Wilma Evans                                                                       

A woman who has made an outstanding achievement in a private, public, or a not-for-profit company.

Wilma began her investment management career in 1996 with RBC Dominion Securities, an affiliate of the Royal Bank of Canada. During her career with Dominion Securities, she has continued to study and upgrade her knowledge, while building her business. In 2006, Wilma received her Certified Investment Management designation, an accreditation which allows her to manage portfolios on a discretionary basis. Wilma is among a handful of Investment Advisors in New Brunswick to achieve this level of expertise in her Profession and part of an elite group of Investment Advisors with the necessary accreditation and proven track record to receive the industry designation of Portfolio Manager (the highest designation within the field). She manages a growing business of individual, corporate and non-profit clients and attributes her ability to listen to her clients and to find wealth management solutions specifically designed to meet individual needs, as the main factors for success in her chosen profession. Her close relationship with her clients and the day to day challenges of her Profession inspire her every working day. Wilma sponsors a Ladies Only Golf Clinic every June to raise funds for the Atlantic Chapter of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. She has also provided sponsorship and funding for YWCA events, the local Osteoporosis Society, the Hillsborough Fashion Show fund raiser and the Moncton Public Library. She has chaired the Women in Business Committee of the Moncton Chamber of Commerce and is Past President of the Business and Professional Women’s club and served as a board member at the National level of that organization.

Lifetime Achievement 

Gabrielle Maillet
     
A woman who devoted many years of her life to women's issues or to her community

"Some say that I am too passionate; others say that is what they admire in me. For those in the business world, you may qualify me as a do-gooder and dreamer and that's ok. It takes all kinds of personalities to make this big world go round and round.

In the spirit of being honored in such a way, I thought about what are some of the most important messages I would wish to convey and I have chosen to address young professionals starting their careers. In so doing it also addresses one highlight of my own career.

Here is what I believe to be one of the messages I have tried to give to the students I was fortunate enough to supervise or some would honor me in saying the opposite, that they were the fortunate ones.

N'ayez pas peur de risquer, qui risquer rien, ne gagne rien. Osez questionner le statu quo. Qui dit que les politiques ou les procédures ne peuvent pas même changé? J'en suis la preuve que les revendications peuvent porter fruits. J'en ai lancé ma part de défis. Mais je dois ajouter que celles et ceux qui prennent cette voit ne vont pas nécessairement s'attirer des alliés ou même des amis. La route peut être ennuyeuse, parce que l'on se trouve souvent seule sur ce chemin. Mais les récompenses en valent certainement la peine. Ah, presque toujours. Mais, je ne regrette absolument rien.

One person can make a difference. When I graduated from University, I told myself that if I could make a difference in the life of one person, I should feel good about my accomplishment. After this number of years I now realize that I have made a difference in more than one person's life and for that I am honored to have been given the opportunity."

Woman in Art & culture

Susan Chalmers Gauvin                                

A woman who has enriched the cultural life of our community through her work in the arts.

Founder and CEO of Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada, Susan Chalmers-Gauvin has been the driving force behind the Company. She has over 20 years of management and consulting experience in the not-for-profit sector and has brought an extensive expertise in organizational development, strategic planning and evaluation to her position with the organization. Ms. Chalmers-Gauvin has been responsible for the strategic and financial development of the Company over the past seven years, including overseeing growth in both government and private sector sources. She has also placed a strong focus on business development, revenue growth and export and has worked to position Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada as a cultural force both nationally and internationally. Ms. Chalmers-Gauvin co-founded Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada with Artistic Director Igor Dobrovolskiy in 2001, with a vision to establish an internationally ranked professional ballet company of high artistic standard that would serve and represent the Atlantic region across Canada and around the world. A key goal within this mandate was to contribute to the cultural and social quality of life of Atlantic Canada through education and community outreach programs. The unparalleled and early success of Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada has been the result of Ms. Chalmers-Gauvin’s commitment to artistic excellence, but also her innovative and forward-thinking vision in building this arts organization based on a business/export model. The business approach to the organization has been recognized through awards from the Greater Moncton Chamber of Commerce and the Pan-Atlantic Export Initiative. The success of Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada has opened doors for additional artistic development within the Atlantic region.

Woman in Public & Community Service

Sue Calhoun  

A woman who through her involvement and participation has made her community a better place to live.

Sue Calhoun has been involved in public and community service all her adult life. She was a co-founder of the Kitchener-Waterloo Women’s Centre in the early 1970s. She was a member of the Atlantic Board of Directors of OXFAM-Canada (1979-89), Dialogue New Brunswick (1990-93), the NB Judicial Council (1996-99) and the National Advisory Committee on Rural Issues (2002-05). In 1992, Sue helped parents to take over Shediac’s only daycare centre, which was on the verge of bankruptcy, and to turn it into a parent’s co-operative. She was the founding President for four years, and was named “Volunteer of the Year” by the Acadian Co-operative Movement as a result. Sue’s passion is the education and empowerment of women. She was president of the Moncton Business & Professional Women’s (BPW) Club (2002-04), NB-BPW Provincial President (2004-06), 1st Vice-president nationally (2006-08), and is currently national president of the Canadian Federation of Business & Professional Women’s Clubs. In 2006, Sue helped to found the Club des femmes de carrière du Sud-est du Nouveau-Brunswick, the first francophone BPW club outside Québec. Through her company, Calhoun Research and Development, Sue has worked with senior levels of government, communities and women in business as well as with people who need their belongings moved from an emergency shelter to an apartment. Sue believes that all people have value, and that we all have a responsibility to give back to our community as much as we can.

Woman in Volunteerism

Patricia Harknett

A woman who has contributed to making a difference in the lives of others through community service.

Patricia Harknett was brought up in a household that considered volunteer involvement to be part of everyday activity. As an adult she was fortunate to find a professional home with Midland Transport Limited; who as an employer encouraged her to positively impact change not only at work but within our community as well. With the ongoing support of her family & Midland she joined the Greater Moncton Chamber of Commerce, served on various committees and the Board where in 2001 she became the 3rd woman to chair the organization. Professional volunteerism is a continuing theme with Pat and over the years she has served on various committees and the Boards of the Atlantic Institute of Logistics and Transportation and the Greater Moncton International Airport Authority. She currently sits on the Board of Moncton Industrial Development and Medavie Blue Cross’ Client Advisory Committee. Pat plays an active role in the Human Resources Association of New Brunswick and was on the volunteer steering committee of last year’s very successful Atlantic Canada Human Resources Conference – Taking Flight. On the community side Pat has volunteered with CNIB, the Canadian Cancer Society, the Greater Moncton Community Foundation and the Memorial Cup committee. She is currently serving as Vice Chair of the Board for the United Way of Greater Moncton & SENB and is chair of registration for the upcoming QMJHL Draft. When asked about volunteering Pat says; “I encourage each of you to become involved in areas that will make a positive difference in our community. I can assure you that what you give you will get back tenfold.”