// About the Board

Ellowyn is currently an Instructor in the Construction Management Degree Program at Red River College. With a Civil Engineering degree and a Supply Chain Management Professional designation, she’s experienced numerous perspectives in the construction industry. Ellowyn now uses her current position as an instructor to tie her consultant, owner and contractor perspectives together and share her wisdom with the students at RRC. Ellowyn was the first female elected to the WCA Executive Board of Directors and is currently serving in the role as treasurer. She likes to get involved in initiatives that help spark the interest of women and girls to the industry that she loves.

When asked why she chose to get involved with MWC, she replied, “The construction industry has provided a wonderful career and excellent lifestyle for myself and my family. I wanted to be part of something that helps other women realize the positives of the industry as well as help make it more accessible to other women.”

Ellowyn enjoys spending time with her husband and son, be it on the golf course or the archery range!

Amanda is the Team Leader, Programs from the Team Leader of Construction Services at Defence Construction Canada. She has a diploma in Structural Technology from Red River College. She has also completed the Project Management and Professional Sales certificate programs at Red River College. After beginning her career with an engineering firm, Amanda worked in various sales roles in the supply and manufacturing sector. She started at Defence Construction Canada as a Construction Coordinator, and recently moved into the Team Lead position.

When asked why she joined MWC, her response was, “I wanted to help women currently in the industry and those looking to join, and encourage our youth to consider construction as a viable option for their career. MWC provides the opportunity to do this, and to also seek guidance and advice from other women. It’s empowering to know you are not alone, and that there is a fantastic support network out there.”

Amanda enjoys spending time with her family at the lake.

Soo graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and is currently a Project Manager for Marwest Construction Ltd. As the Chair of MWC and also the MWC Representative for the WCA Board of Directors, Soo has taken on a number of leadership roles and relishes the pressures and responsibilities that come with them.

When asked why she chose to get involved with MWC, Soo replied, “MWC is not here to change the world but here to recruit and retain women in the construction industry, by letting young women know that there are opportunities in the construction industry. MWC is a great tool that women can use to connect and network. I am optimistic about the future for young women.”

Carla started her career in the construction industry as a carpenter, and is currently the Quality Assurance Manager at Concord Projects Ltd. In Carla’s later high school years, she took building construction courses and was the recipient of a scholarship to the Carpentry Apprenticeship program at Red River College. Through her career, Carla has been in site supervisory and project coordinator roles. Carla was previously involved with the Women in Trades and Technology (WITT), where she spoke about her experience with apprenticeship and the building construction program to high school students. Carla joined MWC because “being a woman in the construction industry, I knew how important the MWC initiative would be to tradeswomen, and I wanted to be a part of that.”

Carla aims to own a Harley Davidson and a horse in this lifetime.

Tammy has been at Bornhorst Mechanical Inc. since October 2006, where her role includes Project Coordinator, Estimating Assistant and Administrative Assistant. Tammy attended Success CompuCollege where she completed the Executive Administration program. Her first job with Colin’s Mechanical was where she started learning about the construction industry, specifically mechanical and HVAC. Tammy volunteers her time with many different organizations, including the Red River Ex, Rainbow Stage and the Morris Stampede.

Tammy attended her first MWC board meeting in 2015, and has been hooked since. “I went to the first board meeting and was really impressed with the people on it, the mission and what the organization was striving for. It was truly amazing meeting so many successful, strong women in the industry, and I knew I wanted to be a part of it to try and help the organization grow, and reach as many women in the industry as we could.”

Kayla is a Project Coordinator for Bockstael Construction Ltd. Kayla specialized in Architectural Engineering while obtaining her Civil Engineering Technology diploma, then continued her education graduating from the Construction Management degree program with a Bachelor of Technology from Red River College.

Kayla joined MWC for many reasons. “It was a great way to network and get to know people in the industry while I was still studying. Following graduation, I saw how useful MWC was to others that were just like me and wanted to continue to give back the mentorship and encouragement that I had received.”

