Source: Ottawa Life Magazine

Two prominent black residents have been named by Ottawa Life magazine among the top 25  people in Canada’s capital for 2015. Black Ottawa Scene congratulates Mylcha Kerr-Faucher and Denise Siele for this singular honour.

 

Mylcha Kerr-Faucher
Mylcha Kerr-Faucher

Mylcha Kerr-Faucher – The Veteran Volunteer

Mylcha Kerr-Faucher has been volunteering for upwards of 30 years. In that time she has been a passionate and dedicated asset to so many groups, including the Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization (OCISO), Ottawa Police Services and Jamaican (Ottawa) Community Association. “To me, volunteering is very fulfilling. You just help people and you get to know people,” Kerr-Faucher said. Even years later, people still fondly remember Kerr-Faucher and come up to her to express thanks for her help. In her work with OCISO, Kerr-Faucher spent time with women who were new to Canada, helping them acclimatize to life in an unfamiliar culture. She is also an influential leader in the Jamaican community. Kerr-Faucher was born in Jamaica, but raised in London, England. Soon after moving to the Capital in the mid-70s, Kerr-Faucher became an integral part of the Jamaican (Ottawa) Community Association, helping with everything from the Jamday Festival to the annual brunch. Notably, Kerr-Faucher helped launch the Adopt-A-Gran program in Jamaica with HelpAge Canada and the Salvation Army to raise funds for seniors living in Jamaica and provides financial support. In March 2015, Kerr-Faucher was one of the inductees into Ottawa’s Wall of Inspiration at City Hall. She said she was honoured to have been included and hopes her family will follow her example. “My parents were both volunteers andif I continue the process, hopefully my grandkids will do the same.” 

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Denise Siele
Denise Siele

Denise Siele – The Equal Voice Advocate

Denise Siele said politics is in her blood. Born in Nairobi, Kenya, Siele moved to Ottawa as a young teenager when her mother, a diplomat, was posted here. When her term was over, Siele’s mother moved back to Kenya to run for public office, the first woman in her community to do so. “I think she ran twice in total and while she didn’t win either time, she inspired others. When she retired from politics, a young woman in the constituency said: ‘Well, if she can do it, I can do it.’ And she subsequently ran and won,” Siele described. Watching her mother’s campaign, Siele too was inspired to get involved. She discovered Equal Voice, an organization that advocates for women in all levels of politics in Canada. As the Director of Strategic Initiatives and Operations, Siele works to engage young women from across the country to consider the role that they can play in politics. She said she loves the cooperative nature of the organization. “What I love most is when women from all political stripes are gathered within the Equal Voice umbrella…the stereotypical view of politics is thrown out the window,” she said. Over the years, Siele said she has worked on upwards of 10 political campaigns, but she has many additional interests and responsibilities. She is also managing partner of the strategic events and public affairs company, SEMgroup, as well as an active philanthropist and mother. Focusing on youth, Siele has been extremelyinvolved in many charitable organizations; she is the Chair of the Board for a Fund for a New Generation, founder and Chair of the Black Women’s Civic Engagement Network and a past Director of the Youth Services Bureau Charitable Foundation—to name just a few. “The joy that you get from giving back is incredible, such a good feeling and I don’t want to deny myself that,” she said. “I just love my community and I want to do what I can to give back.”