Gillian Chung is Senior project Controls Consultant at Schappert Associates Ltd, a project consulting services firm specializing in scheduling, cost control, project management and training. A highly experienced cost engineer with over 14 years of experience, Gillian has worked on major capital projects throughout the mining and hydroelectric industry. She is seasoned in cost control, earned schedule analysis and automation program design, and is passionate about her work. Currently, she oversees the planning and implementation of effective project control measures to provide critical analysis of project performance
After earning a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Saskatchewan, Gillian worked her way up the ranks out in the field, as well as developing her leadership skills in project controls. She is a registered professional engineer with Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba.
Based in Winnipeg, outside of her professional endeavors Gillian volunteers as a mentor to new undergrads in her local area. She credits her success to dedication, drive and perseverance.
Women’s Networking Association Member Gillian Chung can be found on the Association Directory, where she is looking forward to networking with you.
Category Archives: Press Releases
Thessa Dougan-Smith is a finance professional specializing in helping families to build wealth and rise out of debt. Currently wrapping up her role as Interim Director at the Georgian Bay Hospital Foundation, she draws upon over 15 years of experience in accounting and finance, and is also skilled in system implementation and taxation.
Having started her career in the audit sector, Thessa transitioned into nonprofits and government administration, where she has held roles managing operations, finance and leadership. She holds a Master of Business Administration from Oxford Brookes University, certification as a CPA and a General Accountant, and is an IDI Qualified Administrator.
Based out of Scarborough, Ontario, Thessa is a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.
Women’s Networking Association Member Thessa Dougan-Smith, CPA can be found on the Association Directory, where she is looking forward to networking with you.
As a self-made innovator and successful entrepreneur, Athena Klee has led an unconventional life marked by unconventional choices. Arriving in Canada from French Guinea at eight years old, she grew up quickly with her independent streak evident to everyone around her. At 16 she opened her first business in her parent’s basement, a haircare salon where she braided the hair for the cheerleading team at school. She also had an interest in fashion, and began experimenting at a young age with modifying or painting her clothing. At 18 she had her first child; her second at 22, while also having two younger brothers to look after. Tragedy struck the family, and more was added to her burden. She felt the weight of the world on her shoulders. After four years, depressed and depleted, she relented and sent the children to her parents temporarily to ease the burden.
Frustrated that her life wasn’t working, she took some radical measures to bring about the insight she needed. She went on a quest and fasted to ask existential questions. She pulled away from friends and social media, and moved to Vancouver. She began changing her eating habits to support her spiritual growth. She read about karma, magic and religion; about the brain and human behavior. She even traveled back to her home village in Africa, to work with traditional healers and elders there. Her experiences in the region led to a new direction.
Those experiences were with children in the village. Their boisterous spirits and ingenuity touched her as so many were without basic necessities that the west takes for granted. Orphans as young as eight were working to try to get by, but their intelligence was evident. So she returned home with a new mission: to provide resources and training that would lift them out of poverty. Her nonprofit, Self-Gov, was born.
In forming Self-Gov, she had two aims: first, to create jewelry and pieces of art that can be sold to finance building a nonprofit center in Guinea, while creating incentives for investing in third-world countries. And second, to have the children mentored with the goal of grooming them to be independent leaders able to travel and help other countries in need.
The final leg of her spiritual pilgrimage was a trip to Italy around this same time, to get more clarity on her calling. For a month, Athena walked all across the country, alone, putting herself into a meditative state. The beauty, color, diversity and splendor of the region excited her senses and empowered her spirit. The Italian landscape surrounded her like a warm coat and she began to see things differently. A new perspective and a presence came into being. She returned to Vancouver to form Trixsent, and around the same time she met her husband and mentor. Trixsent is a beauty brand that conceives of the concept of beauty differently. Trixsent is about promoting a luxurious, healthy lifestyle and a wide range of organic goods. Products include make up and skincare products as well as clothing and accessories, all made cruelty-free.
