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Faces of WEST

Sep 13
Maria Ford Conliffe

Maria Ford Conliffe

By Faces of WEST

Faces of WEST

Maria Ford Conliffe

Maria Ford Conliffe

WEST Board – Past Member

“Trust that everything that is happening is working together for your good (including setbacks and challenges).”

  1. Tell us about yourself.
    I consider Windsor my hometown. With proud Canadian heritage from the 1850s, I grew up on the west end. I attended Marlborough Public School and J.L. Forster Secondary School. In the mid-70s I moved to Toronto and attended George Brown College and Ryerson Polytech. After college, I moved back to Windsor east. I commuted to Detroit to work and attended Wayne State University and Marygrove College in Detroit receiving a B.S. in Business, M.A. in Education, and M.A. in Human Resources Management. Now, I am living in Farmington Hills, Michigan with my husband, Darryl, and Cockapoo, Gromit. I enjoyed 30 years+ career as a Human Resources Manager with Ford Motor Company World Headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan.I love to travel the world and have visited 5 continents and 22 countries. One of my favorite books is Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I find dancing exhilarating!
  2. What does WEST mean to you?
    WEST has been a vehicle for me to share my skills and wisdom to young women who are trying to advance in life. I am impressed by the access to the vast educational program offerings, experiences and opportunities WEST provides. WEST uniquely serves a segment of the population of women who need help in navigating processes of life in a variety of ways. Examples include basic life skills that we take for granted like language skills, opening a bank account, taking a bus, knowing where to purchase clothing, job seeking skills, and awareness of programs available to newcomers, etc.
    I am also impressed by the number and caliber of supporters who help mentor participants and fund the mission.
    I have met phenomenal WEST staff and board members for whom I have much respect and I hope to be my friends for life!
    A bonus for me is that two of my young family members were able to utilize WEST programs, and for their growth as a result, I am forever grateful.
  3. What motivated you to get involved with WEST, and how has it impacted your life?
    I was introduced to WEST by Irene Moore Davis who was, at the time, President of my local chapter’s sorority Psi Delta Omega of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Irene was instrumental in our group donating clothing to the back to work program at WEST. By participating in that program, I met Rose Anguiano-Hurst. After attending the International Women’s Day Gala in 2015, I inquired about volunteer opportunities. The rest is history. I wanted to positively influence and support the mission of WEST. I wanted to be a part of something greater than me to share my skills in Human Resources and life experiences to impact young women. Giving back to my community by sharing my knowledge through workshop leader in both the LEAD and Empowering Women for Employment programs has fostered my growth significantly. It is intrinsically satisfying knowing that I have influenced at least one person who will exponentially influence others in a positive way.
  4. What advice do you have for women striving to achieve their dreams?
    My advice for women striving to achieve their dreams is to:

    • Never give up.
    • Visualize success.
    • Start your day with positive affirmations/prayer.
    • Set realistic goals, write them down and check them off as you achieve them.
    • Trust that everything that is happening is working together for your good (including setbacks and challenges).
    • Remember nobody is perfect.
    • Start each day with a clean slate.
    • Treat everyone you meet with dignity and respect. You never know who can help you.
    • Know that life is a journey…enjoy it!
  5. Can you share a memorable moment or achievement during your time at WEST that has been meaningful to you?
    When I conducted a workshop or participated in mock interview sessions and someone told me afterwords that something I said or did helped their understanding, facilitated an “Aha” moment for them or they looked at something with a different perspective…those moments were meaningful to me and affirmed that I was actually having an impact. There is no other feeling like that.
Sep 13
Jessica Watson

Jessica Watson

By Faces of WEST

Faces of WEST

Jessica Watson

Jessica Watson

WEST Board – Member

Never give up on being the best version of you. Live, learn, and grow! Believe that if you want to be it, you can achieve it!”

