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Four New West women nominated for these annual distinction awards

YWCA Metro Vancouver is set to recognize New Westminster entrepreneurs and community leaders at its gala in May.
Kyle Balzer
Kyle Balzer
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The annual YWCA Metro Vancouver Women of Distinction Awards, pictured here in 2023.YWCA Metro Vancouver

A quartet of women that live or work in New Westminster have been shortlisted for the YWCA Metro Vancouver's 2024 Women of Distinction Awards.

The local nominees for the 41st annual event that celebrates female entrepreneurs and the advancement of gender equality include (in alphabetical order):

  • Chief Rhonda Larrabee, Qayqayt First Nation
    • "Reconciliation in Action" category
  • Elizabeth Rohrs, academic research lead for the Institute for Advancing Innovations in Medicine
    • "Research, The Sciences and Technology" category
  • Dr. Amy Salmon, associate director for the Centre for Advancing Health Outcomes
    • "Health and Wellness" category
  • Hayley Woodin Hastings, editor-in-chief of Business in Vancouver (BIV)
    • "Business and The Professions" category
    • BIV is a sister publication of the New Westminster Record

In a release sent to the Record, YWCA Metro Vancouver spokesperson Saphiya Zerrouk said the nominees represent the future and wellbeing of the community through the contributions of their respective fields.

"This signature fundraising event is about bringing our diverse community together to empower one another," Zerrouk explained.

In total, there are 106 nominees from across the region for the 2024 Women of Distinction Awards, which have recognized nearly 2,200 women since its inception in 1984.

The gala and ceremony is scheduled to take place Monday, May 13, at the Westin Bayshore in Vancouver.

"We boldly envision a just and equitable world for women, families and allies," YWCA's mission statement reads.

"We deliver affordable housing, early learning and child care, training and employment services, and a range of holistic programs that help support individual, collective and economic wellbeing."