Alyssa began her career in the industry as a Project Coordinator with Bird Construction after graduating from the Civil Engineering Technology program at Red River College. She then moved into estimating where she achieved her Gold Seal certification and has since taken on the role of Pre-Construction Manager. “Growing up I never really considered a career in construction” she explains of her decision to get involved with MWC. “I joined MWC to connect with other industry professionals and to help promote to young women and girls that the construction industry can be a valuable and fulfilling career option.”

Alyssa grew up in a small northern community, and enjoys spending her time outdoors and traveling.

Dominika is currently the Innovation & Project Manager for the Construction Safety Association of Manitoba. She started her career in England, where she attended the London Metropolitan University and obtained her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Economics. Dominika expanded upon her interest in business by completing courses in Project Management through Red River College and is currently taking courses from the Masters of Business Administration program at the University of Manitoba.

Dominika has been an active member of the Manitoba Women in Construction’s events committee for the past couple of years, and she has recently accepted a Director At Large position. When asked why Dominika was involved with MWC she said “I kept hearing about MWC and decided to register for one of the events. It provided great value to participants by combining education with real life examples. I got to meet like-minded women and right away felt that I wanted to be involved in this initiative.”

Dominika enjoys being challenged. Whenever she starts to feel comfortable she looks for new things she could do that would allow her to expand upon her knowledge and skills.

Jessica obtained her Business Administration diploma from Red River College and further pursued HR specific training by getting her Human Resources and Management, and Management Development certificates. Jessica is the Human Resources Manager at Bockstael Construction Ltd. and is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Human Resources and Labour Relations on-line through Athabasca University.

Jessica was encouraged by her current employer to become part of MWC. “It has been a good experience and networking opportunity within the construction industry.”

Jessica enjoys traveling and exploring this big beautiful world!

Sheena has been the Controller at Westland Construction Ltd since 2004 and has been in the construction industry for over 25 years. Sheena obtained her Accounting Degree from Red River College in 1993 and a Bachelor of Science in 1999 from the University of Manitoba. Sheena volunteers her time with the Philanthropic Educational Organization Manitoba Chapter H and has been a member of the Royal Canadian Legion Weston Branch since she was a teenager.

Sheena believes in the importance of MWC. “I want to help encourage and support women in construction. When I started out in the construction industry, it was a different working environment, and it was very uncommon to see a woman in the field or part of the executive staff. Times have changed and women now have that support to excel in an industry that is ever changing.”

Sharon has been with PCL Constructors Canada Inc. for over 31 years, all of which have been in the Winnipeg office. She began her career as a Project Accountant after attending Red River College and continued her education in the Management and Administration program throughout her career at PCL, moving into the Accounting Manager role and then as Manager, Finance and Administration, a position she currently holds today. Sharon oversees the entire accounting department, as well as all contractual risk management of tendered and procured projects. She is also responsible for overseeing the insurance and security needs of all PCL projects.

As a female in the construction industry for over 31 years, Sharon has seen firsthand the many changes that have evolved with regard to women in the construction industry over the years. She has a strong desire to push for change in the industry and is motivated to achieve positive outcomes that will see more females in leadership roles within the construction industry.

As a working mother of three daughters, Sharon has managed throughout the years to still find time to travel. She has made it a priority in her life to not lose sight on one of her greatest passions, which is visiting other cities across Canada and abroad. She has traveled to several cities within Canada and the United States, as well as overseas to the UK, Germany, France and Mexico. She hopes to continue visiting more places ‘across the pond’.

Jennifer Cooper is an electrical designer at SMS Engineering. Jennifer has studied in Business Administration at RRC, Fashion Design at IADT in Toronto, and worked in costume for theatre, prior to following family tradition and becoming a 4th generation electrician. Jennifer obtained her Red Seal as a construction electrician and contractor’s license for the City of Winnipeg, and now uses her trade knowledge to excel within her passion for lighting design.

Making the move to engineering consulting and getting involved with the Illuminating Engineering Society Board has opened opportunities for her to continue her education in lighting design. She maintains her love for costume design by volunteering at the Canadian Costume Museum and sketching and sewing for fun.

“Finding the supportive community of the Manitoba Women in Construction and working on the Unlocking the Toolkit event introducing younger generations to the world of trades has been a tremendously rewarding experience.”