A group of Chatham-Kent women are being recognized for their outstanding contributions to the community.
The May Court Club of Chatham announced the names of six Chatham-Kent women chosen as "Women of Excellence 2018" on Monday at Ten-Seven Cafe and Lounge in Chatham.
An awards banquet will be held on Thursday, May 24 at the Maple City Golf and Country Club to honour the women.
"Our members are pleased to once again have this opportunity to recognize these deserving Chatham-Kent women who have worked so diligently to make a difference," says club President Kris Stevens.
Stevens says proceeds from the sale of tickets for the awards banquet will help fund May Court's work with women and children in the community.
Each woman was selected for one of the following six categories:
Arts and Culture: Shannon Prince
Prince, who is from North Buxton, is currently the curator of the Buxton National Historic Site and Museum. She is also a storyteller and participant in historical re-enactments to bring the history of Buxton and the Underground Railroad to life. She is a descendant of the early fugitive families that came to Canada.
Business and Professions: Justine Kilby
Justine Kilby is the head of strategy at Ceridian, which provides human resources software and services. She is passionate about community building and the future of work in Southwestern Ontario.
Community and Volunteerism: Dianne Flook
Flook was born and raised on her family farm in Chatham-Kent. Flook has always been passionate about outdoor recreation and the environment. She was a member of the South Kent Trails committee of volunteers from 2001 to 2014. Flook has also been the chair of the Chatham-Kent Trails Council since 2012.
Education and Training: Janine Griffore
Griffore, who is a native of Grande Pointe, has worked as a secondary school teacher, a principal at Ecole Secondaire de Pain Court, a curriculum consultant and education officer with the Ministry of Education, a superintendent with the London-Middlesex Roman Catholic Separate School Board, and as the assistant deputy minister for the French language, Aboriginal Learning and Research Division for the Ministries of Education and Advanced Education and Skills Development. Since her retirement in December of 2016, she has stayed active in the education field as a consultant.
Health, Science, and Technology: Meaghan C. Creed
Creed is a Chatham native and former student at both McNaughton Avenue Public School and Chatham-Kent Secondary School. She graduated from the University of Toronto with an Honours Bachelor of Science degree from the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience. She then went onto get her PhD from the University of Toronto's Collaborative Program in Neuroscience in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology. She also completed four years of postdoctoral studies at the Department of Basic Neuroscience at the University of Geneva.
Young Woman of Excellence (18 to 29 years of age): Mackenzie Regts
Regts is a graduate of John McGregor Secondary School and the recipient of numerous academic and community awards. She is currently studying biomedical engineering at the University of Guelph. Regts served as the prime minister of her high school's student council and planned several events to benefit charities like the Canadian Cancer Society and the Heart and Stroke Foundation.