This was a special year for the Michelle Pockey Leadership Award. Not only did we distribute the largest amount of funding to date, but we were also honoured to have the awards presented by two women leaders with a close connection to Michelle.
For the last four years, in addition to the $5000 bursary, Minerva has been able to distribute additional awards. We are thrilled that in 2025, thanks to the funding from generous individual donors and organizations, five additional bursaries of $1000 each were awarded, as well as one at $2500.
Dani Bryant, partner at Fasken and Monique Ronning, Corporate Counsel & CPO at Teck presented the award and bursaries as part of the BIV Influential Women Leadership Awards luncheon.
In their introduction, they spoke about being mentored by Michelle Pockey during their formative years as lawyers and how her support was crucial in helping them feel a sense of belonging in the legal profession. They also talked about being former co-chairs of the Professional Women’s Network – an organization that Michelle co-founded and ran for many years – and how she inspired their commitment to mentorship and to championing women leaders in their community.
About the Winners
Frankie Abel: Michelle Pockey Leadership Award winner and $5000 bursary recipient
Frankie is a single mom from the community of Gitanmaax [git-n-max] in the Hazelton region. She is currently enrolled in the Simon Fraser University, Indigenous Business Led, MBA program. Her future aspirations include helping the economic development within her nation while protecting the land and resources.
Cely-Rae Street: $2500 bursary recipient
Cely-Rae lives in Kamloops and is a first-year law student at Thompson Rivers University. With a background in social work, her future goals include using her legal knowledge to advocate for policies and legal solutions that prioritize cultural sensitivity, family reunification and long-term well-being within the child welfare system.
$1000 bursary recipients
Marylee Quock – Indigenous Early Childhood Education (IECE) Certificate Program
Larae Wycotte – Bachelor of Arts, Major in Criminology
Ashtynn Gurnsey – Bachelor of Education, specializing in Indigenous Education
Taylor Abou – Indigenous Early Childhood Education (IECE) Certificate Program
Roxanne Mierau – Family and Community Counselling Diploma, focus on Indigenous Wellness
About the Award
To uphold the legacy of Michelle Pockey, Minerva BC and Business in Vancouver (BIV) have partnered to recognize exceptional women leaders through the Michelle Pockey Leadership Award.
Presented annually, the Award gives first priority to an Indigenous woman and/or single parent, and second priority to women pursuing law, justice, Indigenous or environmental studies. The Award is intended to support the successful nominee’s tuition, housing or childcare in the pursuit of post-secondary education, which will help support her leadership and long-term career prospects.
About Michelle Pockey
A winner of the 2016 BIV Influential Women in Business Award, Michelle Pockey was widely recognized as an exceptional leader.
As a prominent Vancouver lawyer and community activist in British Columbia, Michelle dedicated herself to making a positive difference in the world – from energy, mining, environmental, and Indigenous legal issues, to increasing the economic success and impact of women. With her vision, she co-founded the Professional Women’s Network in 1997, and then the Professional Aboriginal Women’s Network in 2016. She worked tirelessly for 20 years advocating to advance women in business, law, Indigenous reconciliation and non-traditional sectors until her passing from cancer in June 2016.
The seven bursaries that were awarded this year were made possible by generous donors who wish to honour Michelle’s legacy in supporting other women leaders, as well as by those who believe in creating equitable opportunities for all.
