Female Entrepreneur of the Year
This award recognizes and celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit and success. Determination, dynamism and innovation are all words that represent female business community of the Miramichi.
Lisa Williams - UNICARE Home Health Care
Lisa Williams of UNICARE Home Health Care, describes her journey as a female entrepreneur as risky, challenging, and completely life altering. At the same time, she says it is immensely satisfying with great rewards and opportunity beyond all expectations.
Lisa achieved a B.A. in Psychology from Mount Allison, Bachelor of Business Administration and Education Degree from U.N.B.
Thinking she had found the right path as a teacher, the next several years found her travelling with her young son Joshua, to Northern Manitoba, Canada; Beijing, China; and Dubai in the United Arab Emeritus.
It was when Lisa was back home visiting family that her path changed. Her aging grandmother was at the end of her life's journey. Lisa realized there was a need for high quality at -home health care.
Inspired by her Grandmother's situation, Lisa caught the entrepreneurial ‘bug’ and UNICARE was born in 2007. What began in a 12x12 room with one employee in her home, has grew into a two-story office & training centre staffed by 5 with more than 120 employees. UNICARE rapidly expanded as far as the Acadian Peninsula with two additional offices. To better serve her clients, Lisa added a 2nd business; UNI-CLEAN SOLUTIONS-an eco-friendly professional cleaning company.
Lisa understands that a healthy community needs active citizenship. She has been a board member and a volunteer with the Newcastle Rotary Club and is a board member of the Miramichi Chamber of Commerce. Lisa is also involved with the provincial board of the New Brunswick Home Support Association. This platform, allows Lisa to advocate for seniors' quality of life and to stand up for fair and equitable wages for all working women.
Since day one-Lisa has understood that at the heart of UNICARE are the employees! Investing in her workers means confidant and motivated employees, who are proud to serve their clients.
Lisa recently graduated from the ELP program at the Wallace McCain Institute. This is a program developed solely for Entrepreneurs.
Lisa believes that she owes it to her employees, clients, herself and her family, to be the best leader possible; to lead by example; to stand up for those who need help; and to give a voice to those who are not being heard. She believes doing this will nurture/create healthier communities for a healthy future.
Lisa achieved a B.A. in Psychology from Mount Allison, Bachelor of Business Administration and Education Degree from U.N.B.
Thinking she had found the right path as a teacher, the next several years found her travelling with her young son Joshua, to Northern Manitoba, Canada; Beijing, China; and Dubai in the United Arab Emeritus.
It was when Lisa was back home visiting family that her path changed. Her aging grandmother was at the end of her life's journey. Lisa realized there was a need for high quality at -home health care.
Inspired by her Grandmother's situation, Lisa caught the entrepreneurial ‘bug’ and UNICARE was born in 2007. What began in a 12x12 room with one employee in her home, has grew into a two-story office & training centre staffed by 5 with more than 120 employees. UNICARE rapidly expanded as far as the Acadian Peninsula with two additional offices. To better serve her clients, Lisa added a 2nd business; UNI-CLEAN SOLUTIONS-an eco-friendly professional cleaning company.
Lisa understands that a healthy community needs active citizenship. She has been a board member and a volunteer with the Newcastle Rotary Club and is a board member of the Miramichi Chamber of Commerce. Lisa is also involved with the provincial board of the New Brunswick Home Support Association. This platform, allows Lisa to advocate for seniors' quality of life and to stand up for fair and equitable wages for all working women.
Since day one-Lisa has understood that at the heart of UNICARE are the employees! Investing in her workers means confidant and motivated employees, who are proud to serve their clients.
Lisa recently graduated from the ELP program at the Wallace McCain Institute. This is a program developed solely for Entrepreneurs.
Lisa believes that she owes it to her employees, clients, herself and her family, to be the best leader possible; to lead by example; to stand up for those who need help; and to give a voice to those who are not being heard. She believes doing this will nurture/create healthier communities for a healthy future.
Female Professional Excellence of the Year
This award recognizes an outstanding woman who is acknowledged in her field for her professional leadership. She is committed to excellence, creates and inspires a positive work environment and influences and motivates positive change in her profession, trade or workplace.
Karen White-O'Connell - NBCC Miramichi
Karen White-O’Connell has been NBCC’s Miramichi Regional Director for the past three years.
Over her career at NBCC, Karen has demonstrated a keen understanding for the many facets of a community college housed in a ‘rural’ campus. Karen returned to Miramichi in 2001 and has committed herself not only to the business of NBCC, but the role NBCC plays in the community. She is passionate about making both NBCC and Miramichi a vibrant and economically successful community.
Karen is a continuous learner who has two Masters Degrees; one in Administration and one in Educational Foundations, as well as three other College program certificates. These achievements have been valuable assets for her career path at NBCC. Karen has always exhibited strong leadership skills including the desire to help others. She started her career working in special care residences for intellectually and physically challenged youth and adults and became a supervisor before the age of 19. She later joined Veteran’s Affairs in the role of Chief of Client Services to support veterans and their families in Southern Alberta. Karen left Alberta for Winnipeg in 1992 and joined Investors Group as their Senior Organizational Consultant. With a yearning to return home to the Miramichi, she accepted a job with Investors Group in Moncton returning as the Atlantic Area Manager. She later returned to her hometown of Miramichi and supply taught with the School District before joining NBCC Miramichi in 2003. Karen has also owned businesses over the past 20 years.
