MARANT’s Isabel Alves-Vettoretto Receives Top Honour from Lieutenant Governor at ROM Soirée
TORONTO, ON – May 29, 2025 – MARANT Construction extends its congratulations to Isabel Alves-Vettoretto for being awarded the Lieutenant Governor’s Distinguished Service Award during the Royal Ontario Museum’s (ROM) annual soirée held on May 22, 2025.
Presented by the Honourable Edith Dumont, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and Museum Board Director Josh Basseches, this award represents the highest honour given to a ROM volunteer in recognition of outstanding commitment and service to the institution.
The annual ROM soirée, first established in 1985, welcomed 400 guests in celebration of the Museum’s supporters and broader community. The event highlights the vital role of volunteers, donors, and advocates in enabling ROM’s exhibitions, research, public programming, and strategic initiatives.
Isabel’s involvement with the ROM began in early childhood and has grown into a lifelong commitment. As a member of the ROM Board of Governors and also the Audit & Finance Committee, she has played a significant role in organizing major fundraising events that have supported key Museum initiatives.
In 2020, the Isabel and Gino Vettoretto Curatorship of North American Archaeology was established to advance the ROM’s work in collaborative archaeology. Isabel’s continued support also includes funding a dedicated Repatriation Technician position, further strengthening the Museum’s mission and collections. The ROM’s Repatriation Technician, Sarah Timmins, plays a lead role in the care and return of Indigenous remains and sacred belongings to their rightful communities.
MARANT proudly celebrates Isabel Alves-Vettoretto’s remarkable contributions and lasting impact on the ROM community. Congratulations, Isabel!
Pictured: Edith Dumont, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario (left), Josh Basseches, Director and CEO of the Royal Ontario Museum (middle) and Isabel Alves-Vettoretto (right)
View Video Transcript
I’ve had a love affair with the ROM since I was a little girl and we first moved to Canada. I used to bug my parents. Can we go? Can we go? And then finally I was old enough to go myself and I’d spend hours wandering the galleries. I just I loved it. Here was this place that I could go to that I could see all these artifacts and history and cultures without even having to travel. It was all there and it just sparked my interest. It sparked my imagination. I wanted to know where we came from, how we came, how the world came about, all of that. And that’s what the Rome provided me. I remember in the early days, Josh and I were both very new to the role. And uh Josh needed some help building his management team. It’s the kind of thing that’s really difficult to fund raise for and Isabel was one of the first in line along with Gino and their family to support the building of a stronger management team.
Isabel, congratulations to you on all of your support for the ROM uh is such a well-deserved accolade. I first met Isabel when she joined the governors and since then she and I have worked together quite a lot. She has just been a tremendous contributor. Her enthusiasm, her business acumen, her insights have just been so terrific and have been so helpful to the work of the museum and the work of the governors. Isabel, congratulations on this award.
It is a terrific honor for you and it’s an honor for us to have you as part of the ROM family. When I think of ROM, I do think of the collections. I think of the history. I think of the people, the research, the knowledge and I think of all the programs that are ongoing that ensure that this knowledge is collected, that this knowledge is preserved and that it’s held for future generations to come. I have truly enjoyed the opportunity to work with Isabel as a board governor. She brings incredible passion, heart, and vision to everything she touches. Isabel’s warmth, generosity, and steadfast commitment shine through in every role she undertakes. Congratulations, Isabel. This award is a beautiful reflection of all the ways you make our community stronger. You truly deserve this honor.
My proudest achievement uh with ROM has been the funding of the repatriation technician. It was a no-brainer for me as someone who is passionate about history, passionate about my roots and ancestors. How could I not help in something like this with a creation or with the funding of the technician who would be responsible for the repatriation of sacred uh items and human remains back to the rightful indigenous communities. like it’s something that’s right. It’s part of ROM’s belief in justice and reconciliation.
I lead a team that is focused on repatriation work of both ancestors anderary belongings and we’re able to do this work because of Isabel and her family’s generous contribution to that work. I had the pleasure of meeting Isabelle a few months ago and I was genuinely impressed um and touched by her commitment. Um so thank you very much Marcy Migu, Isabel and your family for your continued support. I remember an occasion in which the funding for a particularly critical position related to repatriation had run out and I was having a conversation with Isabelle and I said you know we really need to do this critical work and we are out of funds for it and she said I think Gino and I can help and that made all the difference in the world. It allowed us to keep moving forward with that important project. Congratulations Isabelle and we celebrate you with deep admiration, gratitude and affection.
When Janice Price called me to let me know I’d be receiving this award, I was floored. I was shocked. And I I kept asking her, “Are you sure you haven’t made a mistake?” Um, and after assurances from her that no
mistake had been made, all I could feel was humbled and honored that an institution like ROM would feel I’d be worthy of this. I also want to thank the ROM governors and the leadership for this incredible uh award and just thank you.
