YWCA Metro Vancouver has announced 78 nominees in 12 categories for its 37th annual Women of Distinction Awards.
This year’s nominees, announced Wednesday, are:
Arts, Culture & Design
Beth Carter, curator, Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art
Carmen Rodriguez, writer, educator and activist
Carol Mayer, head of curatorial, interpretation and design at the Museum of Anthropology at UBC
Danica Djurkovic, director of facilities planning and development, City of Vancouver
Janice Morris, founder and festival director, KDocsFF
Lisa Wolfin, director, Vancouver Visual Art Foundation and Art Vancouver
Prem Gill, CEO, Creative BC
Wendy Mould, artist
Business & the Professions
Angela Calla, owner, The Angela Calla Marketing Team
Bridgitte Anderson, president and CEO, Greater Vancouver Board of Trade
Cheryl Nelms, general manager, project delivery, Metro Vancouver
Melissa Higgs, principal, HCMA Architecture + Design
Shirley Samujh-Dayal, director of operations, Coast Mountain Bus Company
Community Champion
Aisha Amijee, founder and executive director, Voices of Muslim Women Foundation
Amy Robinson, founder and executive director, LOCO BC
Antonia Beck, executive director and founder, Burnaby Neighbourhood House
Barbara Aidelbaum, Co-founder and Board director, HEROS
Devinder Maan, founder, The Saheli Foundation
Karen Lai, Consultant
Katheren Szabo, founder, Cedar Bark Poets and co-facilitator, Friends of the Grove
Margaret Mubanda, Resource Social Worker, Ministry of Children and Family Development
Sonia Andhi Bilkhu, founder and executive director, Shakti: Empowerment of Women, Children and Families
Society
Sussanne Skidmore, secretary treasurer, BC Federation of Labour
Education, Training & Development
Beth Applewhite, vice principal, Coquitlam School District
Carolyn Roberts, Indigenous faculty lecturer in the Department of Education at SFU
Kory Wilson, executive director, Indigenous Initiatives and Partnerships, BCIT
Leonie Sandercock, professor, UBC School of Community and Regional Planning
Lisa Langevin, director, Women in Trades, Industry Training Authority
Louisa Lam, head instructor, Floristry Program, Langara College
Theresa Burley, project manager and Canada Research Chair & Equity in Research Lead, SFU
Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Amiee Chan, president and CEO, Norsat International Inc.
Christina Marcano, CEO and founder, Silver Icing Inc.
Elise Huisman, co-founder and director of Business Development, Arbutus Medical
Ella Jotie, co-founder and CEO, Barre Fitness
Laura Patrick, CEO and founder, Kids Physio Group
Madeleine Shaw, co-founder, Lunapads
Merideth Schutter, founder and CEO, PROtect. Smart Personal Safety
Teara Fraser, founder and CEO, Iskwew Air
Zahra Rasul, founder, owner and director, Rasul Learning Group Inc.
Environmental Sustainability
Connie Linder, founder and president, Intengine Enterprises
Elaine Leung, founder and executive director, Sea Smart
Meredith Adler, executive director, Student Energy
Health & Wellness
Joelle Bradley, doctor, Royal Columbian Hospital
Sharon Selby, registered clinical counsellor and founder of Toddler to Teen Anxiety Solutions
Thalia Field, fellowship program director, Vancouver Stroke Program
Non-Profit
Anita Huberman, CEO, Surrey Board of Trade
Barbara Grantham, president and CEO of CARE Canada
Caroline Andrewes, president and CEO, Association of Consulting Engineering Companies (ACEC-BC)
Christina Wong, executive director and co-founder, Employ to Empower Foundation
Debbie Bell, CEO and president, Mothers Matter Centre
Genesa Greening, president and CEO, BC Women's Health Foundation
Jill Tipping, president and CEO, BC Tech Association
Kim Lockhart, cultural officer, United Way of the Lower Mainland
Mebrat Beyene, executive director, WISH Drop-In Centre Society
Neelam Sahota, CEO, DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society
Rosalin Miles, founder and executive director, Indigenous Physical Activity & Cultural Circle
Shachi Kurl, executive director, Angus Reid Institute
Tina Strehlke, CEO, Minerva BC
Reconciliation in Action
Angela Sterritt, journalist, CBC
Brenda Morrison, director, Centre for Restorative Justice & Associate Professor, School of Criminology, SFU
Chastity Davis, principal and lead consultant, Chastity Davis Consulting
Courtney Daws, vice-president, governance and policy, Castlemain Group
Jeska Slater, Indigenous social innovation coordinator, Skookum Lab, City of Surrey
Lisa Upton, principal, North Vancouver School District 44
Marion Buller, BC Provincial Court judge, retired
Mary Point, Manager, Indigenous relations, Vancouver Airport Authority
Research, the Sciences & Technology
Christin Wiedemann, president, Radical I/O
Joy Johnson, vice-president, Research and International, Simon Fraser University (SFU)
Karen Cheung, professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, UBC
Megan Levings, professor, University of British Columbia and Researcher, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute
Young Woman of Distinction
Gaganjit Phulka, executive director and co-founder, Vitality for the Vulnerable
Michelle Kwok, co-founder and CEO, Female Laboratory of Innovative Knowledge (FLIK)
Taylor Hui, founder, BeaYOUtiful Foundation.
Outstanding Workplace
British Columbia Automobile Association (BCAA)
Deloitte
Sage Software Canada
TELUS
Unbounce
The YWCA Women of Distinction Awards honours individuals and organizations whose outstanding activities and achievements contribute to the well-being and future of the community. Since 1984, YWCA Metro Vancouver has paid tribute to more than 320 award recipients and 1,875 nominees.
Award recipients will be announced on May 11, 2020, at the Awards dinner at JW Marriot Parq Vancouver.
The 2020 Awards are presented by Scotiabank. Legacy Sponsors are BC Housing, BCAA, Clio, iA Financial Group, MDA, Nature’s Path, Pacific Blue Cross, Reciprocal Consulting, SAP and UBC Sauder School of Business.
In addition to the 12 nomination categories, the individual nominees are eligible for the Connecting the Community Award. Nominees will select a YWCA program area in which they are interested and use social media channels such as Twitter and Facebook to promote votes. From March 4 to April 24, the public can cast votes online and the nominee with the most votes will receive the Connecting the Community Award. Scotiabank will donate $10,000 to the YWCA program area of their choice.
