TIAW is pleased to announce that Maxine Westaway has been named the 2013 recipient of the Mandy Goetze 21st Century Award.

If there is a role to play at TIAW, chances are Maxine Westaway has been involved. For more than 15 years, she has undertaken a succession of roles, from TIAW member to board member, founding member of the TIAW Microcredit initiative, instigator and leader of trade missions, organizer and participant in TIAW International Trips to Bulgaria, Chile and Hong Kong, many Microcredit Donor Trips, TIAW Global Forum champion and organizer, President of the Board, Executive Director and head of Membership. Despite Maxine’s retirement last year she continues to be a very active supporter of TIAW and was recently appointed as the Director of the Micro Program where she continues to build on this flagship program.

Everything Maxine does, she does with no less than a 100% effort. She has tirelessly championed TIAW since the mid 1990s when she first became involved and in her many roles since then has been unflagging in her support and passion for the organization.

Based in Toronto, Canada, Maxine became involved in TIAW when she was promoting export business from Canada to China through a business she ran with her husband Allan – himself a stalwart TIAW Champion and recipient of the TIAW World of Difference 100 Award. Once she became a member, it wasn’t long until she began having a major impact on the organization, starting with her involvement in the organizing of the 1996 Global Forum which was held in Toronto that year.

"There truly couldn’t be anyone more central to the development of TIAW for over a decade than Maxine Westaway,” said Lisa Kaiser Hickey, President of the Board of TIAW. "She has been tireless in her efforts on behalf of the organization and we are deeply grateful for her involvement in so many different aspects of the organization.”