It was a packed house at the Riverside Country Club in Rothesay as women from across the province were honoured for their contributions to the community.
The third annual Night of Influence Awards Gala and Dinner brought influential women from Saint John, Moncton, and Fredericton together to celebrate.
“Our job as leaders is to be the light, “ said Terri-Ann Richards, founder of Lighthouse Leaders Group. Richards, the organizer of the event, is an entrepreneur with more than two decades of business experience and is well-versed in making a positive impact on the community.
“The future is female,” Richards told the cheering crowd of nominees and supporters.
Moderated by Andrea Cyr of radio station Oldies 96, the evening started out with a distinguished panel discussion centered around shared life experiences. It touched on themes of motivation, self-discovery, boundaries, and the importance of failure.
Part of their recipe for success was being honest with themselves about things that weren’t working out for them, and deciding to do things differently.
Artist Ji Hyang Ryu spoke about her experiences in the medical field and how she had been discouraged from pursuing her “childish” passion for art.
“I have two medical degrees that I’m not using,” she explained to the audience. Ryu said at a certain point in her work in the medical field she could no longer deny that art was her motivator, no matter what others thought of her.
“If someone gives you a lot of money and you don’t feel like doing [that job], don’t do it. If you feel like jumping out of bed in the morning for just a little money, and you want to do it, just do it,” she said.
Keri Gaskin Fowler of Coverdale Counselling & Consulting talked about the best piece of advice she’d ever been given.
“I’ve been given lots of bad advice,” she joked with fellow panelists teams and communications facilitator Esther Hephzibah and president of archaeological firm Colbr Consulting Chelsea Colwell-Pasch.
She related the story of how her mother wrote a Shakespeare quote in her yearbook every year throughout her school days, but she didn’t really heed the advice until encountering roadblocks in her own career path.
The quote, from Hamlet, was “to thine own self be true.”
Finding your own truth and following it was a theme that continued throughout the evening.
Tracy Palmer of Roots to Branches Whole Health Clinic spoke about how her family discouraged her from quitting her nursing job to pursue her calling for creating a community centric, naturopathic women’s health care clinic.
“I came back to a career that in the medical field doesn’t ever feel valued, so it’s nice to be honoured,” she said.
Richards ended the evening with a surprise award given to a woman who Richards said had been nominated by her peers for every category, multiple times.
“They share stories of her resilience and her focus, her ability to juggle family, career and community. And how through her work, they have found their voice,” she said.
Olaitan Onyebuoha, of 7th Laurel Immigration Consulting, was presented with the Lighthouse Leader Award.
She related her story of deciding to go for her MBA at UNB Saint John, despite being married which in her Nigerian culture, typically closes doors to career opportunities for women.
“It has always been my drive and desire … to discover talent, showcase it and celebrate it,” she said.
The six categories of recognition are listed below.
Lady of the Community Award winner: Mallory Seely of First Steps Housing Project Inc.
Nominees: Susy Campos of the Greater Moncton Airport Authority, Doyin Somorin of IGNITE, and Olaitan Onyebuoha of 7th Laurel Immigration Consulting.
Lady of Leadership Award winner: Tracy Palmer of Roots to Branches Whole Health Clinic.
Nominees Myriane Oullette of O Strategies, Eleanor Austin of New Marketing Today, and Erin Ellis of Ellis Realty Team.
Champion of Diversity Award winner: Manju Varma of Engaging Matters.
Nominees: Heather White Brittain of the Imperial Theatre, Mylene Despres of La Station Workspace, and Tina Lewis of Xerox.
Lady to Watch Award winner: Dr. Stephanie Galea of Roots to Branches Whole Health Clinic.
Nominees: Brenda Diaz of PRUDE Inc, Angelique Binet of Social Media Love Inc,
Lady of Resilience Award: Tammy Rampersaud of Every Lemon Public Relations.
Nominees: Aimee Hutchinson of Beloved Miniature Horses, Chantal Poirier of Crossroads for Women, and Petrina Ferris of Systems & Style for Shared Success.
Youth to Watch Award winner: Ibtihaaj Enitan-Adelakun of SIMS (Social Impact Movement and Support) with Ibti
Nominees: Sydney Rankin of Profitual, author Sophie Eruokwu, Madison Watson of the Multicultural Association of Charlotte County
Alex Graham is a reporter with Huddle, an Acadia Broadcasting content partner.
