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FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 2019
Quota Women of the Year award winners
Photo — April Zielke
The winners of the Quota International of Weyburn’s Women of the Year Awards gathered with their awards on Tuesday at McKenna Hall. From left are Christy Sanderson, Exceptional Entrepreneur award; Val Ness, Workplace Excellence award; Dara Currie, Young Woman of Distinction; and Maureen Clay, Community Service Award.
Quota Weyburn presents four Women of the Year awards By April Zielke The Quota International of Weyburn had their 19th annual Women of the Year Awards Luncheon on Tuesday at McKenna Hall, presenting awards in four categories. Val Ness won the Weyburn Credit Union Workplace Excellence Award. This award is given to a woman who supports the diverse needs of the workplace. Maureen Clay won the M. Isabelle Butters Quota International of Weyburn Community Service Award. This award is presented to a woman who, as a volunteer, mentors and inspires other through involvement in community programs and organizations. Christy Sanderson was presented with the Access Communications Exceptional Entrepreneur Award. This award goes to a woman who has successfully launched a business, product or service and who remains active in the business. Dara Currie was given the Hoffman, Michel & Associates IG Private Wealth Management Young Woman of Distinction Award. This award is 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. Ness is the VP of Human Resources at Weyburn Credit Union. She has worked with the Weyburn Credit Union for 44 years and has held a number of positions in the Credit Union’s operations. Recently, she had a large role in bringing in new branch renovations. The project brought a newly-defined functionality, as well as a renewed branding to Weyburn Credit Union. “It’s an incredible organization to work for and I feel fortunate to have been there and to be able to make a difference in implementing programs that will benefit our employees and our members down the road,” said Ness about the support she receives from her workplace. Clay has been an active member in numerous community groups such as the Rotary Club, the Weyburn Wood Carvers and Weyburn Horticultural Society. She has acted as personal support and a board member for the Grace United Church since 1978. She committed 20 years to the original Wheat Festival committee, eight of which she served
as chairman. For 10 years she served the Upper and Lower Watershed Advisory Committee and has also been involved in Sunrise Community Futures. In the last five years, Sanderson has taken ownership of three businesses. In 2015, she purchased Old Fashion Foods. In early 2018 she opened up Coco Bee Boutique with Kendra Sutherland, but unfortunately the two made the decision in March 2019 to close the store. In 2018, she purchased Expressions Ladies Wear from Prairie Sky Co-op in November. Asked what advice she had for up and coming entrepreneurs or those who are thinking of starting a business, Sanderson said, “My advice would always be go for it because if it works, that’s great, and if it doesn’t, you learn so much along the way that you’ll be better ready to do it next time. Definitely take the risk because it’s worth it.” Currie began working for Golden West in the Discover Weyburn newsroom in November 2013. In early 2014, she became a swing announcer which meant she alternated between being a news reporter and host. By 2015 she officially
became a DJ and ascended to the position of Morning Show host on BIG 106 FM. “I did not expect to win at all. I was up against some incredible nominees, so to be the one standing here is a big shock. I know for myself being in the day and age that we are in, there’s a lot of very feminist sentiments and myself I’m not necessarily one of the people who fall into that category, but to see all these women come together and inspire each other and just lift each other up and make each other happy, it’s incredible to see and I’m pleased to be a part of it,” Currie said about how important it was to have awards like this for women. The special guest speaker for the luncheon was CEO and President of
STARS, Andrea Robertson. Robertson fell in love with nursing after graduating from high school and worked her way up the ranks and acted in a number of roles before accepting her current position. In her speech, Robertson highlighted love and courage as playing a large role in making up a leader. “Fundamentally and simply, love is very important. When I think about how did my career begin, well, it was love. My parents were great people and I think that if you can do anything for little ones around you, it’s to love them well because I think that if you believe that you can do anything then indeed you can. In my view, the important ingredients of great leaders are courage, to act with integrity
and to try and always do the right thing. It sounds so simple, but it’s not always so simple.” She was also very impressed with the community of Weyburn in bringing together this event. “What my job teaches me every single day is that it is an absolute privilege to live and to be happy and to be involved in your community. This is it folks, this is the only life we’ve got, so we need to embrace it, whether as a female leader, a male leader, as a person that belongs to this incredible community. Look at what you’ve done here, it’s impressive. What you are doing here in this community is unbelievable. It takes a community to come together, to lead together to achieve an outcome, which you have done today. “
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