We would like to thank everybody for their nominations. From all the nominees, 5 finalists, in each category, were chosen.

Profiles of the finalists will be displayed in the CWNMA booth at the newMedia99 trade show to be held at the Metropolitan Toronto Convention Centre from June 2-4, 1999. Winners will be chosen by a national selection committee and will be announced on Friday, June 4 at the newMedia99 trade show.

And the finalists are (in alphabetical order)...

THE PIONEER AWARD

Diane Hollett

Diane Hollett has been actively involved in the New Media industry for eight years as a business women, spokesperson, innovator, and industry leader. Her company, Media Touch Technologies. Hollett's approach to New Media has always been about empowering people. Media Touch Technologies develops new media products with the idea that new media can enhance the way people learn skills, gain skills, and experience the world around them. Hollett sees a vast potential in new media in education, business, and industry. She actively promotes the IT industry and women's involvement in the industry through her positions on several boards, membership in numerous associations, and involvement in the community.

Amy Kovarick

Originally from Washington D.C., Amy has over twelve years experience in the new media industry. She was among the pioneers in the early development of digital multimedia and holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering. Her expertise has made her a popular speaker at conferences and events including Wired Women, Women in Film and Television, and career days for young women across Ontario. As one of the three founding members, Amy Kovarick has been with ExtendMedia Inc. since 1992. In her current role as General Manager, Services, Amy runs the professional services arm of ExtendMedia. Amy describes her present role as leveraging the skills and passion of ExtendMedia's employees in order to bring innovative solutions to corporate customers in the rapidly changing digital and convergence media ind

Ellie Rubin

As co-founder of The Bulldog Group, much sought after speaker and author of the best-selling book BULLDOG SPIRIT OF THE NEW ENTREPRENEUR (HarperCollins, 1999), Ellie Rubin embodies the essence of the next generation of entrepreneurs. In seven years, she has led her company from a traditional design service business into one of North America's leading multimedia production houses and then onto pioneering one of the hottest new niches in software media asset management. From managing these radical shifts in company direction to opening offices in the Silicon Valley, from forming alliances with such high-tech players as Apple, Informix, Oracle, SGI and Sony Pictures Entertainment to raising over $15 million in outside investments, Ellie Rubin has piloted a roller-coaster business ride that would be instantly recognizable to any entrepreneur.

Dr. Gerri Sinclair

Dr. Gerri Sinclair is the founding director of ExCITE at Simon Fraser University, the first multimedia research and development centre in Canada. She is also the CEO of NCompass Labs an Internet start-up company, developing web systems for the enterprise market. Sinclair has served on several blue ribbon advisory boards, including Canada's National Advisory Council on the Information Highway (IHAC), the Canadian Network for the Advancement of Research, Industry, and Education (CANARIE), and the Canadian Foundation for Innovation. She is currently a Director of BCT.Telus, the second largest telecommunications company in Canada. She is the recipient of the YWCA Woman of Distinction award and the Canadian Women in Communications Woman of the Year award. She holds a Ph.D. from UBC.

Catherine Warren

Catherine Warren has led advances in media, new media and science communications since 1985, establishing start-up ventures in the United States, the United Kingdom, Western Europe and Canada. She has published more than 25 books and magazine series for children and adults on science and computing, produced 15 award-winning Web sites and spearheaded creative corporate partnerships for companies such as Sun Microsystems, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft and BC Tel. Also a pioneer in non-profit management, she directed Canada’s first joint venture of three major cultural institutions, Vancouver Aquarium, Pacific Space Centre and Science World, which centered on new media innovation. Teams under her direction have twice won Canada’s Michael Smith Award for excellence in science promotion (1994 & 1996). A member of various federal and provincial boards, Catherine contributes to raising Canada’s new media profile through advancing policy, building strategic alliances and public speaking. Catherine has a masters degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, where she broke the story of multimedia on location at M.I.T. Catherine currently heads the interactive subsidiary of the Blue Zone Group, Canada’s leader in on-air and on-line convergence.

THE OUTSTANDING YOUNG WOMAN IN NEW MEDIA AWARD

Sandra Bornn

Sandra's varied and award-winning design experience has seen her practice her craft in Toronto, Kansas City and Ottawa. Her clients have ranged from hi-tech to edutainment; always with a strong marketing edge. Now she is bringing her new media skills and entrepreneurial spirit to the old world arts by developing an online community for the arts and crafts industry.

Kerri Henneberry

Kerri Henneberry, a talented 25-year-old from Halifax, is president of Blink Digital Productions Inc. Her credits include a children's animated series, animated shorts, a few short films, and multimedia projects such as structuring a training program in association with the HRDC. Kerri's working to bring national recognition to the region creating job opportunities for the Maritimes.

