Exceptional Women of East Village
In honour of International Women’s Day, which celebrates women's achievements and imagines a world that's diverse, equitable and inclusive, we’re profiling four exceptional women whose energy, passions and career undertakings are helping to shape the character and steer the evolution of East Village.
We put a call out to the community in search of women from all walks of life who live or work in East Village and who embody the spirit of the community—bold, confident, generous, creative, boundary-pushing, evolving. These four exceptional women were selected from nominations submitted by East Village residents, businesses and community organizations.
We hope you find their stories as inspiring as we do.
Back row from left to right: Carol Rodriguez - Green Meadow Landscapes, Mary Thompson - The Salvation Army Centre of Hope. Front row from left to right: Natasha Mansueti - Six and Grace, Tracy Johnson - Calgary Public Library Foundation.
TRACY JOHNSON – CEO, calgary public library foundation
A fierce advocate for public libraries
What does it take to become a leader in philanthropy and in building a city’s cultural capital?
In Tracy’s case, it takes an instinct—and a ravenous appetite—for daring ideas.
A 10-year veteran of the Calgary Public Library Foundation, Tracy has been its CEO for the past five. Under her leadership, the Foundation’s donorship has grown from just 900 individuals, corporations, foundations and government organizations to more than 25,000 donors today.
Tracy Johnson
“Above everything else,” says Tracy, “the goal is to offer easy access to exceptional libraries for everyone in our community. And our community is huge—more than half the city’s population has a Calgary Public Library membership!”
Library philanthropy in Calgary has never come close to the degree to which Tracy and the Foundation have been pursuing it. She dreams big—and gets big results.
“Bold ideas attract me,” says Tracy. “The Foundation's work is all about innovation—we embrace some creative risk-taking. I believe the Foundation purpose is to make Calgary’s libraries amazing. That means everything we do has to be amazing, including the ways we raise funds and engage with donors.”
For Calgary’s cultural scene, one of the most important campaigns under Tracy’s leadership was the Add In campaign, which gave Calgarians an opportunity to support the new Central Library—an international destination for learning and innovation and a truly iconic space within East Village.
“Downtown’s Central Library is so brilliant for so many reasons,” says Tracy. “One of my favourite things is to tour people through. Every single time, I’m reminded how well designed it is to meet the needs of our community.
“Beyond elevating East Village’s stature as one of the city’s most worthwhile destinations, the Central Library has changed so much for Calgary and Calgarians. It’s really deepened our sense of ‘library pride’, and it has thrust the city into a leadership position in the library community. Calgary is showing the world what’s possible, and the Central Library dramatically affirms that we’re inventing the future of libraries.”
The largest capital campaign ever for a Canadian public library, Add In was instrumental in enabling the Central Library’s construction. “Calgary’s libraries have so many passionate supporters, and our donors dreamed with us—they saw and supported the potential for a truly world-class destination library in downtown Calgary’s east end, and we now have a proven case that vividly demonstrates why libraries are amazing!”
In 2024, Tracy will lead the Foundation in securing funding for four new library locations across Calgary over the coming years.
As someone intimately and passionately involved in shaping the civic institutions that expand potential and horizons for so many people, Tracy is a firm believer that we each have the capacity to change the world.
“Recognize the power within yourself and surround yourself with people who believe in you. Be bold. Advocate for yourself. And never stop learning. Continual learning is what makes life awesome!”
mary thompson – pROGRAM MANAGER, THE SALVATION ARMY CENTRE OF HOPE
A passion to serve
As program manager for The Salvation Army Centre of Hope’s emergency men's shelter, Mary works with disadvantaged men at their most broken and vulnerable. Driven by a strong faith and a seemingly boundless capacity for compassion, her principal interest for every gentleman who walks through the Centre’s doors is "How can I support you on your journey?"
Located in East Village, Centre of Hope currently houses 85 men struggling with addiction and mental health issues. With a genuine passion to serve, Mary strives to ensure residents have a voice and opportunities to engage in their community. At the same time, she supports and nurtures her team to be their best in their demanding roles.
“The gentlemen we serve typically arrive at the Centre of Hope with a great deal of shame and very little dignity,” says Mary. “Above all else, it is my job to listen… to be curious… to understand… and in the end, to help them rediscover their sense of personal dignity.”
For Mary, the most rewarding aspect of her commitment to service is seeing a client walk proudly out the door. “When a man who arrived so broken walks out the door with his bag—well, that’s something we all celebrate with enthusiasm and fanfare!”
Mary Thompson
“I hold each client’s journey very dear, and I feel truly blessed that I can walk with them and support them.”
Mary’s dedication to service has authentic beginnings. “I'm a PK,” explains Mary—“a preacher's kid. I grew up witnessing the power and the rewards of service. Defending the dignity of all, offering compassion and making a sincere effort to understand someone else’s experience—these are values my parents instilled in me.”
Her path to the Centre of Hope was paved with service. After moving to the UK to pursue nursing, Mary moved back to Calgary to study business and criminology—stepping stones to a career as director of childcare programs with Family & Social Services. Some time later, after stumbling upon the Salvation Army’s website and reading about all the great work it was doing in Calgary, Mary went in for what she believed was an info-gathering meeting—and she walked out with a job offer.
“Two weeks later, I was on site starting my first shift. And the rest is history!”
Having worked in East Village for 17 years, Mary has seen remarkable change in the complexion of the neighbourhood.
“Under their stewardship of people who care deeply about East Village and its people, I’ve seen the neighbourhood grow so much warmer and more welcoming. There’s a real sense of community here now.”
