ago as a regulatory auditor and moved through a number of increasingly senior roles, including chief financial officer.

“Through it all, I’ve benefited from a tremendous range of training, coaching and mentorship,” she says. “To get to where I am now, I’ve definitely had a strong support system from leaders, colleagues and teams.”

Machado describes AGLC’s culture as innovative, customercentric and collaborative.

“We work with very diverse stakeholders and on complex business challenges,” she says. “So what I’m often looking for in new team members are people willing to live a little outside their comfort zone, who don’t just settle for the status quo, and who look for new ways to support our partners and each other.”

During the pandemic, AGLC’s inspectors, gaming technicians and other field staff have, by necessity, continued to work on site. Office employees, however, worked remotely and continue to have the choice to do so.

“We are assessing different hybrid models,” says Machado. “We want to see what works best over the long term for both keeping our culture strong while giving employees maximum flexibility.”

To help keep all employees connected, Machado hosts regular virtual town halls, with plenty of time for Q&As.

Organized social events and charitable initiatives also keep AGLC team members highly engaged. For example, AGLC employees are longstanding and passionate supporters of the United Way; in 2023, it’s expected they will reach the milestone of having raised more than $1 million for the charity.

“That’s very much an employee-driven effort,” says Machado. “It’s an example of positive collaboration and one we are very proud of.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's Alberta’s Top Employers winners, published January 31, 2023 in the Calgary Herald and Edmonton Journal. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.