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By Kevin Rothwell

Investing in future leaders

North Okanagan politician selected for global fellowship

Jul 9, 2022 | 6:00 AM

Local Electoral Director Amanda Shatzko has been selected as a 2022 Vital Voices Engaged Fellow.

The program that supports outstanding women political leaders making and influencing policy across the globe.

The top 30 winners will undertake the fully funded fellowship to increase their leadership capacity, decision-making power, and effectiveness in politics and government, shifting culture around women’s public leadership and moving towards equality in public representation globally.

“We partner with women who practice leadership that unites and inspires people,” Alyse Nelson, President and CEO of Vital Voices Global Partnership said. “We invest in leaders because they take on the responsibility to improve their communities, their countries and their societies.”

The cohort will undertake training focusing on political leadership and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals from professors at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, Vital Voices Global Network experts, and current and former female heads of state with the Council of Women World Leaders.

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Shatzko is one of Canada’s youngest elected females in a mayoral type position. She is the current elected official for BX/ SilverStar and Vice-Chair of the Regional District of North Okanagan. In addition, Shatzko serves on the board of the Okanagan Regional Library, North Okanagan/ Columbia Shuswap Hospital District, BC Municipal Finance Authority, BC Alliance for Arts & Culture, Impact Toolbox and UBC Okanagan Senate.

Before being elected in 2018, Amanda was a featured artist and athlete in Vancouver’s film industry, corporate, public, and charity events. She was also recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women (WXN), BC’s Top Forty Under 40 (BiV), and for the past two years voted best local elected official in Vernon Matters Best of the Best awards.

Members of Vital Voices include Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, U.S. Youth Poet Laureates, Prime Ministers, award-winning innovators, pioneering human rights defenders, and breakthrough social entrepreneurs such as Malala Yousafzai, Amanda Gorman, Violeta Bermudez, Hillary Clinton, Amanda Nguyen and Darren Walker.