NATASHA MANSUETI - TATTOO ARTIST, SIX AND GRACE
Natasha Mansueti
An unstoppable artistic spirit
When you’re driven by a spirit of artistry and fueled by a willingness to honour your passions, big, bold moves that many could never even contemplate are just stepping stones on the way to success.
Big, bold moves. Like, for example, moving on from a burgeoning self-made business in the world of fashion to forge a new career in tattoo artistry. With no guarantee of income during apprenticeship, which can take as long as a year. While embracing your roles as a loving partner and a mother to an energetic toddler!
Where many would see so many reasons for staying the course, Natasha embraced the change. Her attitude:
“I mustn’t let fears hold me back from living my truths and pursuing the future those truths lay before me.”
“Some people thought I was crazy to contemplate a complete career change—especially one with no promise of income for up to a year—while playing mom to a little handful at home. I believe that when you’re true to your passions, anything’s possible—and since I’m as passionately committed to my family as I am to honouring my artistic callings, I knew I could prioritize both a busy family life and a new career. My family keeps me grounded and my art keeps me sane.”
Natasha’s artistic spirit was nurtured from a young age. As she passed her childhood in a seaside town on Vancouver Island, she recalls, “my grandmother taught me to sew, to knit, to draw, to paint with water colours…. I learned the joy of creativity early in my life.”
After high school, that joy steered Natasha first to Vancouver Island University for a graphic design degree and then to the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in San Francisco—her foundation for launching her own label in Victoria before moving her business to Calgary.
While she never lost her passion for fashion, Natasha became ready for change. “Fashion was great while it lasted, but the returns weren’t lining up with the time and energy I was putting into it.”
Always open to expanding her artistic horizons, Natasha turned her eye toward the art of the tattoo. She spent the better part of a year creating a portfolio, and then she landed an apprenticeship at the Six & Grace studio in East Village.
“Natasha embraced her new career wholeheartedly. She swiftly became one of the city’s most skilled tattoo artists, even welcoming another child during this time,” says Natasha’s mentor, Antony Flemming. “Seeing her excel in her craft while being an exceptional mother to two children is truly inspiring.”
When artistry comes naturally, creative learning curves can be traversed with seaming ease. Where some take a year to earn the privilege, Natasha got the go-ahead to tattoo a customer after just two weeks. “Still,” says Natasha, “the learning never ends. Every individual body presents unique opportunities and challenges. Understanding how my designs will ‘live’ on a particular body is what makes this work so endlessly fascinating. I thrive on creative challenges.”
CAROL RODRIGUEZ - OFFICE & SAFETY MANAGER, GREEN MEADOWS LANDSCAPES
Tireless guardian of East Village’s neighbourhood character
The warm, inviting character and distinctive sense of place that permeates East Village is no accident. It starts with mindful placemaking and innovative development, and it’s sustained day to day by careful attention to maintenance, cleanliness and other measures to maintain a safe neighbourhood environment.
These vital responsibilities fall on the shoulders of Green Meadow Landscapes (GML,) who are contracted by CMLC to oversee the maintenance of East Village and nearby Pixel Park.
And the responsibility for keeping the Green Meadow team on track? Well, that falls on Carol’s shoulders.
As GML’s office and safety manager, Carol leads a large team tasked with keeping East Village safe, clean, and awesome. Among their responsibilities: hourly washroom checks and cleaning, street cleaning, snow and ice removal, general repairs, garbage cleanup, biohazard cleanup and graffiti removal.
Carol Rodriguez
“We're boots on the ground seven days a week,” says Carol, who oversees a team of 50+ city-wide, including eight folks dedicated to East Village, “and our first priority is constant vigilance. We’re always on the lookout for issues that could compromise safety or the simple enjoyment of neighbourhood spaces and its many events. If something’s out of order or out of place, we deal with it promptly. Our goal is to address issues without anyone else ever knowing there was an issue!
“The East Village team takes a lot of pride in keeping the entire neighbourhood clean, safe and awesome. East Village is a true success story, and I feel so fortunate to be part of that story—to be among the people working hard to make it awesome every day, all year round.”
With a husband of 18 years and two children (now 24 and 22), Carol has learned to manage the often-competing demands of family and career. Her words of wisdom:
“Practice the art and learn the practicalities of multitasking. I’m always juggling—but if I trust I can manage my roles and commitments, and if I don’t lose sight of any moving parts, I can keep a surprising number of balls in the air!”
The many balls Carol successfully juggles are about to increase in number—her first grandchild is on the way. “I look forward to bringing the little one to work with me!” she laughs. “You’ll probably find us on St. Patrick’s Island—my favourite part of the neighbourhood, hands down. It’s always busy and animated with families and children, and it has quiet spaces for all sorts of wildlife. There’s just so much life there!”
Taking family to work won’t be new for Carol. One of the ways she bridges the gap between work and home is by inviting those she loves to share in her passion for her work. “My hubby often joins me as I stroll around the neighbourhood for my weekend check-ins with the Green Meadow crews. It’s really special to share a place I love with a person I love.”
As someone so instrumental in keeping East Village at its best, it’s hardly surprising that Carol feels a special connection with the neighbourhood and its people. “Watching East Village grow—seeing the emerging vibrancy and feeling the neighbourhood’s energy… it really is amazing.”
East Village draws much of its bold creative energy and its confident, boundary-pushing character from the people who live and work here. The four women profiled in this feature are among the difference-makers leaving an indelible mark on our neighbourhood and on our city. Their diverse talents and unwavering commitment help make our community truly extraordinary; and that, we believe, is worth celebrating!