CCW x Building Builders Mentorship Roundtable

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Building the Leaders of Tomorrow

Location: Kindred Construction: 1486 East Pender St., Vancouver, BC.
Date: Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Time: 6 PM – 8:30 PM

Sponsored by

Join Canadian Construction Women and Building Builders for an evening of mentorship-focused discussions about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and career development in the construction industry. This is a great event for students, new graduates, apprentices, and anyone looking to build their career in construction.

Event attendees will participate in small group discussions about relevant DEI topics. Discussions will be led by one of eight industry mentors, who will be able to answer questions, share their stories, and offer career advice.

Food and refreshments will be provided.

Mentors

Kathy Parkinson (Just Announced!)
Kathy is the CFO and co-owner of Ravenstone Construction. Ravenstone is a Quw'utsun' company that was founded in 2020 with the vision of creating long-term, sustainable, and career-building opportunities for their community members. Ravenstone employs 20+ full-time employees, 95% of whom self-identify as First Nations. Kathy believes that education is power and her passion is to always be learning. She is enrolled in the AFOA Certified Aboriginal Financial Manager Designation program and has the long-term goal of obtaining her Chartered Professional Accountant designation.

Mi Kim (Just Announced!)

Mi is a Senior Commercial Manager with Jacob Bros Construction. She has been working in the construction industry since 2007. After graduating from the University of Manitoba with a BSc in Mechanical Engineering, Mi began her career in the Albertan oil sands. She is a devoted supporter of women in construction and is a strong advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the construction industry. She believes that mentorship is one of the most important elements of a successful career and having great mentors herself, she is now a mentor through Building Builders. She has been recognized as a Top 40 Under 40 in Canadian Construction by On Site Magazine (2022) and as a nominee for the Outstanding Leader award by the Women's Infrastructure Network (2023).

Cherienne Whitson
Cherienne is an analytical and results-driven manager with over 20 years of progressive experience creating bottom line impact through health and safety management initiatives across construction, oil & gas, and manufacturing industries. Currently, as Kindred Construction's Health and Safety Manager, she is responsible for executing safety initiatives, the daily site safety operations on all construction sites, and the management of all CSO's. She has proven leadership abilities and is passionate about promoting a safety culture by educating, equipping, and empowering workers.

Bubba Qwulshemut
Bubba is a respected Quw'utsun traditional speaker and certified Red Seal plumber. He is also the Indigenous Coach and Cultural Advisor for BC Infrastructure Benefits (BCIB) on the Cowichan District Hospital Replacement Project. In his role, he provides direct support to Indigenous employees, such as transition-to-work supports. On the jobsite, Bubba is making worker experience more culturally relevant and respectful for Indigenous employees by actively sharing cultural teachings, experiences, and wisdom.

Kristine Szeto
Kristine is a Project Executive at Turner Construction in their Vancouver office and has over 16 years experience.  She graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and has worked in both the construction and consulting engineering side of the industry.  She has worked on large complex projects in Ontario, Quebec, and BC. For two years, Kristine was the chair of the employee led gender equality group.  She has a strong passion for supporting and mentoring young women in the industry and working on making paid parental leave more accessible.  She is also the recipient of the VRCA Outstanding Woman in Construction award in 2022.

Elly Hart
Elly Hart is a superintendent and Red Seal carpenter with a passion for multi-family housing developments. Born and raised in Australia, Elly is a former journalist who changed careers after moving to Canada and is currently working towards a degree in construction management. She is dedicated to advancing outcomes in the skilled trades and challenging public perceptions of the construction industry through education and mentorship.

Monique Staals
Monique is the Director of Project Delivery at RAM, with sixteen years of experience delivering large capital projects. As a mechanical engineering graduate from UBC, she started her career in thermal power design. Her career progressed to Engineering Manager where she led a number of large industrial power projects before transitioning to BC Hydro as a Project Manager in the Capital Infrastructure Project Delivery team for Generation projects. In 2021, Monique joined RAM to lead the Project Management team which has experienced significant growth under her leadership prior to taking on her new role as Director, Project Delivery. Monique is an active advocate for the advancement of women in leadership roles and believes that educating and empowering youth leaders is critical in generating meaningful change. She volunteers with MinervaBC, UBC Engineering and Girl Guides Canada with a focus on overcoming bias in science and engineering and was the Women's Infrastructure Network Emerging Leader Award Winner in 2022.

Kendall Ansell
Kendall is the founder and principal at Kendall Ansell Interiors and Belle Construction. Kendall studied architectural drafting at Kwantlen Polytechnic University and completed her Interior Design Management program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. After owning a design company for 11 years Kendall wanted to see change and acceptance for women in construction so she started Belle Construction a female trade focused contacting company. In March of 2023 after many years of running successful businesses Kendall decided to close both companies to focus on her metal health and family. She is now the design development manager for Fisher & Paykel appliances a luxury appliance brand. Her new roll allows for her to visit her amazing design industry friends, work with companies on sustainability focused projects and continue to shake up the construction industry.