The eighth annual Influential Women (IW) of Northern Ontario Awards program was recently launched with a call for nominations.
Eight women-four from northeastern Ontario and four from northwestern Ontario-will be honoured at two celebratory luncheons at the Algoma’s Water
Tower Inn in Sault Ste. Marie May 30 and Thunder Bay’s Pointe de Meuron Room in Fort William Historical Park June 2, respectively.
“Every year we host IW, we are reminded of the necessity of our mandate to seek out and honour Northern Ontario women who contribute to our economic growth,” said Patricia Mills, publisher of Northern Ontario Business. “The imbalance of women in positions of power has changed
tremendously over the past five years. Let’s all celebrate and encourage the success of our women leaders. We all benefit in the end.”
There are four award categories: private sector, public sector, exporting and young entrepreneur.
The Private Sector and Public Sector awards will be presented to established or up-and-coming leaders who hold senior positions in their workplaces. These candidates may have facilitated business interactions across sectors.
The Exporting award will be presented to influential women who have increased their sales through global markets.
Young Entrepreneurs between the ages of 19 and 35, who have operated an enterprise for at least three years, will also be recognized for their
business acumen.
Common questions for elaboration in all categories include:
- How has the nominee positively influenced her workplace, community, and/or field of endeavour?
- How has she contributed to economic wealth, job creation and growth?
- Has she demonstrated extraordinary leadership?
- In what way has the nominee initiated change through innovation?
- Has she overcome professional obstacles to achieve her goals?
- What is her volunteer involvement, and how has she gone beyond her career to enrich the community?
Recipients are selected by a panel of independent judges and winners will be invited to attend the awards luncheon in their respective areas. These events attract a total of nearly 500 attendees each year-true testament to the importance of recognizing and celebrating the achievements of women in Northern Ontario.
Nomination deadline is February 21st. Self-nominations are also encouraged.
For more information on the IW program, to nominate or to purchase event tickets online, visit www.influentialwomen.ca. The website also archives last year’s luncheons.
Marlene Moore is director of Executive Programs with Northern Ontario Business
