2024-25 Elections - Meet your candidates

Elections are coming up soon! Watch your email for a survey link. Voting will be open from Monday May 20, 2024, to Monday June 3, 2024. Meet the candidates below!

Candidate for President: Leah Stolarski

Greetings OGGers! I’m Leah and many of you probably know me. I have been an enthusiastic OGG member since the very first meeting and, prior to this year, an executive committee member since the 2019/20 season. In my tenure as social media manager, I established our Facebook group and designed our promotional card you may have seen in local sewing stores. As special events coordinator, I helped the guild pivot at the start of the pandemic including planning a zoom trivia night, starting the sewing support groups, and running two online charity fabric sales that raised a combined $1488 for the Ottawa Food Bank. Finally, as my big hurrah before heading to Southern California with my family for a year, I chaired our first post-pandemic Frocktails in April 2022. As I prepare for our return to Ottawa, I’m looking forward to serving on the executive as your Vice-President, fresh with new ideas to keep meeting the needs of this fantastic community of talented, creative, passionate sewists.

Candidate for Vice-President: Laura-Lee MacDonald

Hello all! I am Laura-Lee (@PippiAnnShirley on IG) and for the last year I have been your Sew In and Workshop Coordinator. I am hopeful that your enjoyment of my efforts in this role will encourage you to vote for me as your new Vice President. I am excited to engage with you all to determine topics and speakers that we can learn from over the next couple of years, as well as the other duties of the VP. Thank you for your support!

Candidate for Secretary : Lianne Wallace

Hi there! I’m Lianne and would love to be considered for the position of Secretary. I grew up watching my mom sew, and I finally took it up myself about six years ago. I love listening to a podcast and creating an outfit - especially any type of secret pyjamas. This was my first year as Guild member. I love the sense of community and the inspiration of seeing everyone’s makes and projects. Next year I’d love to be more involved and contribute to the work of the Guild. I’ve always appreciated the monthly meeting summaries as a memory jogger and especially when I wasn’t able to make the meeting. I enjoy writing and in my day job I regularly write a ton of meeting notes and summaries. I have lots of practice capturing the key takeaways and including some interesting tidbits - and it would be great to have the chance to apply these skills to something I love. 

Candidate for Treasurer: Laura Gibson-MacGregor

I have acted as OGG Treasurer since September 2020 and am seeking re-election for another term. I am organized and detail-oriented, and I believe these skills help me to be effective in this role and to support the exec in their roles as well. I have been a member of the Guild since 2018 and have really appreciated the sense of community it provides and the support that members give one another in improving their sewing skills. I look forward to continuing to support everything OGG has to offer to Ottawa sewists in my role as Treasurer.

Candidate for Events Coordinator: Kimberly Low

I've been sewing off and on since I was a kid with anyone willing to teach me, home etc., but I've been consistently garment sewing for the past 9 years. I've been the secretary for the past 4 years and I'm running for events co-ordinator because I would like a new challenge and would like to further contribute to the sense of community the guild offers. 

Candidate for Workshops and Sew-ins Coordinator: Jean Montminy

I am excited to express my interest in the Workshop Coordinator position on the Garment Guild board. As an active member of this wonderful community and a passionate sewer, I would be honored to contribute my skills and dedication to organizing workshops and sew-ins that engage and inspire our fellow members.

Being part of the Garment Guild has been a very rewarding experience for me. I have greatly enjoyed connecting with individuals who share my love for sewing. It would be a privilege to take on a more active role in organizing the guild's programming and ensuring that our members have access to engaging workshops that cater to their interests and skill levels.

If selected for this position, I would make it a priority to gather feedback from the membership and tailor our workshop offerings and sew-ins accordingly. I believe that by listening to our community and incorporating their ideas, we can create a diverse and exciting lineup of events that bring out the best in our members' creativity and skills.

With my strong organizational abilities, attention to detail, and relevant work experience, I am confident that I can excel in this role. My background as a Major Account Manager and Systems Engineer (IBM), Executive Assistant (CCSTA), and Vacation Consultant (Expedia) has equipped me with the necessary skills to coordinate events, manage budgets, and communicate effectively with various stakeholders.

In conclusion, I am eager to contribute my skills, experience, and passion for sewing to the Garment Guild board. I believe that together, we can create a vibrant and enriching workshop program that inspires our members and strengthens our community. I look forward to working alongside the dedicated individuals who make the Garment Guild such a special place.

Candidate for Social Media Manager: Kallie Auld

Hi all!  I’m Kallie (Kay-lee, aka @kalliesews) and I was the Founding President for the OGG.  After a few years working with the Executive team to build the OGG, I took a step back from my duties to start a family.  Now that my two boys are a little older I’m looking forward to once again attending meetings in person and volunteering on the Executive Committee.  I am running for the position of Social Media Manager.  In this position I hope keep up the amazing work Stephanie has been doing to regularly update the OGG’s social media platforms, advertise for all the various OGG events, moderate and run the Discord server, and to keep everything running smoothly.  I love the online sewing community and I look forward to the opportunity to further grow the OGG’s online following, and in turn, our membership!