NEWS RELEASE
REGION OF WATERLOO
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Regional Council has honoured four former community leaders and a longtime museum volunteer for their exemplary service to residents of Waterloo Region and their many contributions to the community.
At Wednesday’s Council meeting, Regional Chair Karen Redman presented the Jack Young Civic Award and the Ontario Senior of the Year certificate. The civic award winners are former Regional Councillors Sean Strickland, Tom Galloway, and Elizabeth Clarke, and former executive director of REEP Green Solutions, Mary Jane Patterson.
“These recipients have made significant contributions to the region through their leadership and advocacy in many areas, including community growth, sustainability, and local politics,” said Regional Chair Karen Redman. “The contributions of Sean, Tom, Elizabeth and Mary Jane during the nearly 100 years of public service between them all have had a lasting and positive impact on residents of Waterloo Region.”
The civic award celebrates the contributions of those directly connected to Regional government and its programs or services. It is named after the Region’s first Chair.
Chair Redman also announced Giselle Holst as the Ontario Senior of the Year. Giselle has donated 1,600 volunteer hours to all three Region of Waterloo museums, enhancing the visitors’ experience. The senior of the year award recognizes people over the age of 65 who enrich the social, cultural or civic life of their community.
About the recipients:
Sean Strickland – Jack Young Civic Award
Over a span of two decades, Sean’s tenure of public service has had a lasting and positive impact on Waterloo Region's development, governance, and community well-being. As Chair of the Administration and Finance Committee and Budget Committee, Sean was an exceptional leader with the ability to balance competing interests, drive consensus and make difficult decisions – ensuring the continued delivery of essential services while maintaining fiscal sustainability in a complex economic landscape. He consistently advocated for policies that supported community growth, economic development, and the well-being of all residents.
Tom Galloway – Jack Young Civic Award
Over nearly three decades of service, Tom has been an influential leader, advocate, and collaborator whose work helped drive the region’s growth, prosperity, and quality of life. He was a steadfast advocate for public transportation, active transit, and environmental sustainability. His work on these and other important files left an indelible mark on the region’s development, creating lasting benefits for current and future generations. As a leader, Tom engaged diverse stakeholders, built consensus, and found solutions that balanced the needs of residents, businesses, and the environment. He also dedicated his time to mentoring new and aspiring politicians.
Elizabeth Clarke – Jack Young Civic Award
With over 23 years of service to her community, Elizabeth was a community leader, an advocate for women and families, and a proud feminist who sought to develop and grow others, both in her role as CEO of the YWKW and in her role on Regional Council. This was most evident through her commitment to the YW-led Municipal Campaign School, which aimed to bring more women representation to local government. Elizabeth was a resource to other Regional Council members and the community and provided advocacy through her steadfast, evidence-based rationale decision making.
Mary Jane Patterson – Jack Young Civic Award
Mary Jane leaves a legacy of excellence and innovation at Reep Green Solutions, a partner of the Region of Waterloo. Under her guidance and leadership, Reep grew to become a leading local voice on sustainable living that has helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions and boost the local economy. Mary Jane also partnered with Sustainable Waterloo Region and all municipalities to help establish a climate action strategy and gain consensus on achieving a greenhouse gas reduction target of 80 per cent by 2050. She spearheaded the TransformWR plan as an achievable pathway to reach these targets, which established not only a detailed set of action items but also created accountability around those actions.
Giselle Holt – Ontario Senior of the Year
Giselle’s passion for all forms of handwork, cooking and baking has enhanced the visitors’ experience at the Region of Waterloo museums. Over 10 years, she helped to deliver workshops on woodstove cooking and baking and the art of weaving. She also used her sewing skills to help with new exhibits and she spent many hours on the volunteer baking crew, preparing baked goods for the museums’ special occasion programs.
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