The deadline for nomination submissions for the Women of the Year awards is today, March 18.
Businesses and organizations are encouraged to consider nominating a local woman into Women of the Year awards.
This annual event is organized by the Quota International of Weyburn, in partnership with the Weyburn Credit Union.
There are four categories of the Women of the Year: the Weyburn Credit Union Workplace Excellence Award, the M. Isabelle Butters Quota International of Weyburn Community Service Award, the Access Communication Entrepreneur Award of Excellence, and the Investors Group Young Woman of Distinction Award.
The Workplace Excellence award will be presented to a woman who supports the diverse needs of the workplace. She should be a role model for best workplace practices by implementing or influencing innovative initiatives, being progressive to employee needs and supporting the advancement and success of others.
The Community Service award will be presented to a woman who as a volunteer mentors and inspires others through involvement in community programs and organizations. She should have a strong dedication to enriching the community.
The Exceptional Entrepreneur award will be presented to a woman who has successfully launched a business, product or service and who remains active in business. She should possess exceptional leadership, creativity and ingenuity and takes an innovative approach to solving a problem.
The 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. She should demonstrate outstanding leadership and inspire her to follow her example.
Nomination forms for Women of the Year are available at Prairie Sky Co-op Expressions Ladies Wear, located in the Metro Centre on Third Street.
Individuals or groups may nominate a woman for any or all of the four awards. Nominees must be living and reside in Weyburn, or within a 50 kilometre radius of Weyburn.
There will be a nominees tea held April 3, where all the nominees will be recognized for their contributions to Weyburn.
Luncheon tickets for the Women of the Year awards will be available starting April 4 for $30. They can be purchased from the Expressions location.
Anyone who is nominated for a Women of the Year award will not have to pay for their luncheon ticket, due to sponsorship that provides for the cost.
A committee will select four women from among the nominees to receive awards. The awards acknowledge the contributions of women and it provides us with an opportunity to raise funds for two worthwhile areas of service: disadvantaged women and children, and for hearing and speech impaired persons.
The Women of the Year awards luncheon will be held Monday, April 18 at McKenna Hall.
The keynote speaker is Natasha Vandenhurk, CEO and part owner of Three Farmers Products.
Natasha began her venture at Three Farmers at the age of 24 after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Saskatchewan.
Natasha and the team at Three Farmers are focused on creating natural, healthy foods and retailing these foods through health stores and specialty shops across Canada. Natasha was faced with the challenge of getting a startup company off the ground at a very young age. She faced an industry that she had very limited knowledge about and was tasked with marketing and selling a brand new category of oils, completely unknown to the industry. These challenges forced her to become a very effective problem solver and efficient decision maker.
The core values behind the Three Farmers brand are value added agriculture, natural and sustainable growing, healthy and wholesome foods and traceable products.
But the real emphasis of the brand is on the farming experience, fostering close relationships with customers, and giving back to communities in many different ways.
Quota International celebrates its 97th anniversary in 2016. Quota Weyburn has been part of this network since 1954, serving the local community in a variety of ways.
They have provided funding to the Weyburn Public Library toy lending program, the Weyburn Special Care Home, Family Place, the Salvation Army, and also have donated of several FM Hearing Systems to schools, day cares, and long term care facilities.
