Formed in 2006, the Future Leaders of Manitoba Council (FLMC) consists of a group of young professionals who believe that the future of the province relies on its ability to encourage and attract young people to live, work and thrive in Manitoba.

Lesley Hamilton, the council’s founder and current president, established the council to recognize the future leaders of the province and reward young Manitobans for their dedication to the province’s social and economic growth.

“I decided I was going to stay in Manitoba to pursue my career and for family reasons.

So many people leave the province after university—the ‘grass is always greener’ mentality—and wind up coming back, which is great,” she says. “But doesn’t it make sense to recognize people who did stay here and excel in their jobs, give back to the community and advocate Manitoba as a great place to work and live?”

Indeed, the FLMC does just that. In partnership with the Business Council of Manitoba, the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce and the Manitoba Chamber of Commerce, it hosts an annual awards reception, presenting the Manitoba Exceptional Young Professional Award to three aspiring young professionals and recognizing those who will lead Manitoba in its continued growth and success.

“We bring together leaders in the community—including many CEOs from Manitoba-based companies and a number of political leaders—with up-and-coming leaders,” says Hamilton. “I love seeing the eagerness of the existing leaders to help develop and recognize the up-and-comers in the province—and not just in business.”

In fact, young professionals are recognized with awards in three categories—professional/business, community service and the arts—at the event, which this year saw 500 people attend. “I love that we are not just recognizing people in business,” says Hamilton. “And I love meeting the winners and seeing what outstanding contributions they are making.”

The council exists solely to plan for the annual event, collecting sponsorship dollars, ensuring the nomination process is transparent and generating nominations. “We want people to get involved by nominating others,” says Hamilton. “We certainly want to make this a viable event going forward and keep the premise the same: recognizing the outstanding young leaders in our province. That is our primary focus.”

This year’s awards reception takes place on Jan. 27, 2011 and the deadline for nominations is Nov. 30, 2010. For more information, visit www.flmc.mb.ca.