Meet western Manitoba’s Women of Distinction

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/03/2015 (4047 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Every year, the YWCA Brandon hosts the Women of Distinction Awards Gala, which is held in the Keystone Centre’s UCT Pavilion. The gala is the YWCA Brandon’s major fundraising event of the year.

Proceeds from this event support the YWCA Brandon mission: Working to empower women and their families through supportive programs and services.

The awards gala is a great opportunity to show appreciation and gratitude to the outstanding community women who have achieved personal and professional milestones, who are outstanding role models to other women and girls, and who have made significant contributions to the well-being of their communities in the Brandon, Westman and Parkland regions.

The 28th annual awards gala will take place on Thursday. Following are this year’s nominees and the categories in which they have become “Women of Distinction.”

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

Elder Doris Pratt, also known as Duzahan Mani Win (“Walks Fast Woman”), from Wipazoka Wakpa (Sioux Valley Dakota Nation), draws from the goodness of her heart and the compassion she holds for her Dakota people by retaining and revitalizing the language and culture. She earned her bachelor of teaching degree, bachelor of education degree and master’s in education from Brandon University, and holds an educational specialist degree from the University of Arizona. She’s a recognized official translator of the Government of Canada Translation Bureau. She strives to instil pride and motivation in her students, teaching staff and the community.

AGRICULTURE

Johanne Ross and her husband Barry live on a farm northeast of Minnedosa. They have three grown boys who have all become “Aggies” themselves. Johanne is very passionate about agriculture and is the executive director of Agriculture in the Classroom-Manitoba, an organization that focuses on agriculture awareness, specifically in our youth. In her down time, Johanne enjoys the Winnipeg Jets and gets to games as often as she can. She also enjoys spending time with her family and friends, relaxing at Clear Lake and reading a good book.

ARTS AND CULTURE

Maureen Stitt was born in Ontario and has made Brandon her home for the past 29 years. Currently the president of the Brandon Festival of the Arts, she has been a member of the board for 16 years and serves as chair of two committees. She has been a tireless volunteer for school and community activities for many years, supporting her five children in their various involvements, such as Westman Youth Choir, Vincent Massey High School Safe Grad and major productions, Eagles gymnastics and the West Side Band. She selflessly gives of her time and talents for the benefit of her community.

HEALTHY LIVING, WELLNESS AND RECREATION

Kim Booth’s passion for running started when she joined the Optimist Sundowners Track Club in 1972. She spent her school years competing in 800-metre, 1,500-metre and cross-country races. Kim was the first female track athlete from Brandon to receive a full athletic scholarship to a U.S. university. Her passion for running and cycling led to marathons, triathlons and long distance cycling tours. In 2003, she teamed up with Cam and Colleen Wirch of A&L to launch their running program. Kim has trained hundreds of runners, from beginners to Boston Marathon qualifiers. To date, she has competed in more than 30 triathlons.

EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION

Kathryn Hyndman attributes her work ethic and passion for helping others to her parents, Sophia and Harold (Timer) Hyndman. Kathryn began her career at the Brandon General Hospital School of Nursing and worked as a staff nurse. Her interest in lifelong learning resulted in the completion of three nursing degrees and her current position as an associate professor and nurse educator at Brandon University. Kathryn’s career goals have been professional caring for her patients, her students and her colleagues, while promoting the standards of nursing education and practice. She believes that informed, educated citizens are the key to the health of the community.

Lorraine Mayer encourages women, understanding the inner fears of being an adult learner, of being a woman in a male-dominated institution and being a survivor of spousal and family abuse. These experiences have placed her in the unique position of being a faculty member who understands, supports and encourages women in both education and personal strength. She helps women from the North to mentally, emotionally and physically relocate where they can safely survive and thrive. She loves teaching her culture and willingly gives of her time to instruct students wanting to learn the art of aboriginal beadwork.

Kathleen Nichol is a lifelong resident of Elkhorn and Brandon, married to Walter and mother to Erin and Mike. As an instructional associate, Kathleen teaches foundational level courses in math, physics and chemistry at Brandon University. Her record of service to the university includes 20 years with the Status of Women Review Committee and multiple years in the faculty association. An award-winning instructor, Kathleen exemplifies the qualities of a role model in her passionate teaching of traditionally male-dominated disciplines. She is a tireless advocate for women on campus and her organizational strengths touch the lives of all around her.

Julia K. Senchuk was born and raised in England until immigrating to Canada in her early teens to the Neepawa area. She is a lifelong learner with a bachelor of science and master of arts in counselling psychology as well as her certificate in animal assisted therapy. Julia currently is a sessional instructor at Brandon University, instructor at Assiniboine Community College and also operates her own private counselling practice focusing on individual, family and couple counselling. She is a tireless promoter of the counselling field and a strong role model for young women seeking to aspire to her caring and quality of life improvement contributions.

LEADERSHIP IN BUSINESS

Gail Freeman-Campbell is an entrepreneur who strives to improve the lives of seniors. She believes seniors are the pillars of our society, that they deserve respect, recognition and the best of care. She founded her business, Daughter On Call, with the purpose of providing exceptional care to seniors in our community. With a background in business and nursing, she has established herself as a leader in the home-care industry. She is a sought-after guest speaker and a strong seniors advocate. Her reputation for hiring excellent staff and providing a wide range of services has made her Brandon’s “Home Care Expert.”

