Quick Escape 
At this year’s YWCA Canada Annual Members Meeting (AMM), two exceptional women from YWCA Hamilton were recognized for their leadership and contributions to their communities through Special Recognition Awards. Every year, these awards honour individuals, staff, volunteers, and member associations who go above and beyond to advance YWCA Canada’s mission and improve the lives of women across Canada.
Terri Johns, who has chaired YWCA Hamilton’s Board of Directors for the last three years, was honoured with a Mentorship Award for her outstanding dedication to fostering leadership in others through mentorship. Terri is a professional urban planner with over three decades of experience, and the founder/President of Landwise (formerly known as T. Johns Consulting Group Ltd.), which she founded in 2014. Terri’s commitment to affordable housing and urban development has left a lasting mark – most notably as Chair of the Building Committee behind the Putman Family YWCA on Ottawa Street.
Beyond her professional success, Terri is a tireless community volunteer and advocate. She has been on the YWCA Hamilton Board of Directors since 2016, and finishes her term as chair this month. Her work with the Women in Industry Committee – Canada’s first within a home builders’ association – has impacted countless women, many of whom credit Terri for their professional growth. Terri’s influence as a mentor, particularly in male-dominated fields, has helped open doors for the next generation of women leaders in planning, construction, and beyond.
Violetta Nikolskaya, Director of Inclusion and Engagement, received the Estelle Amaron Award, which recognizes staff for their commitment, community focus, and encouragement, and has contributed to international YWCA work. Violetta has spent her career advocating for marginalized communities through a lens of critical social work, trauma-informed practice, and intersectional feminism. Her resume of community service is vast and deeply impactful.
Violetta has served on the City of Hamilton’s LGBTQ Advisory Committee, the Housing and Homelessness Advisory Committee and the Hamilton Hate Crime Case Review Team. Her efforts also extend to national and international platforms, including her 2023 participation as a Canadian delegate to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. A skilled facilitator and educator, Violetta is known for building inclusive spaces while amplifying the voices of women, Two-Spirit and LGBTQIA+ people, and those often left out of high-level policy and decision-making processes.
Terri and Violetta are role models in every sense – leaders who don’t just talk about change, but create it. Their recognition at YWCA’s 2025 AMM highlights what is possible when women lead with purpose, compassion, and a vision for equity. Congratulations, Terri and Violetta!