City council put the spotlight on the accomplishments and contributions of local women on Tuesday.
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Councilors heard from Shannon McMannis of Ladies Who Lead and recognized Ashley Borzellino, a city employee who was crowned Miss Canada in 2023.
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Mayor Kevin Davis said Borzellino is an exceptional member of the city hall staff who has made a difference in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in the community.
“She is a certified technician with the Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists,” Davis said. “She is a member of the Women In STEM committee and has been working as a construction inspector for more than four years.”
Borzellino is also a spokesperson for Kids Now, a program that aims to build self-confidence, self-esteem and leadership skills in Grade 7 and 8 students.
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“As Miss Canada 2023, Ashley is using her platform to advocate for occupational diversity with the objective of raising awareness and increasing women’s participation in STEM,” Coun. Rose Sicoli said. “In Canada, approximately 20 per cent of the employees in STEM fields are female and only five per cent work on site.
“We can change that. We must change that.”
Sicoli said the theme of this year’s Women’s Day campaign is inspiring inclusion and Borzellino’s commitment to breaking gender norms and societal boundaries is truly inspiring.
International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8 and city staff are working on a campaign to celebrate the achievements of local women and advocates for actions against gender equality.
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“Thank you so much for this recognition, I truly appreciate it,” Borzellino said. “It shows that if you put yourself out there and believe in yourself, your goals will align and that’s what we’re witnessing today.
“This is all new to me, no one in my family has ever done anything like this so it was starting from scratch.”
Formed in 2019, Ladies Who Lead was established by a group of Brantford business women to support local women in their professions.
“The team saw a need in the community to promote women in a wide range of professions that differed from more transactional networking groups,” McMannis said. “There was a gap in genuine connection among professional women, to learn from one another, share stories and experiences and build community connections.
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“It is through these valuable connections that Ladies Who Lead fosters an environment of collaboration over competition.”
Ladies Who Lead is a not-for-profit organization and founded on the four pillars of building business, relationships, self and community. It has close to 100 members and has raised money for numerous local organizations including Brant Community Healthcare System Foundation, Nova Vita, Why Not City Missions, the Arnold Anderson Sport Fund and Child and Family Services of Grand Erie.
“We strive for diversity, equity and inclusion,” McMannis said. “We commit to using these practices in our membership, our community and the work we do in the community.”
The group’s past events include an appearance by Olympic gold winning hockey player Hayley Wickenheiser and entrepreneur Arlene Dickinson.
The next event features Sarah McVanel of Greatness Magnified and story-teller Daniel Lewis, an expert in people-centric leadership on April 18 at the Brantford Golf and Country Club.
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