On March, 30, 2011 we announced the 2010 recipients of our peer-nominated awards program for United Way Toronto staff, the M-B Family Spirit Awards. This program is made possible by a generous donation from Raksha Bhayana, a member of our Board of Trustees. Nominations were received in four categories: Dedication, Innovation and Creativity, Leadership, and Team Achievement.
2010 M-B Family Spirit Award nominees and recipients
Dedication
The nominees for the Dedication award were: Andrea Ketelaars, Joanna King, Radha Krishnan, Rosario Pascua, and Sharon Rudder.
The winner of the Dedication award is Rosario Pascua.
Rosario was nominated for her commitment to her work, the agencies she supports and the volunteers she interacts with. As a Community Investment Manager, Rosario advocates on behalf of agencies and is always thinking of new ways to support them. She has a strong desire to offer United Way the highest level of professional commitment and gives more than 100 percent in all that she does. She is always the first to volunteer for additional projects and responsibilities, despite her heavy workload. Some of her major projects include the Online Funding System development and implementation, Community Hub development, performance criteria/submission, Community Investment manager roles, community development planning grants, and newcomer strategy. Rosario is committed to improving United Way Toronto processes and strengthening the capacities of agencies. She is well respected by her colleagues, who are inspired by her tremendous effort and hard work.
To quote her nominators: “Rosario’s quiet ways of giving and sharing her knowledge and expertise have made her a force in the team. The quality and comprehensiveness of the work she produces is in a league of its own—she demonstrates United Way Toronto’s mission and values every day.”
Innovation and Creativity
The nominee and winner of the Innovation and Creativity award is Michael Fuhrmann.
Michael was nominated for creating an innovative solution for the Major Gifts team that resulted in an enhanced donor relationship. As Director of New Media, Michael came up with a creative solution when donors RBC and RBC Capital Markets needed a little extra support for their United Way campaign. He suggested a video concept and agreed to design, videotape and edit the piece within a very short 10-day period at the height of the campaign. The introduction of a personalized thank you video refreshed the format of the traditional Major Individual Giving reception held by RBC and RBC Capital Markets. The video demonstrated the direct impact of their employee donations, special gifts and the range of volunteer activities and engagement within the organizations. This video was shared with a target audience of over 25,000 RBC staff members. This was an efficient way to deliver a personal and customized United Way Toronto message from a staff, volunteer and cost-resource perspective.
To quote his nominator: “Michael’s creative use of media not only clearly demonstrated the impact of the donor’s giving and volunteerism, but offered a one-off stewardship opportunity to the larger employee base.”
Leadership
The nominees for the Leadership award were: Rhonda Leeson, Radha Krishnan, Liz Marshall, Darya Smolak.
The winner of the Leadership award is Radha Krishnan.
Radha was nominated for being a strong leader, who is focused on providing the highest level of support and service to those around him. Radha takes an inclusive approach and ensures everyone involved is engaged and motivated to work together. It can be intimidating to work with a strong technical leader who is so knowledgeable but Radha creates a safe place for both ’techies and non-techies.’ He takes a client-focused approach to help you understand the issues, explains it in a manner that encourages discussion and creative solutions. He never makes you feel insecure and his explanations have no judgment or blame. He genuinely wants to help you understand and will do whatever it takes to get you there. He is noted for remaining calm under pressure and when emergencies arise he ensures that no one goes into panic mode while leading the team to a solution—making sure that arriving to a solution is team based, inclusive and collaborative. At every turn he creates a safe environment where his team and those around him can grow and be creative. Radha trusts his team members and their capabilities and his reassuring demeanor has created an atmosphere where no question should go unasked and debate is encouraged. His staff feels that they can go to him for any issue even to tell him that they believe he is wrong. His staff has full confidence in knowing that anything personal that is disclosed to him will be kept private.
To quote his nominators: “It’s been incredible for us. We’ve learned so much. When you are given control of a project, you feel empowered and that you own the project.”
Team Achievement
The nominees for the Team Achievement award were: CITY Leaders (Dahab Hagos, LaToya Morgan, Nadeesha Watawala), Communications (Glenn Ewald, Joanna King, Clover LaTouche, Toni Leonard, Caitlin Stidwill), and RD C-Ops (Natasha DeSouza, Jordan Gotfried, Simona Gruia).
The winners of the Team Achievement award are CITY Leaders (Dahab Hagos, LaToya Morgan, Nadeesha Watawala).
Nominated for delivering one of the most relevant, comprehensive and engaging youth leadership programs in Toronto, the CITY Leaders team—including members Nadeesha, LaToya and Dahab—work tirelessly to champion this United Way Toronto initiative and youth across our city, especially those living in the 13 Priority Neighbourhoods. They are an exceptional team and actively support each other and work together, demonstrating an outstanding dedication to success through their professionalism. Highly energetic and innovative, their commitment to United Way Toronto and their team is unparalleled. They exemplify what a team means because even though they each have different perspectives and strengths, they pull together for a common goal. Through the collaborative efforts of Dahab, LaToya and Nadeesha, three cohorts comprised of close to 100 CITY Leaders participants have graduated from the program—an achievement that could not have happened without the planning, passion and creativity of these three remarkable people. Together, they have taken CITY Leaders to a new level. Those who have had the pleasure of being a part of CITY Leaders count themselves as fortunate enough to have worked with this fabulous team. They have created an inspirational experience for graduates with their encouragement and support, empowering youth and setting them up for success at every opportunity.
To quote their nominators: “CITY Leaders is an excellent example of a United Way program that has shaped community impact for youth, newcomers and neighbourhoods. It is a pleasure working with this talented group of individuals. CITY Leaders realizes the mission, values and goals of United Way Toronto, and Nadeesha, Dahab and LaToya have made that happen.”