Sandra Jones of Carberry is a truly inspiring woman. She is a dedicated wife and mother of two beautiful, strong girls and one handsome, kind son. She’s the chief administrative officer for Carberry and North Cypress-Langford. She truly puts her heart and soul into her family, community and job as she sees how her efforts are for the greater good. Sandra has faced each challenge with courage and been humble in each victory, which is an inspiration to her female staff. She radiates passion for her community and volunteers her time to make the community the best it can possibly be.

Born in Winnipeg, Tanya LaBuick moved to Brandon after her seventh birthday, remaining here until she was 18. After earning a bachelor of arts from the University of Manitoba, she worked her way into the “events” field, where through her company, LaBuick Consulting, she has lived what she terms “a blessed life in terms of travel.” She has been instrumental in high-profile, time-critical, extreme projects such as the London 2012 Summer and Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, Paralympic Games, Super Bowls, countless Academy of Country Music Awards, FIFA Women’s World Cup events, as well as a collection of municipal, provincial, federal, national and international infrastructure and event projects.

Dawn Meek is co-owner of Krave Salon, which she established in 2010 and where she currently employs 13 staff. She is a strong advocate for women’s and children’s rights. She volunteers her time and expertise at community events that lend to the well-being and support of others, such as KidSport Westman and For the Love of Chocolate, and she recently brought her team in to pamper the women and children at the YWCA Westman Women’s Shelter. Dawn resides in Brandon with her husband Lyle and their two daughters, McKenzie and Jovie.

SOCIAL ACTION AND COMMUNITY SERVICE

Jenna MacDonald is a driven, compassionate individual who is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. She has been part of the STAR FM sales team since 2010, and has been with the company since 2004. Jenna is the current chair of the United Way Brandon and District board of directors, and is completing her third year on the board. She volunteers her time co-ordinating volunteers for the Westman Dreams for Kids golf tournament — a six-month endeavour each year. Jenna enjoys travelling, playing volleyball, and running with her yellow Lab, “Cash.”

Kirby Sararas was born in Hamiota. Upon completion of high school, she moved to Winnipeg to attend the University of Manitoba, graduating with a bachelor of arts. While in Winnipeg, Kirby worked as a group home leader for young girls and volunteered at youth drop-in centres in the core and north end. Kirby joined the Brandon Police Service in August 2000 and has worked in many areas including as a patrol officer, a detective and in community policing. She is also a trained crisis negotiator. Kirby has continued her volunteerism in Brandon with organizations such as Helping Hands, Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Law Enforcement Torch Run.

YOUNG WOMEN OF DISTINCTION (22 to 29 years of age)

Andrea Bertholet graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a degree in animal science in 2009. She is currently working with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development as a farm production adviser. She also continues to be actively involved in the family farm, which is a commercial and purebred cow/calf operation west of Hartney. The farm hosts a bull sale in March and a bred female sale in November. Andrea also is involved in a variety of committees in the agriculture industry.

Jillian Dalby is an accomplished farrier. She completed the farrier science course at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in B.C. in 2005, and obtained her American Farrier Association certified farrier level. She is working, successfully and independently, in a trade that is predominantly pursued by men, with 90 per cent of farriers registered with the AFA being male, and only 10 per cent female. She has built on the platform of strong, female role models during childhood and her career, to break down gender biases in “a man’s” career. She is an example to young women and girls, to push themselves to reach higher goals in education and more.

YOUNG WOMEN OF DISTINCTION (16 to 21 years of age)

Seventeen-year-old Erin Knight’s list of accomplishments includes encouraging young girls in her community to get interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) careers by generating workshops discussing gender roles, and giving them hands-on engineering and problem-solving skill activities. She has designed and created a grey water filtration prototype, and authored a water conservation blog and PSA video. She has inspired the participation of females in municipal elections and has had her writing published. This highly academic school leader and athlete volunteers endlessly in her community and is one of the friendliest, most responsible, dedicated students who you can trust to set and exceed expectations.

Marley Menzies is a Grade 12 student from Shoal Lake. She is a caring young woman who is an active advocate for social justice, encouraging others in her school community and the world through her participation and leadership. Her concern for her school and fellow students is demonstrated through planned activities and her optimistic point of view on a daily basis. Marley challenges herself so that others can take courage from her. An approachable, reliable, hard-working and remarkable young woman, she cares about others and wants to help people because she believes it is the right thing to do.

Mallory Workman is a mature and moralistic young lady, who is responsible, kind, giving and genuine. She is a leader and a “team player” in every sense of the term. She’s an excellent role model for young women in our community. A natural leader, she displays a great deal of respect for her peers, adults and community. While Mallory has experienced a great deal of individual and team success, she remains very grounded. One of her greatest qualities is her understanding of making a difference in the lives of others by giving back to people on a community and global level.

Racheal Wu was born in Calgary in 1995, the daughter of an immigrant from Hong Kong. After graduation from Killarney Collegiate Institute in 2013, she enrolled in Brandon University, majoring in gender and women’s studies where she won the Margaret Laurence Scholarship in her first year. Since coming to BU, Racheal has taken on a number of leadership roles, including secretary of Flora Cowan Residence Hall, women’s director on the council of the Brandon University Students’ Union, and as a member of the BU Women’s Collective.

» Please visit our website for more information on the YWCA programs and services: ywcabrandon.com