“As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others” – Audrey Hepburn
Ally is a Niagara native, born and raised in the town of Beamsville. She pursued post-secondary education at Brock University, studying Business Communication, and graduated in 2017 with First Class Standing. While at Brock, Ally completed an internship at the NiagaraFalls Chamber of Commerce, which opened her eyes to the beauty of the region and the importance of community.
Staying local, Ally began working at Walker Environmental Group in Niagara Falls. She started out as a student in the finance department in 2014, and now works as an Executive Assistant (EA) in the Resource Recovery division. Ally is passionate about the environment and community and considers herself lucky to work at a company that shares these values.
In her spare time, Ally loves exploring new places and doing hot yoga.
The most important attributes of a leader are passion for what you do and compassion for who you work with. These attributes have a ripple effect on others, inspiring them to take action and become their own leaders.
Civic leadership is taking action to bring together others and make a positive change in the community.
I am personally motivated to explore civic leadership because I want to help others like they have helped me and give back to the community that has given me so much.
In my view, the most significant issue/opportunity facing our community is mental health. Mental health affects 1 in 5 Canadians, and without our mental health, nothing else matters. The issue of mental health within the Niagara region has become increasingly apparent in recent years by the multiple suicide incidents at the Burgoyne Bridge. I would like to see our community move from mental illness to mental wellness, and I believe this can be achieved if we all work together. In the words of Malcolm X, “When I is replaced with we, even illness becomes wellness.”