  1. Tell us about yourself. 
    I have been labeled an influencer. I am married with a large, blended family and grandchildren. I have been blessed to have given birth twice and my son and daughter have been my strength and purpose of living a meaningful and influential life thus far. My husband encourages me daily to believe in myself, and his compliments are my empowerment. I am a 20+ year municipal government employee, currently the Secretary-Treasurer, Committee of Adjustment with the City of Windsor. My passion is truly in travelling, and those who know me can attest I don’t sit still for too long! The world is filled with so much awe – each time I see a new part of it, I crave more! My favourite book is ” In the Meantime: Finding Yourself and The Love You Want” by Iyanla Vanzant – I read it in my 20’s and never lost touch with all it taught me. I recently bought the book again and looking forward to reading it again (now in my 40’s), it will be interesting to see if my perspectives and purposes have changed in the past 20 years. One thing I valued from her book is we cannot draw to ourselves more than we think we are worth. The only way to get what we really want is to let go of what we don’t. Those lessons alone are priceless!
  2. What does WEST mean to you?
    WEST to me has more than just a “meaning”. Being part of WEST Board of Directors, reminds me that as a young girl I may not have had the ability to make independent choices for myself based on gender bias, but as a woman it empowers me to know that each women has a say in their future, and we can provide them with amazing programs, leadership, and mentors to encourage their journey. With WEST, I am part of an organization that is providing ALL women an opportunity to have ownership over their own independence. WEST fosters confidence building, and inspires personal growth, which is a dynamic movement for revolutionizing all women to be the “her-oes” they were born to be.
  3. What motivated you to get involved with WEST, and how has it impacted your life?
    Getting involved with WEST has matured me personally and professionally! I joined the Board to be part of a movement I feel inspires, and encourages women to be who they want, and not what society dictates them the “norm” should be. WEST promotes equality and helps distinguish the meaning of being who YOU are born to be!
  4. In your opinion, what sets WEST apart in its approach to supporting women in the community?
    WEST supports all women, no matter their age, background, religion or mission. We break barriers! WEST’s leadership, programs and partnerships help shape the organizations mission and values. Our recognition alone for the amazing programs we offer, sets us apart from others. We are a movement that continues to set our standards above others, and our clients participation with their success stories continues to prove it.
  5. Reflecting on your journey with WEST, what’s one significant lesson or insight you’ve gained that you’d like to share with others?
    I’ve learned that we all are a piece of this big puzzle of life and knowing that I can contribute to the big picture as a small piece, makes me feel a sense of belonging and confidently doing my part to empower. WEST truly embraces the difference it makes in women’s lives and in return, we individually are strengthened.
  6. What advice do you have for women striving to achieve their dreams?
    Never give up on being the best version of you. Live, learn, and grow! Believe that if you want to be it, you can achieve it!
  7. Is there any woman that has inspired you or continues to inspires you?
    EVERY woman I meet is an inspiration in my life, no matter how big or small their accomplishments are. I feel that if you are still living, your purpose is not finished! We can always re-write our chapters, and our stories deserve to be shared. Every women, everywhere, has a story worth sharing.
  8. What are some challenges you’ve faced in your journey, and how have you overcome them?
    In my journey I have faced discrimination, and confused that with failure! I realized through faith and perseverance and constant reminders, that I matter! I realized, these minor setbacks at the time were actually “set-ups” for what was to come. I am thankful I never gave up, I only got better! I had to go thru every challenge I needed to, in order to get to this moment now. Reflection!
  9. Can you share a memorable moment or achievement during your time at WEST that has been meaningful to you?
    While serving on the Board, I didn’t realize my involvement timelapse, only my contributions. Recently I received the news that I am going to be recognized by receiving an Ontario Volunteer Service Award from the Province for my 5 years with the Board. This is such and honour, and a reminder to me that time truly flies when you are enjoying what you are doing! I am grateful!
  10. How does WEST ensure that its programs remain responsive to the evolving needs of participants and the community?
    WEST connects, WEST communicates, and WEST responds. WEST recognizes what is needed in the community and collectively works endlessly to make a difference. WEST promotes, encourages, empowers and stays committed to it’s core values and mission with determination. By building great partnerships, WEST truly is it’s own success story. We build on our mission each day, and the value it provides to our participants is evident we are making great strides for women every day to achieve the greatness within them. We are creating stronger women, and by doing so, we are impacting the future generation of women – in the end the world benefits from our mission today for a greater tomorrow!
Sep 12
Patti France

Dr. Patricia France

By Faces of WEST

Faces of WEST

Patti France

Dr. Patricia France

St. Clair College – Past President

“I think that caring deeply about something empowers you to have a voice and to use your voice to influence it.”