In conjunction with her daily duties of managing people and facilities, Karen has played a key role in many changes during her tenure to push NBCC’s success as a solid educational institution. In 2006, Karen was at the helm as Director of Administration when the Miramichi campus became the first campus to have a Student Learning Centre to help students with disabilities which became a model for the other campuses. Karen also directed the creation of a welcome space on campus for a domestic violence outreach coordinator role, a role that remains today to help women and children both on and off campus. Working with other rural partners, Karen helped to explore the post-secondary English programming needs in Northern New Brunswick which later developed into the creation of a newly renovated space and programming in Dalhousie.
Most recently, Karen was the Chair of the campus committee for the highly successful launch of the NBCC Robertson Institute for Community Leadership on October 15th, which saw over 600 NBCC volunteers working around Miramichi. Wanting to involve the community, Karen invited 117 local high school students on campus to hear the guest speaker, Marc Kielburger speak about volunteering. She truly enjoys hosting our community’s youth on campus at any opportunity she can. And for the past year, Karen has been a committee member and supporter of the new Oasis entrepreneurial project being piloted at the Miramichi campus. As an educational director, Karen believes that NBCC is crucial to supporting the success of the next generation and strives to make NBCC a positive part of the community of Miramichi. Over the past 11 years, Karen has consistently demonstrated that she has played an instrumental role in the success of NBCC and will continue to do so.
Karen passionately believes in community involvement for both herself and for the campus. Karen volunteers with various organizations including the Family Violence Prevention Network, Air Cadets and the Chamber of Commerce. More importantly, she actively promotes the initiatives of her staff and students in the community and supports campus and the community connections. Examples include leading the local NBCC Community Engagement fund, and supporting the campus Wellness Committee events such as the annual Rotary Dragon Boat Race.
Karen is also highly devoted to raising her family in Miramichi. In 2011, Karen and her husband Peter became parents to three children from Mexico. This was a very long and arduous process that included much patience and perseverance and included learning Spanish as a second language. She shows the same level of commitment to her staff and students of NBCC.
Over her career at NBCC, Karen has demonstrated a keen understanding for the many facets of a community college housed in a ‘rural’ campus. Karen returned to Miramichi in 2001 and has committed herself not only to the business of NBCC, but the role NBCC plays in the community. She is passionate about making both NBCC and Miramichi a vibrant and economically successful community.
Karen is a continuous learner who has two Masters Degrees; one in Administration and one in Educational Foundations, as well as three other College program certificates. These achievements have been valuable assets for her career path at NBCC. Karen has always exhibited strong leadership skills including the desire to help others. She started her career working in special care residences for intellectually and physically challenged youth and adults and became a supervisor before the age of 19. She later joined Veteran’s Affairs in the role of Chief of Client Services to support veterans and their families in Southern Alberta. Karen left Alberta for Winnipeg in 1992 and joined Investors Group as their Senior Organizational Consultant. With a yearning to return home to the Miramichi, she accepted a job with Investors Group in Moncton returning as the Atlantic Area Manager. She later returned to her hometown of Miramichi and supply taught with the School District before joining NBCC Miramichi in 2003. Karen has also owned businesses over the past 20 years.
In conjunction with her daily duties of managing people and facilities, Karen has played a key role in many changes during her tenure to push NBCC’s success as a solid educational institution. In 2006, Karen was at the helm as Director of Administration when the Miramichi campus became the first campus to have a Student Learning Centre to help students with disabilities which became a model for the other campuses. Karen also directed the creation of a welcome space on campus for a domestic violence outreach coordinator role, a role that remains today to help women and children both on and off campus. Working with other rural partners, Karen helped to explore the post-secondary English programming needs in Northern New Brunswick which later developed into the creation of a newly renovated space and programming in Dalhousie.
Most recently, Karen was the Chair of the campus committee for the highly successful launch of the NBCC Robertson Institute for Community Leadership on October 15th, which saw over 600 NBCC volunteers working around Miramichi. Wanting to involve the community, Karen invited 117 local high school students on campus to hear the guest speaker, Marc Kielburger speak about volunteering. She truly enjoys hosting our community’s youth on campus at any opportunity she can. And for the past year, Karen has been a committee member and supporter of the new Oasis entrepreneurial project being piloted at the Miramichi campus. As an educational director, Karen believes that NBCC is crucial to supporting the success of the next generation and strives to make NBCC a positive part of the community of Miramichi. Over the past 11 years, Karen has consistently demonstrated that she has played an instrumental role in the success of NBCC and will continue to do so.
