YWCA Women of Distinction Awards 2014: Nominees
byYWCA Metro Vancouver is excited to announce 60 outstanding nominees for the 31st annual Women of Distinction Awards.
The Awards honour women whose achievements contribute to the well-being and future of our community and businesses and organizations that support the wellness and diverse needs of their employees. The Women of Distinction Awards is the YWCA’s premier fundraising event and will be held on June 3, 2014 at the Westin Bayshore Hotel. Funds raised through the event support YWCA programs and services across Metro Vancouver.
YWCA Women of Distinction Awards Nominees
Arts, Culture & Design
Shaira Holman – Co-Founder / Artistic Director, Vancouver Queer Arts Festival
Susan Van der Flier – Board, Vancouver Opera
Business & the Professions
Sheila Bouman – Chief People and Performance Officer, Peer 1 Hosting
Mary Buttery – Partner, Davis LLP
Sheila Eddin – Vice President, Transformation, Insurance Corporation of British Columbia
Catherine Gibson – Partner, Davis LLP
Carmen Thériault – Partner, Wealth Preservation, Bull Housser LLP
Lisa Vogt – Partner and Chief Diversity and Engagement Officer, McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Community Building
Sashi Assanand – Founder and Executive Director, Vancouver & Lower Mainland Multicultural Family Support Services Society (VLMFSS)
Leigh Boyle – Founder & Executive Director, The Lipstick Project Society
Loretta Cella – Founder and Executive Director, Passion Foundation
Nasreen Filsoof – Founder and President, Canadian Iranian Foundation
Theodora Lamb – Online Community Organizer, Executive Producer, Hollyhock Leadership Institute
Jill Leversage – Managing Director, Highland West Capital Inc.
Jennifer Schaeffers – Executive Director, CKNW Orphans’ Fund
Education, Training & Development
Kristi Blakeway – Vice Principal, Thomas Haney Secondary
Deborah Jacobs – Education Department Head, Squamish Nation
Gail Ruddy – Head of School, York House School
Janis Sarra – Professor, UBC Faculty of Law and Director, Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies
Entrepreneurship
Almira Bardai – Partner, Hive Communications
Justine Bizzocchi – Founder, SFU Venture Connection
Alisa Choi Darcy – President, Quote Endquote Cross-Cultural Strategy Inc.
Shehla Ebrahim – Doctor, Ambleside Dermedics
Liza Hagusa – Founder and Owner, Mother Me Newborn Care Inc.
Deanna Loychuk – Founder, 30 Minute Hit
Carolyn Lundie – Founder and Owner, YogaButtons Kids Yoga Ltd.
Kim Pickett – Principal / Creative Director, KIMBO Design
Reisa Pollard – Founder & Designer, Beyond Beige Interior Design
Shannon Rogers – President and General Counsel, Global Relay
Environmental Sustainability
Diana Allen – Professor, Department of Earth Sciences, Simon Fraser University
Sofi Hindmarch – Wildlife Biologist, British Columbia Conservation Foundation
Lyda Salatian – Founder & Program Director, The Lower Mainland Green Team (LMGT)
Elizabeth Sheehan – Founder and President, Climate Smart
Health & Wellness
Victoria Bernstein – Director of the Post-Operative Cardiac Surgical Unit, Vancouver General Hospital
Nafisa Merali – Founder, Naz Wellness Group
Gina Ogilvie – Medical Director, Clinical Prevention Services, BC Centre for Disease Control
Charlene SanJenko – Founder, PowHERhouse
Sarah Shandl – Founder, Vancouver, We Love You Great Adventure Club
Elizabeth Watt – Physician
Non-Profit & Public Service
Lana Bradshaw – Vice-Chair, Children’s Wish Foundation BC & Yukon Chapter
Pauline Finn – Vice-President of Community Engagement, Science World British Columbia
Anita Huberman – CEO, Surrey Board of Trade
Judy Krawchuk – Vice-President, Child Development Foundation of BC
Darlene Marzari – Former MLA and Vancouver City Councillor
Heather O’Hara – Executive Director, Potluck Café Society
Anar Popatia – President, Canadian Club of Vancouver
Linda Reid – Speaker of the House, British Columbia Legislature
Shauna Sylvester – Executive Director, SFU Public Square and Carbon Talks Fellow, SFU Centre for Dialogue
Carolyn Tuckwell – President & CEO, Boys and Girls Club of South Coast BC
Wai Young – Member of Parliament for Vancouver South
Technology, Science & Research
Jennifer Gardy – Senior Scientist, British Columbia Centre for Disease Control
Caron Strahlendorf – Pediatric Oncologist / Hematologist, Clinical Associate Professor, BC Children’s Hospital
Young Woman of Distinction
Cicely Blain – Founder, Celebrating Women at UBC
Vuitton Chan – Student, Simon Fraser University
Isabel Chen – Co-founder and Executive Director, Keep Safe Initiative
Madison McDougall – President, Kappa Kappa Gamma – Gamma Upsilon Chapter
Hayley Pipher – Founder, Vancouver Youth Food Alliance
Tesicca Truong – Member, Engaged City Task Force
Innovative Workplace
Flipside Creative
Pacific Blue Cross
YWCA Women of Distinction Awards
Miss604 is a proud sponsor of the YWCA Women of Distinction Awards for the fifth consecutive year. Here’s all you need to know about this very special event:
Where: The Westin Bayshore, Vancouver
Date: Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Time: 5:30 – 6:30pm General Reception; 6:30pm Awards Dinner
Book your tickets online today or by calling (604) 895-5768. Early bird tickets are on sale until May 4th for $195 per person (this includes the awards ceremony and dinner). Starting May 5th tickets will be $225 per person. Be sure to book soon as this event is known to sell out the largest ballroom at the Bayshore!
New this year you can book a Distinguished Partner Table that includes 10 seats/tickets, VIP registration, name signage on table, name listed in the program and sponsor signage, and more.
Follow the YWCA of Vancouver on Facebook and Twitter for more information along with the YWCA Women of Distinction Awards @YWvanWODA on Twitter.
YWCA Metro Vancouver is dedicated to achieving women’s equality. Their mission is to touch lives and build better futures for women and their families through advocacy and integrated services that foster economic independence, wellness and equal opportunities.
