To create resilient and thriving communities, we need the support of passionate advocates who have a vision for improving lives.
Two of them, Gillian Hynes and Jermyn K.Y. Voon, were recently honoured with the 2021 Culbert Family Award for Philanthropy. This award, offered annually by our Gen Next committee, recognizes two young professionals for their charitable giving and outstanding work in the community.
Both Gillian and Jermyn have demonstrated community leadership and excellence during a difficult year. Meet these inspiring Calgarians whose acts of kindness are creating positive impact and paving the way for social change.
Gillian Hynes
Gillian is the senior manager of Talent with TC Energy, the president of Ask Her YYC, the co-founder of Anonymously Together, and a mom of two young kids.
Ask Her YYC’s mission is to get more women elected to Calgary City Council. Under Gillian’s leadership, Ask Her YYC launched its two cornerstone programs Prepare Her and Mentor Her in 2020. Prepare Her supports women to build a solid foundation in running a successful political campaign, while Mentor Her brings women together with experienced politicians to learn more about the intricacies of political engagement and candidacy.
At Anonymously Together, Gillian and the team create a safe space to share and examine stories of systemic barriers that impede inclusion, leveraging community experiences to co-create organizational solutions for more inclusive and innovative workplaces.
Using Culbert Family Award funds, Gillian plans to run “hackathons” through Anonymously Together to address inclusion challenges in workspaces. She will also continue expanding the Ask Her YYC program offerings to help remove barriers to gender parity and support inclusive representation on City Council.
Jermyn K.Y. Voon
Jermyn is a corporate accountant with UrbanStar Group of Companies, the president of Canadian Club of Calgary, and a passionate community member who spends most of his free time volunteering on seven boards and committees.
While volunteering, Jermyn looks for opportunities to leverage his skills and education in not-for-profit governance, finance, and communications to support organizations in achieving their goals. As an advisor or committee member, he looks to connect with individuals and organizations that have similar goals around advocating for and creating positive change within local communities.
Jermyn’s passion for Calgary shines through in his admiration for our community’s resiliency. His advice to those looking to give back is to remember their value and ability to create real impact in the community.
“Know that you cannot do everything, but you can do something,” he added.
Congratulations to Gillian and Jermyn, inspiring community leaders and winners of the 2021 Culbert Family Award for Philanthropy!
United Way of Calgary and Area is grateful to the Culbert family for making this award possible and enabling young professionals to invest in their philanthropic endeavours and professional development. Learn more about how United Way is helping young professionals shape the future of Calgary through Gen Next.