[highlight style=’misty-rose’] Suzette Weekes [/highlight]
Suzette Weekes is the Managing Director of BrandingbyWeekes, a sole proprietorship that provides a range of marketing, social-media, and administrative products & services. With a strong background in event planning, management and desktop publishing, Suzette brings creativity, commitment and attention–to-detail, to her craft. Her key professional achievements encompasses coordinating, planning, supporting daily operational and administrative functions, and project management. She is highly committed and proactive within the community, and is especially resolute on matters of children and youth development. In this area, Suzette has invested and donated her expertise to many organizations, including: Black History Ottawa, Martin Luther King Jr. Celebrations in Ottawa, Rotary Club of Orleans, East Ottawa Toastmasters, SEMgroup, Vivante Fundraiser in support of the Children’s Hospital, Black Women’s Civic Engagement Network (BWCEN), Dr. Shirley Brathwaite Foundation, Jaku Konbit, Art Child, St. Vincent & the Grenadines Ottawa Association and St. Lucia Ottawa Associations. A native of St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suzette is a recipient of the 2013 Ontario Volunteer Award.
[highlight style=’misty-rose’]Abebe Engdasaw [/highlight]
Ethiopian-born Abebe Engdasaw was awarded the Black History Ottawa Community Builder award in 2012 for his extensive volunteer work with the city’s multicultural populations and his tireless work through the Christian Children’s Fund of Canada to fight child poverty in seven developing countries. Abebe’s accomplishments include: Team Leader of the Diversity and Community Access Project of the Ottawa Transition Board, Chair of the Ethiopian Orthodox St Tekle Haimanot Church, Founder and Co-Chair Multicultural Health Coalition and President of the Ethiopian Community Association. He is also a recipient of the Swedish Red Cross Society’s Silver Medal Award for outstanding humanitarian work in Ethiopia and the Pan African Conference Gold Mercury International Award for outstanding contribution to Regional Development Planning. Following his retirement from his position as Program Development Officer with Public Health, Abebe now shares his time as a Health Service Consultant and volunteering for the Ethiopian Orthodox church.