Duane Hicks
Angela Halvorsen was among 20 regional women honoured last Thursday by the PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise (PARO).
The business investment officer at Rainy River Future Development Corp. was named as one of the PARO Top 20 in 20 awards at the “Exceed the Vision” gala in celebration of PARO’s 20th Anniversary in Thunder Bay.
Halvorsen said she was thrilled to be among the honourees.
“Rainy River Future Development nominated me. I’ve been working with PARO for about the past 15 years through RRFDC, and PARO is for women’s enterprise specifically, so they had a really good fit with our local Business Women’s Network (now known as the Professional Women’s Network),” she noted.
““So I’ve been working with them through that group as well as RRFDC,” added Halvorsen. “I think there’s 15 people that work [at PARO] and I think I’ve met all of them over the 15 years I’ve been here.
“I worked with them on different projects, I’ve had them come and do talks here,” she said, adding PARO also has started a peer “lending circle” here for small businesses, and the Professional Women’s Network is supposed to be partnering with them for the Business Woman of the Year Award at next spring’s business awards.
“We’ve had quite a good relationship over the last several years,” noted Halvorsen.
Halvorsen said a total of 68 people were nominated for PARO Top 20 in 20 awards.
“I was lucky enough to be one of those top 20 that received the awards. I felt pretty honoured knowing some of the other people that were recipients,” she remarked.
“I was honoured to be part of that group. Some of them are pretty well known, particularly in the Thunder Bay area,” added Halvorsen, noting she’s met quite a few of her fellow honourees over the years.
PARO honoured the top 20 PARO women of the last two decades last Thursday.
“Every day these women raise the bar of making a social impact with economic values. There is something so very special about a community of driven women uniting these standards,” said PARO executive director Rosalind Locyker during last Thursday’s gala.
“Tonight we celebrate women, create new connections and encourage others to believe that success is achievable. PARO praises these women for their successful focus and passion for their communities,” she added.
Nominations for the Top 20 in 20 Awards opened in June 2014 with the final recipients selected by a panel of community influencers. All award winners have experienced success throughout the past 20 years and encompass one or more of PARO’s values, which include cooperation, ownership, integrity, responsibility, simplification and peer support.
“The Top 20 in 20 Awards fosters the spirit of enterprise by celebrating successful women in entrepreneurship,” said Lockyer.
“These women will continue to inspire us for the next 20 years to strive for greater heights of success.”
The 20 in 20 Awards concludes a yearlong series of events that highlighted PARO’s history, women success stories, community socio-economic impact and future goals.
