Women in Business to honour Zimmerman Nov. 18

Debbie Zimmerman has had a career of serving her community, from her early days as a journalist, decades as a municipal and regional councillor, the regional chair for two terms, and since 2003, the CEO of the Grape Growers of Ontario.

For her extensive work for the community she is being honoured by the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce with the Women in Business Lifetime Achievement Award. As a young graduate from the Niagara College journalism program, her first job was as a reporter for the Grimsby Independent community newspaper.

She became interested in municipal politics as she covered them, learning the importance of the impact they have on a community, and on a $25 bet from newspaper colleagues, ran for Grimsby’s municipal council in 1978, and won. During that time, she told The Local, she switched to the advertising department of the Independent, “because I couldn’t cover an election I was running in.” She continued to serve her community when she ran and was elected to regional council in 1989, and was elected chair in 1997.

Zimmerman resigned as chair when she accepted a position with the Grape Growers of Ontario in 2003, but continued serving on regional council until 2014. And in the decades of her service to the community, there she was also a volunteer with many different organizations and agencies, including serving as Niagara Escarpment Commissioner; was a board director for YMCA of Niagara, and worked on fundraisers for Pathstone Mental Health and the West Lincoln Hospital.

She has been the recipient of many awards over the years, including the Niagara Award in 1998, the Niagara College Board of Governors Award in 2001, the YWCA Woman of Distinction award in 2003 and Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce Community Leadership Award in 2013.

Her interest in agriculture and Ontario grape growers was heightened, she recalls, when as regional chair she attended a grape growers update, and was fascinated with what they were doing, and the impact on the economy “from the grapes that are processed into an Ontario bottle of wine” at a time when new wineries were opening and automotive manufacturing was shutting down.

“I thought what a cool industry it was to look at for the future, never thinking I’d be looking at it as a job,” she says. She knew many people in the industry, and not long after that meeting, local grape grower Ray Duc’s father and Bill George, whom she had crowned Grape King, approached her and asked that she apply for the position of CEO.

“I could see the potential of the industry,” she says, “and the grape growers didn’t have a voice. The winemakers were the only ones speaking for the industry.”

It was at a time when the wineries were supporting legislation that would have benefited them, but not the growers and VQA wines, she says. The role of the Grape Growers of Ontario was to promote made-in-Ontario wines with grapes grown in Ontario, and that remains unchanged. Since then, the economic footprint has grown, with more than 200 wineries, 500 grape growers and 18,000 acres of grapes, but what hasn’t increased is the number of VQA wines on the shelves, says Zimmerman.

“Going from a juice grape industry to a high-quality vinifera grape industry has changed
everything, with $98 in economic spinoff for every bottle sold in the region and province,” she says,
“but some of the same issues are still dogging us.”

“Our VQA share of the market hasn’t grown that much,” she explains. “We have to have more opportunities to put VQA wine on the shelf.” There is another aspect that remains unchanged, says Zimmerman. “It’s still a fascinating industry.” Zimmerman will be presented with her award at the Women in Business event Nov. 18, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Club Italia on Montrose Road in Niagara Falls.

The Women in Business Awards is an annual event presented by the GNCC to recognize the leadership and success of women in the business community, with an aim to encourage more women to seek out and reach for leadership roles in business, non-profits, and in their community. “These awards are all about expressing our appreciation and admiration for women who inspire, lead, create, and solve,” says Mishka Balsom, CEO of the GNCC. “One day is not enough to showcase the ability and talent of our finalists. We hope that everyone who is proud to support female leaders will join us.”

 This year’s finalists are:

Business That Gives Back Award, sponsored by Niagara Community Foundation:

· Two Sisters Vineyards
· Queen Bean Café
· Westview Centre4Women

Community Impact Award, sponsored by Niagara College

· Alexis Kleiman
· April Mitchell-Boudreau
· Diana Myrie
· Gynette Smith

· Kimberly Cathline
· Sandra Easton

Corporate Leadership Award, sponsored by Hatch

· Erin Hagar, Airbus
Helicopters Canada Ltd.
· Faith Winter, Canadian Tire Bank
· Marie Fucile, Youngs Insurance Brokers Inc.
Cultural Arts Award, sponsored by CAA Niagara

· Kate Leathers,
Carousel Players
·Kristin Messina,
Hedessent.ca
·Rima Boles, Niagara Pumphouse
· Sarah Kaufman, Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum

Emerging Business Award, sponsored by Niagara Region Economic Development

· Charlotte Scace, Cluō Inc.
· Cheryl Vanditelli, Queen Bean Café
· Renée Delaney, Small Scale Farms
Entrepreneurship Award, sponsored by Kane’s Distributing
· Alicia Yap & Olenka Lyle, ClaraDerma+

· Annemarie Bolle,
Hero Dog Treats Inc

· Shannon Passero, Shannon Passero Design
· Tammara Scaringi-Stanek, On Demand Staffing

Excellence in the Not-for-Profit Sector, sponsored by the Brock University Faculty of Social

Sciences

· Kim Rossi, Pathstone Foundation
· Lorraine Snihur, Habitat for Humanity Niagara
· Michelle Lewis, Young Caregivers Association

· Samantha Sendzik-Sinclair, Learning Disabilities Association of Niagara Region (LDANR)

· Yaneth Londono, Links for Greener Learning
Excellence in Trades Award, sponsored by Kraun Electric
· Allison Wood, Niagara Peninsula Energy Inc.
· Catherine O’Donnell, Willow Cakes and Pastries
· Samanntha De Coteau, Summit Sisters

Health Care Hero Award, sponsored by Alectra Utilities
· Brittany Mott, Seneka Caruso, Niagara Hearing and Health

· Dr. Jennifer Tsang, Niagara Health
· Kristen Marischuk, Counselling by Kristen
· Lisa Miele, LV Physiotherapy

· Rosanna Sim, Advantage Speech Pathology Services

Innovations in Hospitality and Tourism Award, sponsored by DDL & Co.

· Heidi Fielding, Fielding Estate Winery
· Kim Viney, Niagara Parks
·  Madison Vine, Andrew Peller Ltd
· Tamara Jensen, Dispatch Restaurant

Science and Technology Award, sponsored by Innovate Niagara
· Alexandra Griffith, Cheekbone Beauty Cosmetics Inc
· Dr. Ana Cristina Vega Lugo, Niagara College

· Krista Flachs, Hatch

· Rachael LeBlanc, Vineland Research and Innovation Centre
Young Professional Award, sponsored by Ridley College
· Agnieszka (Agusia) Krzywinska, Adjective Noun Studios
· Brianne Bradley, Beattie Stationery Limited
· Janice Graham, Endless Pawzabilities Pet Boutique
· Katie MacCabe, Wandering Spirits
· Nikki McKnight, The Ops Shop
· Sara Dudley, The Sunscreen Company
· Shannon Fernandes, Town of Lincoln
· Stephanie Reis, Ferox Estate Winery

 
For 2022, the Ruth Unrau Legacy Award has been created in the name of Women in Niagara co-
founder Ruth Unrau, to be conferred upon a woman who shares Ruth’s spirit and dedication to
advocacy for women in business, and who has lifted up female entrepreneurs through her work and
support. The award recipient will have championed women in trade and commerce, and
empowered others to achieve success. For the inaugural year, Ruth will be the recipient. For more
information and tickets, visit https://2022WIBA.eventbrite.ca