KW women take the media world by storm!

Julie Osborne, Publisher of Maclean's

While she is perhaps the most well-known woman from the KW area to make it big in the media world, Lisa LaFlamme isn’t the only one. Nor will she be the only one on stage at our Annual Celebrity Event at Fed Hall on Friday November 25, 2011. We’ll also be hearing from guest speaker Julie Osborne, who has some pretty impressive credentials of her own.
 
Not only is Julie currently the Publisher of Maclean’s, she recently added Acting Publisher for Canadian Business, Profit and MoneySense to her responsibilities.
 
A graduate of Cameron Heights Collegiate, Julie holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in French Literature and Education from the University of Western Ontario, where she also went on to earn an MBA. She speaks English, French and Spanish.
 
Julie works with the Canadian Olympic Committee and has attended the Games eight times. She is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of the Writers’ Trust of Canada and a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Canadian Women in Communications.
 
There’s more, but I’ll stop there. I think you get the picture when I say that like Lisa LaFlamme, Julie Osborne is very accomplished in the media world. We should feel proud that both of these women hail from our community. Talk about great role models!
  
Remember, tickets for our Annual Celebrity Event honouring Lisa LaFlamme are on sale online at http://www.uwaykw.org/. Check out my October 18th blog for more details.
 
Hope to see you there!
 
Jan

Celebrity Event Tickets on Sale Now!

Tickets for our annual celebrity event are now on sale. Given this year's guest of honour and her special guests, we don't expect them to be available very long, so be sure to get yours today!

Tickets are $125 each and available online at http://www.uwaykw.org/.
Sponsorship opportunities are also available by contacting our Communications Officer and Event Planner, Meg Lagrotta, at mlagrotta@uwaykw.org or 519-888-61100 ext. 232.

Here again is our fabulous line-up for the evening:

Guest of Honour:
LISA LAFLAMME, Chief Anchor and Senior Editor, CTV National News

Guest MC:
JEFF HUTCHESON, Sports and Weather Anchor, Canada AM

Guest Panel Members:
LLOYD ROBERTSON, Host and Chief Correspondent, W5, and former Chief Anchor, CTV National News
JULIE OSBORNE, Publisher, Maclean's, and Acting Publisher, Canadian Business, Profit and MoneySense
JAMES DUTHIE, Host, NHL on TSN

Hope to see you there!

Jan

Annual Celebrity Event: Special Guests Confirmed!

We were thrilled when LISA LAFLAMME - a KW native who has risen through the ranks of TV news to become Chief Anchor for CTV National News - agreed to be the guest of honour for our 2011 Celebrity Event. It’s being held Friday November 25, 7 p.m., at Federation Hall in Waterloo.

Just when we thought things couldn’t get any better for this event, we’ve received confirmation that some very talented guest speakers will be participating in the evening as well:

LLOYD ROBERTSON, former Chief Anchor, CTV National News
JEFF HUTCHESON, Sports and Weather Anchor, Canada AM
JULIE OSBORNE, Publisher, Maclean's
JAMES DUTHIE, Host, NHL on TSN
  
If you’re wondering what to expect for the evening, it’s probably best to go with that old standby “expect the unexpected”. With Jeff Hutcheson as MC, the only thing for certain will be the laughter. As for the rest, I think our publicity statement for the event says it all: “If you think the news is compelling, wait 'til you hear the stories behind the news!”
  
For ticket details and sponsorship opportunities, visit http://www.uwaykw.org/.

Hope to see you there!
Jan

The Economical Insurance Group and Strategic Philanthropy

Mention the phrase “corporate social responsibility”, and The Economical Insurance Group (TEIG) immediately comes to mind. This is one organization that truly understands the business value behind engaging employees and other stakeholders in supporting community needs. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, what’s good for the community is also good for business.

As with any other business initiative, developing a well-planned strategy is critical for success. TEIG began work on a philanthropic strategy in 2010, with an eye to supporting and positively impacting both the current and future social concerns of its stakeholders. The plan includes activities and initiatives that align with company values, support organizational objectives, and have the potential to create new business opportunities.

Over time, TEIG’s Philanthropic Strategy will evolve into the following components: corporate and community giving, a signature charity, learning and scholarships, and an employee volunteer program.

In particular, I’m thrilled that United Way is a leading contender to become TEIG’s signature charity and I’m excited at the prospect of an employee volunteer program that lets staff take time off for volunteer work and team volunteer projects. One need look no further than the many United Way awards TEIG has won over the years to realize just how strong and successful the relationship has been between our two organizations.

TEIG’s Philanthropy Strategy isn’t yet finalized, but I love the direction it’s heading in and hope it becomes a standard other businesses strive to achieve.

Jan