Quota International of Weyburn kicked off their nomination period for the 19th annual Women of the Year awards, with a coffee reception on Tuesday morning at the Credit Union’s Community Room.
Nominations in the four categories are open from now until Friday, March 8, and the nominees will be honoured at a special tea on Sunday, March 24. This gathering for all of the nominees and their friends and family will be held at 2 p.m. in the upper hall at Grace United Church.
The Women of the Year awards will be presented at ceremonies on Tuesday, April 9 at McKenna Hall.
The awards luncheon will run from noon to 1:30 p.m., and Andrea Robertson, president and CEO of STARS Air Ambulance, will be the guest speaker.
The following awards are up for nomination.
The Weyburn Credit Union Workplace Excellence Award will be presented to a woman who supports the diverse needs of the workplace, and is a role model in best workplace practices by implementing innovative initiatives.
The winner is committed to excellence, creates and inspires a positive work environment.
The M. Isabelle Butters Quota International of Weyburn Community Service Award will be presented to a woman who, as a volunteer, mentors and inspires others through involvement in community programs and organizations.
The Access Communications Exceptional Entrepreneur Award will be presented to a woman who has successfully launched a business, product or service and who remains active in the business.
The Hoffman, Michel and Associates IG Private Wealth Management Young Woman of Distinction Award will be presented to an exceptional young woman between the ages of 18 and 30 who has made a significant contribution to the life of her community with outstanding leadership, inspiring her peers to follow her example, and has shown maturity, perseverance, innovation and compassion.
Ardell Waldner addressed the group, and noted Quota International marked their 100th anniversary on Wednesday. The organization was founded by Wanda Frey Joiner in 1919, and the Weyburn chapter was formed in 1954.
The Quota club has served the community in a variety of ways, including providing support to the toy lending library at the Weyburn Public Library in honour of past Quotarian and former librarian Marlene Yurkowski.
The club also supports many other organizations such as the Sunrise Early Learning and Teen Support Centre, Weyburn Special Care Home, Salvation Army, Envision Counselling and Support Centre, and Weyburn Care-A-Van.
They have donated FM hearing systems to schools, day cares and long-term care facilities, and they offer a Southeast College scholarship, a Music Festival award and present the annual Festival of Carols in December, which just celebrated its 65th year.
The reception also heard from Becky Tuchscherer, who won the Community Service Award last year, and in 2004 had won the Young Woman of Distinction Award.
Quota has 28 sponsors for this year’s event.
The speaker for the awards luncheon, Andrea Robertson, has had a lifelong commitment to learning since she was a young nurse. She earned her bachelor’s degree, a Master’s degree in Health Care Administration, and an executive fellowship from Wharton University and Ivey School of Business, along with an executive leadership program at Harvard.
Today, she is part of a mentorship program through the University of Calgary, and she is a member of the board of directors for the Bow Valley College and the Calgary Airport Authority, and was named one of WXN’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada in 2015.