  1. Tell us about yourself. 
    I’m Patti France. As of June of 2024, I will be the retired President of St. Clair College, having worked there for over 37 years – the past nine as President. I’m certainly passionate about my family, and I’m excited that my retirement will give me much more time to spend with them, especially my grandson. Some people find my taste in TV shows a bit odd, because I’ll flip between Hallmark movies – especially Christmas ones, because I like to watch them for decorating ideas – and a wild, action-packed series like “Vikings”. I suppose the most widely told “fun fact” about me was that when I was named as St. Clair’s President in 2015, I was then – as far as we could tell – the only college President in Canada whose original postsecondary credential had actually been earned within that educational system (as opposed to a university degree).
  2. What does WEST mean to you?
    To me, WEST means the gift of unlimited opportunity. I have dealt with the organization chiefly through its educational component, as St. Clair has, for many years, hosted groups of WEST clients in skilled trades training programs – really difficult, physically demanding, and non-gender-traditional programs such as precision metal cutting and CNC industrial-mechanical millwright. These are life-changing, life-bettering careers for the women involved, and their families too. It has been an honour, as an educator and a woman, to have worked with WEST to provide these opportunities.
  3. In your opinion, what sets WEST apart in its approach to supporting women in the community?
    WEST, in my mind, is remarkable for its comprehensiveness. It supports all aspects of its clientele’s needs and development: personal, family, social, health and wellness, economic, employment. Especially in the case of the many new immigrants that it works with, the organization knows that a great deal of supportive groundwork must be put in place before education, job-training and job-placement can be effectively pursued, and it does all of that in such a capable and caring manner.
  4. Is there any woman that has inspired you or continues to inspire you?
    I’ve had the pleasure of speaking at several of WEST’s International Women’s Day banquets, and I’ve made a comment at those that I will repeat here: As educators, we’re supposed to be the people who are inspiring our students. But, in the case of WEST’s clients, I’ve found that the relationship has been reversed: they have constantly impressed and inspired me. In contrast to my admittedly comfortable life as a born-in-Canada citizen, the personal stories of many of WEST’s immigrant clients involve such tremendous courage and sacrifice that I have been left in awe of them.
  5. What empowers you?
    This may sound simplistic, but I think that caring deeply about something empowers you to have a voice and to use your voice to influence it. I care deeply about the success of the generation that follows ours, so I became an educator to try to enable their success. I care deeply that fellow women can and should realize the same degree of ambition that I have throughout my life, so I try to deliver messages of positivity whenever I can. I care deeply about the well-being of my community, so if I’m asked to lend my support to a cause or my expertise to an organization’s board, I will do that.
Sep 12
Lisa Kolody

Lisa Kolody

By Faces of WEST

Faces of WEST

Lisa Kolody

Lisa Kolody

WindsorEssex Community Foundation – Executive Director

“If you surround yourself with allies who see your worth and help you do more, you will achieve anything you choose to explore and do in life.”

  1. Tell us about yourself.
    My name is Lisa Kolody. I have lived in Windsor-Essex my entire life and worked in healthcare, health promotion and community service. For the last 10 years I have been at the WindsorEssex Community Foundation which allows me to support the community by investing, bringing community together and promoting what makes Windsor-Essex a great community to live work and play. We love to explore Windsor-Essex parks, restaurants, markets and wineries and venture to Detroit as well. We are so thankful to live in a border community.
  2. What does WEST mean to you?
    WEST is an organization that I have known and appreciated since I worked at the Multicultural Council of Windsor. As a child of newcomers, I understand and value the work of all our newcomer agencies, and WEST has a special focus on women and employment that makes their work essential to the success of families. WECF continues to support the staff, volunteers and clients of WEST. Their work to elevate women, build skills and support families is transformational. Supporting women and promoting enterprise ,skills and training is an important investment in our future.
  3. What advice do you have for women striving to achieve their dreams?
    My advice to women to achieve their dreams is to believe in yourself and surround yourself with people , especially other women, who will support you and build you up. Often we are discouraged from tackling difficult situations or taking on more responsibilities, and I would suggest that you can do more than you know and to push yourself to conquer fear or self-doubt. If you surround yourself with allies who see your worth and help you do more, you will achieve anything you choose to explore and do in life.
  4. In your opinion, what sets WEST apart in its approach to supporting women in the community?
    WEST is an organization that I have known and appreciated since I worked at the Multicultural Council of Windsor. As a child of newcomers, I understand and value the work of all our newcomer agencies, and WEST has a special focus on women and employment that makes their work essential to the success of families. WECF continues to support the staff, volunteers and clients of WEST. Their work to elevate women, build skills and support families is transformational. Supporting women and promoting enterprise, skills and training is an important investment in our future.
  5. Describe the collaboration between your organization and WEST. How does this partnership contribute to achieving shared goals and objectives?
    WECF and WEST have worked together for a number of years in supporting women. As we faced and moved past a global pandemic, we recognized that women and families were heavily affected, and with support from national partners and our government, we were able to provide financial supports for our most vulnerable, as well as support the organization in strengthening their systems. Our charities play an important role in the community and its important to recognize the charity and all the staff who support community every day. We have been proud to strengthen our community and our families with this important investment and support. WECF uses our Vital Signs program to determine our investments, and from this we support organizations that support building a sense of belonging, promote learning, build skills for work, and encourage mental health and wellbeing. We are honoured to support the mission of WEST and strengthen our community together, today and for tomorrow.
Sep 12
Alona Lievlieva

