Faces of WEST
Maria Ford Conliffe
WEST Board – Past Member
“Trust that everything that is happening is working together for your good (including setbacks and challenges).”
- 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! - 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. - 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. - 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!
- 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.
