Some of Cold Lake’s best and brightest women received recognition at the Women of Influence Awards.
Now finished its fifth year, the awards aim to recognize the women in the city who have gone above and beyond in making a positive contribution to the community. 31 women were nominated across four categories: Arts and Culture, Business and Professional, Community and Volunteerism and Health and Wellness. Patty Cowden – who is active in several non-profit groups around the city and will be speaking at Harvard on her research in child psychology – was chosen as the Overall Woman of Influence for 2017.
Kathryn Hotte of the Rural Alberta Business Centre Cold Lake won in the Business and Professional category.
“I’m very, very humbled to receive that award,” she says. “Especially considering all the other nominees and fellow award winners.I just feel blessed to be in the company of so many amazing women. I really think we rock.”
Friday night’s award ceremony had an interesting twist to it as well.
“The Women of Influence Committee did an amazing job,” Hotte adds. “They even had Teresa Pettit from Grande Parlour Productions with her women in history. So there was women dressed as famous Canadian women mixing and mingling amongst the crowd and they also helped introduce the winners. It was a really interesting and fun way to celebrate women.”
The complete list of winners are as follows:
Arts & Culture: Megan Bailey (Teacher at at Nelson Heights elementary school)
Business & Professional: Kathryn Hotte (Rural Alberta Business Centre Cold Lake)
Community & Volunteerism: Gwen Lepine-Morissette (board member of the Dr. Margaret Savage Crisis Centre, the Elizabeth Settlement School Board, the Elizabeth Settlement Ball Club, Wellness Committee, Restorative Committee. Administrator for the Youth Justice Committee.)
Health & Wellness: Christina Kean (Leads self-esteem group for teens and postpartum group for mothers)
Overall Woman of Influence: Patty Cowden (Habitat for Humanity, Victim Services, UN High Commission for Refugees, World Vision, FCSS and the Boys & Girls Club of Bonnyville.)