25 January 2019

The Real Wonder Women - Maryanne Gore

| Nina Gbor
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Not all superheroes wear capes…

We often wait till Mother’s Day to give deeper thought to the amazing contributions from the incredible women around us. These are the real Wonder Women, the unsung heroes in our everyday lives whose contributions, attitude, kindness and love go a long way in uplifting our existence. We might be so accustomed to their giving nature that we sometimes forget to show appreciation. Whether they’re colleagues, sisters, bosses, daughters, friends, mothers, teachers, aunties, wives, partners, grandmothers or even your next-door neighbour, our lives are that much better because we have them in it.

For this series, I am featuring three of Canberra’s Wonder Women, but please know that this is also dedicated to all the Wonder Women out there, regardless of how little or how much you do for others. Perhaps you know a Wonder Woman or you are one. Either way, this is for them and for you. We see you.

Maryanne Gore

Maryanne Gore on the right-hand side with her family. Photo: Supplied.

Maryanne Gore is the second Wonder Woman I am featuring in this series -and for good reason. For 28 years up until May 2017, Maryanne was the Chief Executive of Project Lighting. Now a director of the company, she is still concerned with its affairs. Having won the 2016 Business Woman of the Year for Canberra Women in Business, Maryanne has volunteered on its committee, firstly as a member, and then as Treasurer in 2017 and 2018.

I asked Peta Swarbrook, President, Canberra Women in Business, to share her thoughts on Maryanne and here’s what she had to say:

“I met Maryanne through the CWB committee and have got to know her this year in our work together running CWB. She is a quiet achiever, very diligent and conscientious but goes about her business with a sense of service and purpose. As far as I know, she is a business owner, a busy mother and wife, yet she manages to contribute to at least six organisations I know of including educational programmes, charities and not-for-profits like CWB. Maryanne has amazed me this year with her ability to adapt and manage all kinds of situations and run with just about everything I have thrown at her. She has risen to every challenge and surprised and delighted me with her calm, quiet competence. She is oftentimes a voice of moderation and caution and I have found that, and her unfailing ability to step up to any challenge, indispensable in the successes achieved by CWB in 2018. Maryanne and I are not immediately apparent bedfellows, but I could not have asked for a more wonderful wing woman.”

Highly keen on volunteering, some of Maryanne’s other volunteer roles include reader on Radio 1RPH, turning print into sound for visually-impaired listeners, managing her son’s basketball team, being a special minister of the Eucharist once a month at Calvary Hospital, and contributing to St Monica’s church by reading, cleaning and laundering the linen.

Her biggest volunteering role, however, is as an in-class mentor in the Clemente program. Unsurprisingly, Maryann was inspired to take up this role while completing a CEO sleepout fundraiser. Commencing at the beginning of the 2018 academic year, it runs every Friday during term time. This is a joint venture between the St Vincent de Paul Society and the Australian Catholic University which connects adults who have had a disadvantaged educational background with tertiary education.

Maryanne just celebrated her 39th wedding anniversary with her husband, Mark. She also has four children and two grandchildren whom she picks up from school, babysits and takes to dance and sports training. During the September/October school holidays, she supports and accompanies her son and his school’s history tour to Europe.

Maryanne Gore – our very own wonder woman.

Next week, I’ll be introducing the third fantastic female of the series.

Until then, power on, Wonder Women!

 

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