Ashley Nurmela is an Indigenous woman from Lake Helen, and a proud wife and mother of four beautiful children. She attended Confederation College in the Native and Child Family Services Program as an adult learner, where she was on the honour roll, received the Board of Governors Award, and the Succi OASA Student Leadership award. She works at both the grassroots and administrative levels, developing and coordinating such programs as the Stand Up Speak Up Campaign, and most recently as the FNMI Liaison for the Lakehead District School Board. Ashley is running for city councillor of the McKellar ward in Thunder Bay, ON.
Read moreKim Ducharme
As a community member for over 30 years, Kim Ducharme has been engaged in her community in a variety of activities, roles and commitments. She has served in several family/children’s social service agencies, both in direct service and management. She has extensive experience serving on various Boards, as well as significant volunteer and advocacy work. She graduated from both a community college and university program in Child and Youth Care, and is grateful for the experience in both learning pathways. She presently serves as a professor at her local community college in the Child and Youth Care program. Her career direction definitely fine-tuned her skills in realistic and no-nonsense decision making, conflict management, crisis intervention, organization as well as the ability to do ten things all at the same time. Kim is running running for councillor-at-large in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Read moreWinona Hutchinson
Winona was born in Toronto and raised in an Anishnaabe household. Her adopted mother is a band member of Garden River and her birth mother is Metis (French/Blackfoot). She returned to Sault Ste Marie in 1999. She has a varied work experience, beginning with graduating from Humber College as a Child and Youth Worker in 1989. Since then she has accomplished many things, but to highlight a few: she 5 group homes in government licensing and operations; she held the position of Chair of the Staff Training and Retention Sub-Committee for the Ministry of Community and Social Services; she has experience as the manager of Marks and Assistant Store Manager at both Home Depot and Lowe’s, with experience in both roles of Operations Manager and Specialty Manager in Sault Ste. Marie; she managed a weight-loss and nutrition center which allowed me the necessary experience to cross over to retail from the social services industry; she managed Invitational and Regional Swim Competitions as a Meet Manager. Winona is also a Level IV Referee with Swim Ontario. She is running for Councillor of Ward 3 in Sault Ste Marie.
Read morePress Release: PoliticsNOW Founder Included On National List Honouring Accomplished Millenials
Amanda Kingsley Malo tells her story in Flare’s #HowIMadeIt2018.
Read moreEllen Chambers
Ellen Chambers is a retired teacher, local union president and provincial executive member for ETFO. She has received the Thunder Bay Mayor's Local Hero Award, as well as the Humanitarian Award provincially for ETFO for her advocacy for safety of LGBTQ students in schools. She works on social justice committees, such as Diversity Thunder Bay. She was a founding member of SAGE - Sexuality and Gender Equity and was the co-founder and co-chair of Thunder Pride.
Read moreArlene Phillips
Arlene Phillips enjoyed growing up in North Bay, and went to Laurentian University (North Bay and Sudbury). She completed her B.A. at the University of Toronto on a part-time basis while working full-time, so that she could have working experience for when she graduated. She has been with the Ontario Government for a precarious twenty-eight years, working in many cities and in many positions, often as a business analyst. She is a single parent of one amazing human being who has left the nest. With her union, she has developed an activist's voice, working towards things like living minimum wage, fairness and helping others up. Arlene is running for council in North Bay.
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