Karen passionately believes in community involvement for both herself and for the campus. Karen volunteers with various organizations including the Family Violence Prevention Network, Air Cadets and the Chamber of Commerce. More importantly, she actively promotes the initiatives of her staff and students in the community and supports campus and the community connections. Examples include leading the local NBCC Community Engagement fund, and supporting the campus Wellness Committee events such as the annual Rotary Dragon Boat Race.
Karen is also highly devoted to raising her family in Miramichi. In 2011, Karen and her husband Peter became parents to three children from Mexico. This was a very long and arduous process that included much patience and perseverance and included learning Spanish as a second language. She shows the same level of commitment to her staff and students of NBCC.
Woman of Influence Award
This is award recognizes an outstanding woman over the age of 29 who is respected and admired for her leadership, achievements and contributions to her workplace, community and is a positive influence. She has shown perseverance, innovation and compassion.
Connie Doucet
Connie has been a Registered Nurse for most of her life. She began her career in Pediatrics however in January 1985 she took a leap of faith and joined the staff of the Extra Mural Program which was at the time an innovative concept of community based medical care. In her early years of nursing, a senior nurse sparked her interest in the field of palliative care, and during her time with Extra Mural her interest developed into a deep passion.
Connie is one of approximately 1800 Nursing professionals in Canada who holds palliative certification through the Canadian Nurses Association. Connie also has a certificate in Palliative care through Alberta’s Grant MacEwan College and is Past President of the New Brunswick Hospice Palliative Care Association
Throughout her career Connie utilized her passion, compassion, skills and talent for the dying and their families, not only on the job, but on her own time as well. Countless times, you could find Connie in homes sharing her gift of music with people in the most intimate way possible. She would leave her home at all hours of the day and night, just to be with someone who was dying to provide support for them, their families and care givers.
Connie’s desire to serve the dying and their families was the motivating factor for her to gather like minded members of the Miramichi community in February of 2011. The goal of the meeting was to establish a Hospice organization here on the river. Over the next 2 years Connie, motivated and organized a Board of Directors, educated the community, recruited and trained and supervised volunteers, sought out client referrals and spearheaded numerous fundraising activities to move forward. With her guidance, experience and passion, Hospice Miramichi was born. In 2013 Connie retired after a lengthy service in Miramichi Hospitals including the Extra Mural Program, but Connie was just getting started! In May of 2013 Hospice Miramichi began delivering support services to families in the community who were experiencing the stress of living with life-threatening illnesses. To put this in perspective, what Moncton and Fredericton had taken 6 and 9 years respectively to accomplish; under Connie’s leadership this community accomplished it in 2 years.
Connie has faced difficulties in her own life with courage and tenacity. When endless barriers were placed in front of her, she only became more determined to succeed. Her commitment to end of life care is undaunted and she believes that every person has the right to live their life to the fullest until they die,and in their dying that they will cared for with dignity and respect in a location of their choice (preferably Residential Hospice) surrounded by their loved ones.
Connie is one of approximately 1800 Nursing professionals in Canada who holds palliative certification through the Canadian Nurses Association. Connie also has a certificate in Palliative care through Alberta’s Grant MacEwan College and is Past President of the New Brunswick Hospice Palliative Care Association
Throughout her career Connie utilized her passion, compassion, skills and talent for the dying and their families, not only on the job, but on her own time as well. Countless times, you could find Connie in homes sharing her gift of music with people in the most intimate way possible. She would leave her home at all hours of the day and night, just to be with someone who was dying to provide support for them, their families and care givers.
Connie’s desire to serve the dying and their families was the motivating factor for her to gather like minded members of the Miramichi community in February of 2011. The goal of the meeting was to establish a Hospice organization here on the river. Over the next 2 years Connie, motivated and organized a Board of Directors, educated the community, recruited and trained and supervised volunteers, sought out client referrals and spearheaded numerous fundraising activities to move forward. With her guidance, experience and passion, Hospice Miramichi was born. In 2013 Connie retired after a lengthy service in Miramichi Hospitals including the Extra Mural Program, but Connie was just getting started! In May of 2013 Hospice Miramichi began delivering support services to families in the community who were experiencing the stress of living with life-threatening illnesses. To put this in perspective, what Moncton and Fredericton had taken 6 and 9 years respectively to accomplish; under Connie’s leadership this community accomplished it in 2 years.
Connie has faced difficulties in her own life with courage and tenacity. When endless barriers were placed in front of her, she only became more determined to succeed. Her commitment to end of life care is undaunted and she believes that every person has the right to live their life to the fullest until they die,and in their dying that they will cared for with dignity and respect in a location of their choice (preferably Residential Hospice) surrounded by their loved ones.
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Young Woman of Influence Award
This award recognizes an outstanding young woman who is respected and admired for her leadership, achievements and is a positive influence on her peers. Tristen King
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WOMEN Member of the Year
The WOMEN member who exemplifies true commitment and dedication to the network through support of events and social media and positively promotes the network. Veronique Arseneault
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Finalists in Each Category
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Female Entrepreneur of the Year
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Female Professional Excellence
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Woman of Influence
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2014 Gala Sponsors
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