Continuing a string of recent successes in their respective roles and responsibilities with the Town of Pelham, Leah Letford and Marc MacDonald have been recognized as two of Business Link Media Group’s Niagara 40 Under Forty.

One of Niagara’s most prestigious awards, the 40 Under Forty Business Achievement Awards recognize individuals who have demonstrated an extraordinary level of success in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors.

Letford, the Town’s special events and festivals programmer, joined the Town of Pelham in 2020 with a background in the tourism and hospitality sector. Amongst other things, Letford lead the successful planning and execution of award-winning events in 2020, such as Canada Day the Niagara Way and Christmas in Pelham.

“Working behind the scenes to bring unique event experiences to the community has been very rewarding,” said Letford. “I am grateful for the support that I have received throughout both my professional career and my volunteer experiences.” In a time of uncertainty and isolation, Letford has adapted in-person events to hybrid content to enhance the quality of life of Pelham residents through special events and festivals.

MacDonald, the communications and public relations specialist, has been with the Town since 2017. MacDonald has thrived as a municipal communicator, producing award-winning work on the Town of Pelham’s redesigned website, corporate communications plan and COVID-19 Reopening Plan. He was also recognized in 2020 by the Association of Marketing and Communications Professionals for individual achievement in communications.

“Whenever you receive recognition such as this for the work you produce, it’s very humbling,” said MacDonald. “I have been fortunate to learn the machine of local government from very talented and experienced senior staff, and my success as a municipal communicator can be directly attributed to their mentorship and the collaboration of my colleagues.”

“I am very happy, but not particularly surprised, to hear that Marc and Leah have been recognized with this great honour,” said CAO David Cribbs. “Mr. MacDonald has served the community extremely well throughout the pandemic by creating clear, concise and high-quality communications across a variety of platforms that have helped residents understand the dramatic changes caused by the pandemic. Ms. Letford, in turn, has brought energy, enthusiasm, creativity and vitality to RCW operations. Pelham has managed to provide a number of positive social and entertainment initiatives during the pandemic in no small part because of Ms. Letford’s hard work. Both individuals are a pleasure to work with, respected members of the team.”

The 40 Under Forty recognition highlights the expertise and skill in Town Hall coming from employees working their way into the midst of their careers, laying the groundwork for prolonged

“Pelham benefits from a virtuous circle: it’s a great community and great municipal employer, which in turn allows Pelham to attract quality staff, which in turn help make it a great community and great municipal employer,” said Cribbs. “With talent such as this on staff, the future is bright.”