Pam Hrick
It takes a tremendous amount of leadership to try to change a system when it is providing you with rewards. If you’re pulling straight A’s while attending school (and earning the awards and scholarships that come with it), it’s hard to want to shout — “this system recognizes only one type of intelligence, and really needs to be overhauled”.
If you’re someone who had been given the opportunity to join a profession or organization in which those like you have been historically marginalized, it’s tempting not to “rock the boat” and demand more when some feel they’ve done you a favour just by letting you in the door.
When you’re someone whose skills are compensated at a level that dwarfs what most people are paid, it can seem silly to suggest society should readjust its priorities.
I’m lucky that my life is filled with women who do all of these things. True leaders for whom the fact we’ve “made progress” when it comes to equity is no reason to be complacent. For me, what they stand for is symbolized by my remarkable friend Pam Hrick.
There’s lots to be impressed with on Pam’s resume: 2nd in her class at law school, scholarships to the world’s most prestigious schools, a clerkship with a Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, and numerous leadership positions on political campaigns at all levels of government.
Pam’s skills and dedication are valued and rewarded in our society — with money, opportunity, and respect. I see her as a great leader because her goal isn’t to acquire those things: it’s to actively create a society where they are more easily accessible to others.
Pam serves as the Secretary to the Board of Directors of Equal Voice, a multi-partisan organization dedicated to getting more women elected in Canada, and served as Vice-Chair of the Board of the Sexual Assault Centre Kingston. She was a member of the University of Ottawa’s Task Force on Respect and Equality, and continues to make time to act as pro bono legal counsel for the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic.
We spend a lot of time celebrating people in our society who can outperform others. We often bestow upon them the title of “leader” because they’ve managed to rise to the top of our existing social structure. True leadership however isn’t in your individual accomplishments — it’s how much of your time and energy you spend attempting to empower others. For Pam Hrick the career she’s building isn’t to get to the top of the pyramid — it’s to build a foundation from which she can continue her work of breaking down barriers, and supporting those who wish to do the same.
