The next decade begins: Victoria Leadership Awards invites nominations from the community

VICTORIA—After celebrating a successful first decade of honouring inspired leadership in the community last year, the Victoria Leadership Awards (VLAs) are back stronger than ever with their 11th consecutive gala ceremony scheduled for February 19, 2015, 4:30 – 6:30pm at the Crystal Garden.

Now is the public’s chance to nominate a dedicated local hero who exemplifies the generous spirit of community leadership and voluntarism. “Victoria’s greatest asset is its network of engaged and caring citizens,” said VLA Chair Kate Mansell. “These awards celebrate the very best of diverse volunteer leadership in our community.”

Nominations are being accepted for the following prestigious award categories:

• The University of Victoria Community Leadership Award acknowledges outstanding leadership in linking UVic and the community for greater public benefit. Please note that current employees of the university are not eligible (up to two awards per year).
• Rotary Community Leadership Award recognizes leaders who meet Rotary values of the highest levels of ethical behaviour in business and in the community (up to two awards per year).
• United Way of Greater Victoria Award for Collaboration & Partnership recognizes an individual leader in a non-profit organization who is building community capacity by creating partnerships and collaboration (one award per year).
• Vancity Youth Award recognizes a young person between the ages of 20 and 30 who demonstrates leadership in the CRD by helping to redefine wealth in a way that furthers the financial, social and environmental well-being of our communities with a focus on marginalized people (one award per year).
• Royal Roads University Leadership Excellence through Coaching and Mentoring Award recognizes long term and outstanding service in community leadership roles through coaching and/or mentoring – professionally or informally (one award per year).

Three additional award categories—the Leadership Victoria Lifetime Achievement Award, the Leadership Victoria Alumni Award, and the Victoria Foundation Community Leadership Award—are honorary awards and as such are not available for public nominations. All other award categories are open to nominations from the community.

The awards will be presented—and recipients in each category announced live—on Thursday, February 19, 2015 at a gala ceremony at the Crystal Garden from 4:30 to 6:30pm. A full list of previous winners is available here. Videos of last year’s ceremony can be viewed on Leadership Victoria’s YouTube channel.

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