CONSUL GENERAL HONORS DR. KARYN GORDON

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SOCIETY

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Dr. Karyn Gordon With John F. Prato

Annique Leman With Alex McCord And Sarit Chamamise

Alexis Benson With Laurie Gelman, Carla Wood And Michael Gelman

John F. Prato, Consul General of Canada in New York, honored Canadian relationship and parenting expert Dr. Karyn Gordon at Canada’s official residence on Tuesday, June 4, 2013 from 6 – 8 p.m. The evening was held as part of an ongoing “Women in Leadership” series honoring noteworthy Canadian women. Dr. Karyn, an educator, speaker, and media personality, was acknowledged for her wide-ranging work with families and professionals.

To begin the evening, guests mingled in the lovely Park Avenue residence formerly home to Ken Taylor, who was instrumental in the covert “Canadian Caper” operation depicted in the Oscar winning film Argo. Among those in attendance were Hon. Vice Consul Steve Acunto, Honorary Vice Consul of Italy, Michael Gelman, Executive Producer, Live! with Kelly and Michael and wife Laurie Gelman, Television Personality, Melissa de Roquebrune, Director, UNICEF Quebec, Melinda Estabrooks, Producer/Host, CTS Television, Pamela Falk, CBS News TV & Radio, United Nations Resident Correspondent, Michele Wucker, President of World Policy Institute, Anne-Marie Mediwake, CBC News, anchor, and Nicholas Mellamphy, Vice President and Buying Director, The Hudson's Bay Company. In addition, Dr. Karyn’s husband and Vice President of Operations at dk Leadership Brent Penner, father Grant Gordon, and aunt Janis Dixon made the trip to New York from Canada to celebrate the evening.

In his introduction, John F. Prato spoke of Dr. Karyn’s work in New York City as being representative of the healthy relationship and strong bond between Canada and the United States, calling her “an incredible part of the Canadian fabric.” Dr. Karyn has taken her deep understanding and used it to build a larger platform to facilitate dialogue regarding parenting and relationships, Consul General Prato noted.

Following John F. Prato’s warm introduction, Dr. Karyn shared a heartfelt story about being told by a school counselor that it was unlikely she would ever graduate high school. It was at that moment when Dr. Karyn recognized that her key to success in overcoming obstacles would lie in hard work. This experience serves as the bedrock of her core belief: with the right help, anyone can use their enormous potential to accomplish their goals.