Alona Lievlieva

By Faces of WEST

Faces of WEST

Alona Lievlieva

Alona Lievlieva

Settlement Counsellor

“Improve your skills! Notice opportunities around and use them! Don’t be afraid to try! If you don’t try, you will 100% fail, but if you try, you still have a chance to get what you want.”

  1. Tell us about yourself.
    My name is Alona Lievlieva. I came from Ukraine in the summer of 2022 and joined WEST as a participant of the EWE Program. This program really helped me to enhance my skills in public speaking, resume writing, business communication, customer service, and a lot more. After that program, I joined the WEST Team as a Settlement Counsellor as I wanted to work with Ukrainian newcomers and help in their settlement process as much as I can. Speaking of my life: I have a dog, I am into Psychology, and my favourite TV show is Friends.
  2. What does WEST mean to you?
    To me, WEST means the beginning of new life in Canada. I made very good community connections working here. It gave me the opportunity not only to give support to my clients, but also get it in my own settlement journey in Windsor.
  3. Reflecting on your journey with WEST, what’s one significant lesson or insight you’ve gained that you’d like to share with others?
    Working at WEST taught me some lessons: “Speak up! Don’t give up! Self-care is very important!”
  4. What advice do you have for women striving to achieve their dreams?
    The advice I want to give women striving to achieve their dreams: “Improve your skills! Notice opportunities around and use them!” Very often I see people just refuse to use opportunities as they think they are not good enough. They are afraid to try. So, “Don’t be afraid to try! If you don’t try, you will 100% fail, but if you try, you still have a chance to get what you want.”
Sep 12
Nadine

Nadine Manroe-Wakerell

By Faces of WEST

Faces of WEST

Nadine

Nadine Manroe-Wakerell

President of the Board at WEST

“Stay positive – don’t lose your confidence and seek out other people that you aspire to be like and learn from them. I am grateful for all the women in my life (past and present) that play a role in leading by example. I would not be the woman I am today without them.”

  1. Tell us about yourself. 
    I am a wife, mother, active community member, health care leader, and currently the President of Board at WEST. I have a passion for wanting to help people to reach their full potential (mind, body and spirit).I get a kick of memes – I’ll seriously laugh for 30 minutes straight by myself (much to my families concern). I have a golden retriever who follows me everywhere. For fun I love to walk, sing, and hangout with family and friends. I also like card games even though I always lose.
  2. What does WEST mean to you?
    WEST means that there is a place that women who are driven to succeed and want to live out their potential but have been disadvantaged for whatever reason have a place to go and get training, develop meaningful relationships, get mentored and get real life job experience to support their dreams and build their confidence.
  3. What advice do you have for women striving to achieve their dreams?
    My advice would be: stay positive – don’t lose your confidence and seek out other people that you aspire to be like and learn from them.
  4. Can you share a memorable moment or achievement during your time at WEST that has been meaningful to you?
    One of my most memorable moments at WEST were the times I had the pleasure of spending time with graduates of the Skilled Trades and LEAD programs. To hear about the impact the training had on them and their families were transformational moments, not only for them, but for me as well. It’s been in those moments that the tangible impact of us helping and empowering one another is felt and seen. I could see the women and their families filled with hope for the future. You never forget those moments. Those moments forever shape and motivate me to serve others the best way I can. It reminds me that it so important to ‘Lift others as we Rise’.
  5. Is there any woman that has inspired you or continues to inspires you?
    There are so many women that inspire me every day. There are women that inspire me spiritually, as they act with virtue, love, encouragement and generosity.  There are women that inspire me professionally, as they share the gifts and talents they have to create action and do so with tenacity and effectiveness, and there are women that inspire me on an emotional level as they walk through and overcome tremendous adversities with such strong spirits, even when it appears hope may be lost. I am grateful for all the women in my life (past and present) that play a role in leading by example. I would not be the woman I am today without them.
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