Premier’s Awards

Jennifer Green is breaking gender barriers and bridging Canada’s skills gap. As the only woman in her Industrial Mechanic Millwright program, she has cleared the path for thousands of women in the skilled trades through advocacy, mentorship and by sharing her opinions and experiences at events and in articles, radio programs and podcasts. She launched Skills Ontario’s first virtual conference for women and reimagined Canada’s largest skills trades competition as a virtual contest with live video feeds from competitors’ kitchens, garages and backyards. Jennifer is one of WXN Canada’s Most Powerful Women and a Universal Women’s Network Woman of Inspiration.

Luke Antonio pursued a college degree with a goal of strengthening Indigenous communities, businesses and people in northern Ontario. A member of the Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory on Manitoulin Island, he founded PLA LTD (Aboriginal Project Consulting and Construction Services) on the Indigenous values of partnership, trust, transparency and community engagement. With more than 20 successful projects, Luke has empowered Indigenous people by hiring locally and enriching First Nations communities socially and economically. He is a grassroots advocate of Indigenous procurement in Canada, reaching countless Indigenous, industry and government leaders with his messages of collaboration, transparency, and fair and inclusive procurement methods.

Rachel Radyk is a registered nurse and member of the Chippewas of Georgina Island whose passion for Indigenous health is changing nursing practice, ensuring culturally-appropriate care, and giving voice to Indigenous nurses provincially and nationally. Rachel is creating best practice guidelines for Indigenous health on behalf of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario. She created a safe place for hundreds of Indigenous people to receive their COVID vaccinations and launched the Indigenous Patient Navigator program at five hospitals. An in-demand speaker, Rachel has impacted thousands of students, health-care practitioners and Indigenous people with her messages of reconciliation, healing and resilience.

Yumna Nasir is using the power of technology to bridge the gaps between the design, construction and management of mega-capital projects. Her innovative approach to the Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit Project saved the public $4M+ and she achieved 95%+ efficiency at less than 50% of budget as the operational and facilities lead of the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan Am Athletes’ Village. Now the National Director of Operations, Technology at Plan Group Inc., Yumna has built a design/engineering department from the ground up. She is a member of two college program advisory committees and a mentor to women in her field.