THUNDER BAY - Young leaders working to make a difference in the community through engagement, business and professional achievement, volunteerism, civic pride, and mentorship were honoured for their dedication at the NOVA Awards gala.
On Saturday, SHIFT hosted the 4th bi-annual Northwestern Ontario Visionary Awards (NOVA), where the top 20 under 40 young professionals were honoured with several awards.
“The quality of the nominees was extremely high this year,” said SHIFT president, Samantha Mihalus in a media release. “The top 20 were selected from a total of 79 nominees. It’s amazing and so inspiring to hear about how Northwestern Ontario young professionals are making a difference in their communities.”
More than 350 people attended the awards gala at the Victoria Inn where winners were announced in categories such as business and professional achievement, community champion, civic pride, rising star, people’s choice, and Super NOVA.
This year’s Super NOVA award went to Pittsburgh Penguin’s goaltender, and Stanley Cup champion, Matt Murray.
“The idea of awarding an athlete this time seemed fitting, given that all nominees and winners exemplify these exact qualities; self-discipline, dedication, focus, positive attitude, and raw hunger for what they are passionate about, just to name a few,“ Mihalus said.
Murray was unable to attend the gala and the award was accepted on his behalf by his mother, Fenny Seinen.
The gala event included a lot of glamour and spectacle, with aerialists, magicians, and tarot card readers providing entertainment. Theatre group, Applauze Productions and local band, Tin Pan Alley, also provided musical performances throughout the evening.
“This was definitely the biggest production the NOVAs has ever been in its eight-year history," Mihalus said. "The winners are an impressive group of careerists, game changers, leaders, and champions of their communities who mentor and inspire others. There is remarkable talent in our young professionals, locally and regionally, and the NOVAs recognize their contributions and tells them that their work matters and that they are valued.”
2018 NOVA Recipients
Business and Professional Achievement Category
1. James Nigro – Owner, mars. clothing
2. Aleska Shermack – Program Manager – Social Enterprise for Northern Ontario Program, PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise
3. Nick Purich – Vice President Finance & Chief Financial Officer, Wasaya Group Inc.
4. Andrew Calderon – Chief Operations Officer, Intrideo by Socy Inc.
5. Jay Barnard – CEO/Corporate Chef, Freshwater Cuisine
SHIFT Disturber NOVA
6. Sean Murray – CEO/Owner, Nor’Wester Maple Co. and Staff Scientist – Informal Education Programs, Science North
Community Champion Category
7. Matthew Villella – Employment Counselor, YES Employment, and Instructor, Confederation College
8. Farhan Yousaf – Vice President, Operations & Finance, Lakehead University Student Union (LUSU)
9. Elizabeth Ward – Administrative Coordinator, Fresh Market Foods
10. Ayoub Ansari – Barrister & Solicitor, Ayoub Ansari Law
11. Matt Dupuis – Proprietor, Uncle Matt’s
Civic Pride NOVA
12. Damien Gilbert – Owner-Operator, Epica Pictures
Leadership Category
13. Michael Dick – Executive Producer, CBC Thunder Bay
14. Dan Bevilacqua – Executive Director, Superior Country
15. Nathan Lawrence – Mortgage Broker, Dominion Lending Centres Lakehead Financial
16. Anu Baldner – Human Resources Manager, AV Terrace Bay
17. Rosa Carlino – Associate Lawyer, Cheadles LLP
Rising Star NOVA
18. Ashlyn Ransome – Owner, The Pasta Shoppe and Superior Olive Oil Co.
People’s Choice NOVA
19. Patricia Del Paggio – Teacher, Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board
SuperNOVA
20. Matt Murray – Goalie - Pittsburgh Penguins, National Hockey League
