Women of Distinction

Despite being only 16 years old, Daniela has spent over a decade creating space, driving dialogue, and taking action to uplift women, girls, and those who need a helping hand in a wide variety of ways.

Daniela displayed a natural gift for leadership at an early age. In grade 5 she spoke on world hunger in the North America-wide Eye Level Oratacular Speech Contest earning the opportunity to join a week-long Model UN camp in South Korea. Her award-winning speaking skills grew as she developed confidence and overcame social anxiety while playing hockey with the Sudbury Lady Wolves and the Lo-Ellen Park Knights and began coaching and mentoring other girls through the Northern Hockey Academy and Netminders North. When she discovered that 1 in 2 Canadian kids face financial barriers to accessing sports, she founded the KidSport Sudbury Chapter, a non-profit charitable organization providing grants to youth to help pay for fees so that everyone can play.

In her academic life Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School, she has been recognized with an Ontario Principal’s Leadership Award for her work as the President of Student Parliament and spearheading Be The Change campaigns on food insecurity and youth empowerment. Daniela takes her school projects a step beyond, bringing awareness to important topics like “Human Teachings” and accessibility to STEM education for girls in public speaking events. She has authored “My First Robot” as an outreach project with her Robotics Team and has ensured elementary students receive hands on STEM learning by securing a grant for robot kits. This summer, she was selected for the SHAD STEAM Entrepreneurship program at St Thomas University in New Brunswick.

We are excited to see how her devotion to inclusion and forward-thinking actions will fuel change and growth in our community through her role on the City of Greater Sudbury Youth Advisory Council. Daniela is certainly an inspirational young role model!

As a survivor of gender-based violence, Angela has overcome much adversity while at the same time raising two children as a single mother with limited financial resources. She has developed a quiet strength and empathy that, in addition to her background in social services, she uses to drive meaningful action in our community.

Angela is a pivotal voice in the gender-based violence sector in Sudbury, championing systemic change and advocating for policies that prioritize the safety and dignity of women and girls. Through her work as a pioneer member of the Advisory Committee for the Coalition to End Violence Against Women, the Board of Directors for the Sudbury Women’s Centre, and the Board of Directors for Sudbury and Area Victim Services, she has raised awareness of important issues and influenced the development of wrap-around program and services networks, building practices of collaboration between community agencies to provide the best care and healing for survivors. She has accomplished this by centering the needs and voices of women in high-level discussions, bringing valuable insight and perspective guided by her own lived experience and a fierce dedication to a safer world where women can thrive unapologetically.

She has played key roles in coordinating initiatives and organizing events, including the International Women’s Day Agency Fair, which brought together multiple women-serving organizations to highlight their critical services and promote collective action. She has a talent for forging strong connections and trust because people know that she shows up, over and over, even when it’s hard. Her warmth and sincerity foster environments where people feel heard, encouraged, seen, and supported.

In a world where leadership is often believed to come from power and title, Angela demonstrates that authenticity, compassion, courage, and humility met with an unwavering commitment towards empowering others to achieve independence and success can open new doors for us all and create lasting impact.

Born in Patiala, India, Bela immigrated to Canada in 1973, where she later married her beloved husband, raised 3 daughters, and spent the past 25 years in Sudbury as a shining beacon of community service and civic leadership. Although she didn’t pursue a career in the traditional sense, her work has supported more lives than one can count.

Her activism began in the 1990s with a grassroots school safety initiative and has since expanded to selfless acts of giving that have made a positive impact for the betterment of others on diverse issues such as education, the arts, health and senior care, homelessness, multiculturalism and citizenship. Bela’s involvement is vast and spans many positions on Boards and fundraising initiatives, serving as the President of the Sudbury Multiculture and Folk Arts Association, Chair of the Local Immigration Partnership, Past President of the India-Canada Association, and Chancellor of Huntington University, to name but a few. In 2022, she was awarded one of Huntington’s highest honours for achievement, an Honorary Doctorate of Sacred Letters, which added to her portfolio of accolades including the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, the Hall of Fame Community Builders Award of Excellence, and the Paul Harris Fellowship.

Bela’s leadership is a labour of love that stems from her roots and is driven by empathy.  She sees the need, whether that be easing the isolation of newcomers, advocating to create a more inclusive community, or tirelessly fundraising for non-profit organizations, and she lights the way so that others can see what is possible. She takes action to connect and mobilize people with multidisciplinary skills to move the required mountains together.

Bela genuinely cares, with every cell in her body, and reminds us of what allyship and a better future look like. A “Greater Sudbury” vision will become a reality due to Bela’s courage, tenacity and unwavering character.

