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Five local women awarded honours for business acumen

The Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Niagara Council distributed their Women in Business Awards last Friday at Club Italia in Niagara Falls. Five women with ties to Niagara-on-the-Lake took home honours during the event.

The Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Niagara Council distributed their Women in Business Awards last Friday at Club Italia in Niagara Falls. Five women with ties to Niagara-on-the-Lake took home honours during the event. 

In the Young Professional category, Stephanie Reis, proprietor and operations and development manager at Ferox Estate Winery, beat out seven other women to take the top honours. She and her winemaker husband Fabian created the winery to make world-class wines. Stephanie handles marketing and sales in addition to guiding the daily operations of the winery. 

Pastry chef and owner of Willow Cakes and Pastries Catherine O’Donnell’s innovation and commitment to the art and craft of pastries was part of what earned her the Excellence in Trades Award. O’Donnell is the first female pastry chef to be inducted into the Honour Society of the Canadian Culinary Federation and continues to teach at Niagara College. 

As director of the Niagara Pumphouse Arts Centre, Rima Boles’ commitment to the community and her efforts to keep the arts alive during the pandemic earned her the WIN Cultural Arts Award. Rima and her team built a virtual arts community which allowed for 22,000 participants to stay connected during COVID-19, and she was able to secure pandemic relief funding, allowing the Pumphouse to provide some services free of charge. 

Melissa Marotta-Paolicelli and Angela Marotta took home the Business That Gives Back Award. Since opening the doors to Two Sisters Vineyards in 2014, the sisters have shown their commitment to supporting charities and organizations focused on women, children and healthcare, including Gillian’s Place and Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children. As well, they contributed to Niagara College’s Marotta Innovation Complex. 




Mike Balsom

About the Author: Mike Balsom

With a background in radio and television, Mike Balsom has been covering news and events across the Niagara Region for more than 35 years
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