Women of Distinction Awards recognize a record number of nominees, from artists to entrepreneurs

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Anna-Celestrya Carr, with The Men's Banner, says she's 'humbled and pleasantly surprised' to be nominated. (WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

Outstanding in their fields

Here are this year's award nominees:

Arts

Sheila Spence

Gaetanne Sylvester

Catharine Teichroew

Jacqueline Traverse

 

Culture

Tina Chen

Shelley Chochinov

Felicia Olarewaju

 

Education, Training & Mentorship

Karen Botting

Linda Campbell

Cathy Denby

Susana Hawryshko

Cheryl Hoffman

Zana Lutfiyya

Usha Mittoo

Melanie Penner

Colleen Plumton

Lori Schellekens

 

Leadership & Management

Diane Carriere

Nicole Chammartin

Julie Donaldson

Daryl Dumanski

Majda Ficko

Shelly Glover

Valerie Harper

Linda Lafontaine

Dr. Jeannette Montufar

Annette Osted

Jennifer Rattray

Dr. Jerry Shrom

Dr. Lorna Turnbull

 

Public Awareness & Communications

Ruth Bonneville

Anna-Celestrya Carr

 

Science, Technology & the Environment

Judy Chipperfield

Maureen Heaman

Cheryl Rockman-Greenberg

 

Voluntarism, Advocacy & Community Enhancement

Kenny Daodu

Rena Molinari

Chau Pham

Claudette St. Pierre

Sally Thomas

 

Wellness, Healthy Living & Recreation

Nadia El-Gabalawy

Janice Lukes

Beth McKechnie

Melinda Mohammed

Jan Schmalenberg

 

Circle of Inspiration

Soroptimist International of Winnipeg

Diane Redsky, Joy Smith, Dianna Bussey

The UWSA Day-care staff

 

Young Woman of Distinction

Daniela Conci

Amanda Furst

Candace Maxymowich

Jaysa Nachtigall

Melanie Ngo

Karlee Sapoznik

 

Gerrie Hammond Memorial Award of Promise

Kayla Barrow

Kaitlyn Cook

Marianne Cortes

Jessica Dmytryk

Megan Dufrat

Samantha Graham

Marie Gravoso

Nina Huynh

Victoria Knapp

Marissa MacCorby

Cherese Matula

Emma Mayer

Briana Pokrant

Elyssa Rattai

Alana Robert

Marie Sereneo

Jennifer Sun

Karleen Tarry

Julie Umali

 

The Prairie Award of Promise

Caitlyn Jonsson

Meagan Kubanek

Kelby Loeppky

Robyn Otto

Kimberlee Reimer

Ashley Wickens

 

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Shelley Chochinov doesn't think she did anything distinctive when she refused to stay within the patriarchal confines of her Jewish faith.

This was at a time when it was considered unacceptable for women to pursue religious studies, but the Winnipegger dove right in.

"I've never wanted to be a second-class citizen, so I started studying quietly," says Chochinov, who never really stopped. The recent graduate of the Florence Melton Adult Education School of Jerusalem's Hebrew University is one of 79 nominees -- a record number -- for the 2012 YMCA-YWCA Women of Distinction Awards.

Second-class citizens? As if.

The list of nominees for the 36th annual awards, which salute women for their achievements and service in fields ranging from arts and education to business and science, includes a metabolic geneticist working on a treatment for a rare bone disease, the University of Manitoba's first female professor of finance and an engineer whose work has aided the mobility of aging Canadians. There's also the U of M law faculty's first female dean, a couple of members of Parliament and an artist who uses male handprints to raise awareness about domestic violence.

The 12 awards will be handed out at a gala dinner at the Winnipeg Convention Centre on May 2 that's expected to draw up to 950 people.

When the Winnipeg YWCA launched the Women of the Year Awards in 1977, 41 women were nominated and YMCA-YWCA associations across Canada soon followed suit. In 1991, to mark the 15th anniversary, the event was renamed the Women of Distinction Awards.

This year's record 79 nominations represent a nearly 60 per cent increase over last year's total, says Betty Black, chairwoman of the awards committee.

"We've increased our efforts significantly this year to get a higher profile in the community and reach out to more community groups," Black says. "I think that has really paid off, where more organizations and groups are aware of the award and our desire to recognize the accomplishments and achievements of women."

Winnipeg psychologist and U of M professor Judy Chipperfield, whose research on the psychological aspects of healthy aging has been highlighted in the House of Commons, says she has received many professional accolades, but this is different.

"This is the first award that really seems like it recognizes my role beyond just a researcher," says Chipperfield, who is nominated in the science, technology and the environment category.

"As I understand the nomination, it recognizes my contribution to the next generation, to training students and the work I've done to help people in the community and that's really nice."

Unlike Chochinov, she says there were really no gender barriers for her to overcome as gerontology, much like nursing, is a female-dominated field.

"We're interested in babies and we're also interested in what happens at the other end of the age continuum," says Chipperfield, whose current research focuses on the devastating effects on older adults who are sedentary and perceive their world as uncontrollable.

Métis filmmaker and artist Anna-Celestrya Carr, 26, says she's "humbled and pleasantly surprised" to be nominated in the public awareness and communications category for her performance art project.

The Men's Banner, which she started in 2007, involves asking male strangers to add their palm print and signature to a long (her longest is 25 feet) banner, essentially promising to never use their hands in an act of violence against women. She takes her banners to rallies, marches, festivals and, recently, Central Canada Comic Con, where Star Trek actors William Shatner and Jonathan Frakes lent a hand to the cause.

"Awards and recognition isn't my sole focus when I work on my projects, so it's quite lovely to be recognized," Carr, who started making banners in reaction to the hundreds of missing and murdered aboriginal women in Canada. She wears traditional dress when she goes out to collect handprints.

"For me, it's more that I want to spread the word, and I guess want this to be legitimized. People keep asking me what organization I'm with, but I'm not an organization. I'm an artist and this is part of my body of work. And I plan to do it for the rest of my life."

Tickets for the 36th annual Women of Distinction Awards gala are $160 (with a tax-deductible receipt for the donation portion) and available at www.ywinnipeg.ca/wod.html.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition May 1, 2012 D1