Sarra began studying martial arts at 7 years old and has since been training for 22 years. She is now a 3^rd Degree Black Belt and is working toward her 4^th Degree Black Belt this November 2025. What began as the journey of a student evolved into volunteer teaching for 18 years and recently Sarra opened her own martial arts studio, Rise Above Martial Arts, in January 2024.

Over the years, Sarra has used her platform to give back to our community through fundraising initiatives such as Kicks for Kids, the Sudbury Lions Club Children’s Christmas Telethon, and Food Drives and by using her voice to advocate for women and girls. As a survivor of gender-based violence, Sarra bravely speaks out and shares her story to empower other women and combat stigmas. Working through Rise Above Martial Arts, she offers free Women’s Self Defense Seminars, has donated $3,600 in memberships for her Women’s Self Defense program to ensure that life-saving skills are accessible to all, and launched the “Fight Like a Girl” t-shirt campaign, reclaiming the phrase and raising funds for YWCA Genevra House. She has additionally leveraged her position to convey the importance of this work and coordinated donations with other organizations, such as her employer NFP Canada.

A three-time World Champion at the World Karate Championship and the first and only woman to win the Grand Champion title at the Annual Nickel Capital Budo Challenge in the Open Black Belt Sparring division, Sarra is an example that size and gender do not limit you. She uses her strength to uplift and empower her students from ages 3 to 73 years young to believe in themselves, stand taller, and challenge the status quo with courage and confidence.

Sarra is not only opening doors for the next generation but kicking them down with a powerful message: You can do anything.

Sherry joined Community Living Greater Sudbury (CLGS) in late 2020 as the Director of Corporate Services but quickly stepped into the role of Executive Director eight months later due to her strategic perspective and clear commitment to meaningful, long-term change. CLGS employs over 265 people and serves 95 youth and adults with intellectual disabilities by walking alongside them and providing support that fosters inclusion, growth, and helps them to live their best lives.

From clients to employees, Sherry strives to empower people and inspire possibilities by investing in their wellbeing and ensuring that everyone has access to equal opportunities. With an MBA from Heriot-Watt University, a CPA/CGA designation, and prior experience as Chief Operating Officer at a local accounting firm, a professor at Cambrian College, and a System Performance Lead with the Local Health Integration Network, she brings a strong background in finance, operations, human resources and organizational leadership to her role. She uses this skillset to break down silos and barriers, effecting positive change both in her professional position and in the community. Sherry Chairs the Community Living Ontario “Provincial Quality Supports that Respect the Individual” Working Group and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee at the Local System Supports Planning Table that contributes to the MCCSS Technical Table. In her prior years, she volunteered her time as a Girl Guide and Brownie leader, being the kind of role model that leaves a lasting impact on the lives of young girls.

Sherry’s leadership reflects not only professional excellence, but also a profound sense of compassion and social responsibility. She listens to needs, challenges conventional boundaries, and breaks down barriers in the name of progress and promoting system-wide collaboration that improves lives and strengthens inclusive communities. Shery is a woman of vision, integrity, and a catalyst for innovation who steps up to drive real, actionable solutions.

Junessence is more than simply a boutique for undergarments and other clothing, it is a sanctuary of support, empowerment, and transformation led by women, for women. Embodying the legacy of beloved previous owner June Cote, for whom the shop was rebranded, Morgan, Gisele, and Zana assist each client with warm, whole-hearted dedication and a sense of service that is about giving back to their community.

Women visit Junessence for many reasons, and some of the most trying and sensitive reasons come from women who walk in seeking prosthetics, mastectomy wear, and surgical vests. They enter the shop feeling self-conscious, lesser, or even traumatized by a breast cancer diagnosis and a difficult prognosis. The Junessence team recognizes their needs, not only for garments that will provide proper support to prevent pain, discomfort, or posture issues, but also their emotional needs in combating the stigmas of not looking like everyone else, from respect in the workplace to invasive questions about their personal lives to being ‘othered’ in a society that makes them starkly aware of what they no longer have. With certified post-mastectomy training, they gently guide women through fittings with tenderness, thoughtfulness and non-judgemental understanding, sharing useful knowledge along the way, until they find the perfect garment that allows each woman to feel comfortable and good in her body, no matter its shape, size or age. It isn’t just about clothing; it’s about reclaiming dignity, confidence, and feeling cared for.

Gisele’s warm smile, Morgan’s calm presence, and Zana’s big hugs feel like a little therapy session – like a boost to the self-esteem and a battle cry that you can take on any challenge. The Junessence team makes women feel safe and normalize their healing journey through a life-changing time, wiping tears and celebrating good news with them so they remember that they have the strength to keep fighting, keep loving, and keep making a difference.