Carly Milne

Carly Milne started her career at 14, writing for newspapers, magazines and contributing to national television shows. Her foray into new media began in 1994 with Canada's first teen e-zine. From there she moved from Calgary to Toronto and created Can.Say, an e-zine for Molson Breweries' website. Following a job as editor of Yahoo! Canada, Carly created Moxie, Canada's first female oriented content portal with a network of 10 sites, all female and Canadian owned and operated. She is 23 years old.

Tessa Sproule

Tessa Sproule is a rare breed of journalist, with eight years of training and working experience in broadcast, print and online journalism --all at the age of 25. From the moment she picked up her first newspaper (at the precocious age of six) she's been a self-confessed information junkie. After graduating at the top of her class in 1996, she took a job with The Arts Report at CBC Radio, becoming one of the youngest producers in the broadcaster's history. Combining her arts background with her new media training, Tessa identified a key element of CBC's online coverage that was missing... arts and culture. She returned to CBC to develop and create Infoculture, cbc.ca's Online Arts & Entertainment magazine. Tessa devised and built the site that exists today, a site that blends news, information and features about interactive elements and original coverage of new media-related news that tends to be overlooked by the "traditional" media.

Aisha Wickham

As SMART Toronto's Manager of Communications and Client Services, Wickham is responsible for outreach with the association's members, as well as developing the communications strategy of the association. In this role she also works as alliance coordinator for the Toronto New Media Trainers Alliance (NMT), an affiliate of SMART Toronto that works to market and promote Toronto's strengths in new media training. Wickham joined SMART Toronto in June of 1996, prior to which she served as development coordinator for Milestone Communications Inc. where she was responsible for community and public relations. An active member of the community, she is the recipient of the Harry Jerome Award for leadership in addition to various other community service citations. Wickham holds a bachelor of applied arts degree in radio & television arts from Ryerson Polytechnic University.

THE OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEER AWARD

Sara Bailey

Sara is an award-winning multimedia designer whose portfolio includes work for both CD-ROM and the Web. Since earning a degree at the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, Sara has been involved in projects for a diverse range of clients, including General Motors, Vancouver Television, the APEC '97 Conference, the 2010 Olympic bid, and Generation X author Douglas Coupland. Her work has received much critical recognition and been featured in a number of Web design publications, including Graphis Book's Web Design Now. A dedicated volunteer away from the office, Sara directs, designs, and coordinates the production of the Wired Woman Society's online presence. Currently, Sara is the lead designer at Multiactive Education, makers of the popular Brainium Web sites.

Sarah-Marie Loupe

Rwanda Project: Consortium of Universities for Family Reunification. In 1995 Sarah designed an interactive application for the registration and reunification of unaccompanied children. Organizing collaboration between universities they built prototypes using current computer technology. Independent funding allowing her to conduct feasibility studies in Rwanda. The project broadened the understanding of how technology may contribute to traditional tracking processes.

Kerri McKenna

As the volunteer Website and Publishing Coordinator for Toronto Webgrrls - Women on the Web, Kerri is responsible for keeping this non-profit group's award-winning Web site up-to-date. She also serves on the Humber College Advisory Board which makes recommendations on curriculum for the Internet Management Program. Kerri is an Interface Architect at i|money, Canada's personal finance Web site.

Kelly Peters

Kelly Peters has catapulted Toronto Webgrrls into a force to be reckoned with (from 7 to almost 1,000 members in two years). This organization helps women who are involved in or want to break into new media. Kelly presents this information to new media conferences often and her dynamic presence entices younger women to enter a field which is woefully lacking in female representation. Kelly's work is tireless and her ability to pull together volunteers for the effort is nothing short of amazing. Now she has left the Directorship of Toronto Webgrrls, Kelly has not abandoned her mission. She is now the Director of Webgrrls Canada, the Canadian branch of an international networking organization for women. Kelly's guidance and dedication to Webgrrls has inspired Webgrrls members across the nation.

Emma Smith

Emma is Founder and President of the Wired Woman Society, a non-profit organization that encourages women to explore careers and opportunities in Information Technology and New Media. She is also Co-Director of Simon Fraser University's Web Publishing Program and an Instructor at the University of British Columbia. Emma served as National Spokesperson for the Young Navigators Foundation in 1997 and, in 1998, was named one of Canada's Top Women in Technology by the Globe and Mail. Emma presents regularly on issues surrounding the Internet and the positive development of Information Technology and, in December of 1998, had her achievements recognized by Business in Vancouver who named her as one of the year's "40 Under 40."