Influential Women of Northern Ontario celebrates 20 years.

• Position: IW COVERAGE

Nominations will soon open for the 2018 Influential Women Awards. Visit InfluentialWomen.ca for more information.

The Influential Women of Northern Ontario (IW) Awards program, an initiative of Northern Ontario Business, celebrated its 20th anniversary this year.

The IW program was launched in 1997 as a way to seek out, profile and honour women who are making a difference in their communities and contributing to the region's economic success. More than 150 accomplished women have been recognized since the program's inception and the roster of award winners continues to grow.

Winners for 2017 have been selected in the following categories: Business of the Year, Executive, Entrepreneur and Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Aboriginal Leadership, Tradeswoman of the Year and Influential Community Trailbiazer.

The event also acknowledges a leader of the future through the presentation of the Influential Woman Essay Scholarship.

This year, 15 women from communities across the North were celebrated.

The Northwest IW Awards luncheon was held on Thursday, May 25 at the Victoria Inn Hotel & Convention Centre in Thunder Bay. The Northeast IW Awards luncheon was held on Monday, May 29 at the Senator Hotel & Conference Centre in Timmins.

"The quantity and quality of nominations continue to create a difficult task for our judges," Abbas Homayed, Northern Ontario Business publisher, said.

"The accomplishments of this year's winners are truly remarkable. We congratulate all the winners for 2017."

Northern Ontario Business extends its gratitude to this year's nominators, judges, and sponsors. The winners' profiles and photos are available to view on the IW website, at InfluentialWomen.ca.

NORTHEAST WINNERS

Executive of the Year

Lee-Ann St. Jacques, Area Manager Housing Services

Cochrane District Social Services

Administration Board, Iroquois Falls

Sponsor: Senator Hotel & Conference Centre

Entrepreneur of the Year

Tracy Nutt, President, Kleen Strux Inc., Sudbury

Sponsor: KIA of Timmins

Young Entrepreneur

Sable Giesler, Owner, Equine Connect Today Corporation, Powassan

Sponsor: PARO Centre for Women's Enterprise

Business of the Year

Design de Plume, Sudbury

Aboriginal Leadership

Veronica Nicholson, Executive Director, Timmins Native Friendship Centre

Sponsor: Ontario Power Generation

Tradeswoman of the Year

Micheline Gervais, Associate/Project Manager, DST Consulting Engineers Inc.,

Sudbury

Sponsor: Northern College

Influential Community Trailbiazer

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