NEWS RELEASE
CITY OF ORILLIA
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For immediate release (Jan. 29, 2018) – Gill Tillmann was named Orillia's 2017 Citizen of the Year at a Council meeting on Jan. 29, 2018.
Tillmann, who has been actively involved in the Orillia community for many years, had a stand out year in 2017. Highlights from her long list of contributions over the year include co-chairing "Mariposans for Refugees”, bringing a Syrian family to Orillia and supporting them in their resettlement into 2017, her continued work as President and board member with Couchiching Jubilee House, and raising funds through numerous charitable events. Tillmann also provides life coaching programs for youth, enabling them to see themselves as people that can make a difference in our community. In addition, early in 2017, Tillmann became Chair of the Ontario Winter Games Organizing Committee. Since then, she's brought the community together for the event, with hundreds of volunteers ready to showcase Orillia in this provincial competition this coming March.
Tillmann received multiple nominations for the award with nominator Joanne Hammond noting her "outstanding eagerness and enthusiasm" and nominator Allison Andrews highlighting Tillmann’s "optimistic and sincere rapport with Orillians".
“On behalf of Orillia City Council and the Citizen of the Year panel, I’d like congratulate Gill and to thank all the nominees for their incredible dedication and contributions to our community. Our City is a better place because of your efforts and commitment to the betterment of Orillia,” said Mayor Steve Clarke.
Nominees for the 2017 Citizen of the Year Award include: Glenn Wagner, Michael O’Connor, Richard Purcell, James Maxwell, Heather Mills, Gill Tillmann, Doreen Field, Dorothy Hanwell, Kim Fedderson and Linsey O’Donnell. The award winner was selected by a panel of community members including former winners Anderson Charters, Ralph Cipolla (non-voting member), Steve Clarke (non-voting member), Doug Lewis, Gini Stringer and Bruce Waite, as well as former Packet & Times editors and reporters Dave Dawson and Nathan Taylor, and Dr. Linda Rodenburg of Lakehead University's Office of Community Programs.
The Orillia Packet & Times, which recognized local community champions with its annual Citizen of the Year honour, was closed in the midst of its search for the top citizen of 2017. The continuation of the award was also made possible thanks to the support of Orillia City Council.
Watch for more on this later.
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