The 2025 Women of Influence Awards were held Friday evening in Grande Prairie.
The annual awards recognize local women that drive innovation and entrepreneurship in the region.
2025 Women of Influence Award recipients;
- Ella Dobovich received the Next Generation Award recognizing young women demonstrating exceptional promise, leadership, and impact in their community or field. Ella was nominated for demonstrating active leadership and driving positive change as the youngest member of the Grande Prairie Technical Search and Rescue team and her role as a Youth Engagement Worker at Kickstand GP, where she is supporting community needs and fostering social progress. Her involvement also extends to Youth Voices where she serves as a chairperson representing youth perspectives, and into the sports community where she is an accomplished martial artist and a ski instructor at Nitehawk, coaching up the next generation.
- Melissa St. Pierre received the Game Changer Award celebrating women disrupting norms, challenging the status quo, and paving the way in their field or community. Melissa is being awarded for innovations made during the pandemic and continuous improvements in her sector to lead and support other business owners. As the business owner of Petals and Posies Flower Co., and Pierre & Co. Event Planning, Melissa has broken barriers as an Indigenous woman entrepreneur, redefining what success can look like. When COVID impacted small businesses across the world, she took action pivoting towards online and delivery-based sales, sourcing local and shifting supply chains to continue to engage her customers and support her business. This determination has helped her business grow steadily, while allowing her to mentor and support other local women and business owners, truly strengthening the entrepreneurial network in Grande Prairie.
- Christy Doucette received the Workplace Leadership Award honoring women who excel in leadership roles, fostering growth and inclusion within the workplace. Christy is being recognized for her measurable impact and tangible improvements from introducing new technology and processes at Pomeroy Lodging LP. As VP of People and Culture, Christy has introduced a variety of new systems that have demonstrably improved training, communication and human resources in her workplace. These updates have streamlined operations while improving access and engagement of professional development and training opportunities for staff. The results of her work have included better collaboration, enhanced employee engagement and recognition and a strategic, actionable approach to meet the unique needs of her organization.
- Miranda Laroche received the Community Leadership Award recognizing women making significant contributions to the betterment of their community. Miranda is receiving this award for building inclusive community and championing social issues through her work at the Grande Prairie Friendship Centre. She is a steadfast champion and advocate for the local Indigenous community, with a particular focus on transformative action to address systemic barriers, biases and safety issue concerning gender-based violence, particularly those impacting Indigenous women and 2SLGBTQIIA+. Through her work at the Grande Prairie Friendship Centre, Swan City Rotary, Chamber of Commerce, IMPACT Grande Prairie, the Alberta Native Friendship Centres Association, and Hug-a-Sister, she is playing a pivotal role in supporting our community and residents in need.
- Lori Grant received the Lifetime Impact Award honoring women whose enduring contributions have left a lasting legacy in their field or community. Lori has demonstrated a lifetime of inspiring leadership and dedicated long-term efforts to address community needs. With an impressive 35 year career spanning multiple industries from human resources and safety leadership to team management at Weyerhaeuser/ Proctor and Gamble Pulp Mill and Dow Chemical she created a legacy of visionary leadership and a commitment to excellence. Alongside this work, Lori has served as Public School Trustee for years in the Peace Wapiti Public School Division, including serving as Vice Chair and Chair where she had driven meaningful policy changes on education in Alberta.
“Once again we are overwhelmed with the community response to the Women of Influence Awards. With new award categories and a record number of nominees, we are beyond proud to recognize the women shaping and innovating a grander future for our community,” says City of Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton.
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