Athena believes everything is energy and comes with a certain level of vibration, which compels her to provide only the best in both material and artisanship. It is also why she created the nickname for herself, Athena, as she believes names also come with the same energy. Her legal name is Christine Malo Klee. Athena wants her products not just to bring beauty but to raise the vibration level of her clients. Athena has a wide range of creative interests. She has studied Haute Couture at the Fashion Design Academy Richard Robinson in Ottawa; she has a diploma in aromatherapy; she studied singing extensively with vocal coach Ken Tamplin and she has attended the Visual College of Art & Design, the digital arts school. In pursuing artistic ventures like singing, her aim is not to achieve celebrity but rather personal and spiritual growth. Athena has a strong mind and a big heart, as well as spiritual abilities that allow her to read people well and achieve higher levels of consciousness.
Women’s Networking Association Member, Athena Klee, can be found on the Association Directory, where she is looking forward to networking with you.
As a realtor with Coldwell Banker in South Florida, Kathy Williamson Wesley loves helping people to step into the next chapter of their lives. Whether it’s buying or selling a home, she offers a native Floridian’s insight into the local market and culture, and serves clients across Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie Counties.
Prior to establishing herself in real estate, Kathy worked in program management and human services. She received national recognition for her work on the Learn to Earn Program, sponsored by the Families in Touch Program (formerly Human Services Coalition of Miami Dade, Inc.), and has also worked in education as a psychology professor.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies, with a focus on Psychology and Human Behavior, Kathy went on to complete a Master of Clinical Social Work from Barry University School of Social Work. She is licensed as an insurance agent and holds certification in NCHEC Housing Counseling (NeighborWorks America Center for Homeownership Education and Counseling), Emergency Management Institute (FEMA) and Money Smart Train-the-Trainer (FDIC), where she was recipient of the FDIC Financial Literacy Award. Her memberships include the Miami Realtors’, Miami Realtors’, POWER, Inc, City of Pompano Beach Chamber of Commerce, Commissioner appointment to City of Pompano Beach Unsafe Structure’s Advisory Board 2009-2017.
Well versed in working with families and clients of all backgrounds, Kathy embraces the diverse “melting pot” that comprises the South Florida region. She is a pillar of her community, and credits her success to her commitment to helping enact positive change in the lives of others.
Women’s Networking Association Member Kathy Williamson Wesley can be found on the Association Directory, where she is looking forward to networking with you.
Dr. Priyanka Varma is an ObGyn currently serving as Clinical Project Manager of Preferred Medicine, Inc, a precision oncology company that endeavors to provide a blood test focused on early cancer detection. Specializing in prenatal genetics and fetal medicine, she has extensive translational and clinical research experience in trauma, cardiovascular medicine, hepatology and oncology.
Having managed global clinical trials as a Clinical Project Manager from a vendor’s perspective across USA, UK, Europe, Canada, Russia and the Asia Pacific region. Dr. Varma brings with her a broad foundation in clinical practice. She is currently conducting oncology research, to develop a novel cancer detection technology analyzing the profile of bio markers in a small amount of blood.
Originally from India, Priyanka earned her Doctor of Medicine and completed the Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program from Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University. Upon relocating to London, she earned a Master of Science in Prenatal Genetics and Fetal Medicine from UCL. She is a Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP) by the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SOCRA), and holds a Women in Leadership Certificate from Cornell University.
Today, Dr. Varma is based in Frisco, Texas. Recently, she was invited to be the Keynote speaker at an oncology conference featuring speakers from across the globe, where she presented a talk on Biomarkers and Early Detection of Cancer. She has published numerous articles on her research and expertise, including a mini review article and poster presentation on biomarkers and the early detection of cancer. A skilled orator and presenter, she is a frequent contributor in her field, on the international level.
Women’s Networking Association Member Priyanka Varma, MD, MSc, CCRP can be found on the Association Directory, where she is looking forward to networking with you.
