Top 40 under 40 2013

2013 Prince GeorGe Top 40 Under 40 – 1Prince GeorGe chamber of commerce

2013 Prince GeorGe

Prince GeorGechamber of commerce

Meet the young leaders of Prince George: Read their stories of initiative, perseverance and achievement.

Top 40 40under

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2 – 2013 Prince GeorGe Top 40 Under 40 Prince GeorGe chamber of commerce


To quote MaryAnne Arcand, the 2012 Prince George Business Person of the Year “Prince George is a Get it Done place”. our top 40 un-der 40 represent the highest standard of get-ting it done. We celebrate what we value in order to foster it and preserve it. This publi-cation is our celebration of all those who have enriched and energized our city and region, as exemplified by the notable group highlighted here. As everywhere Prince George and region face challenges balanced by special resources, most notably our people. These outstanding colleagues have risen above challenges and turned them into missions for themselves and opportunities for others. From challenges of isolation, small population base and a boom-and-bust economy our top 40 under 40 have opened doors to economic diversification, im-proved communications and met an amazing variety of needs. We enjoy a solid sense of community. Our Top 40 under 40 have added to the glue holding it together.The future is always unknown and remarkably surprising. We can see some opportunities and pressing needs, however. For example, an upcoming wave of development in natural

resource sectors will create needs for more skilled people in all occupations. Such a wave will either lift us up or overwhelm us. To rise with it will require wisdom, collegiality and many new families. To retain new families we must provide attractive opportunities and the amenities they need and reasonably expect. We must attract business, foster entrepreneur-ship and encourage creativity. We have the tools to meet these challenges as shown by our Top 40 under 40 and described in the following pages. our top 40 under 40 are young leaders in their businesses and solid citizens otherwise. They have shown initiative, perseverance and achievement; they have made a difference in their spheres of influence and they engender confidence in our future. Their achievements are notable; more than that, however, their ex-ample and inspiration help us all become a lit-tle bit more tomorrow than we were yesterday. Read on and see what “get-it-done” people can do in a “get-it-done” place.

Bill McGillPresident, Prince George Chamber of Commerce

President’s Message:Celebrating What We Value

2013 Top 40 Under 40presented by

250-562-2454890 Vancouver Street

Prince George Bc V2L 2P5www.pgchamber.bc.ca

The Prince George Top 40 Under 40 publication not only promotes young professionals in our community, but also highlights Prince George’s strong business climate.

We recognize PG’s outstanding entrepreneurs, managers, professionals and students.

Candidates were nominated from the general public and winners were chosen based on professional achievements, experience, leadership, and community involvement.

We hope to continue this project as an annual publication featuring this great city and our residents.

Thank you to participants who nominated a candidate, the nominees themselves, our judges and advertisers who made this financially possible.

This publication is the property of the Prince George Chamber of Commerce. No content may be reproduced except with permission from the Prince George Chamber of Commerce. All efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of this publica-tion; however the publisher or it’s contractors ac-cept no responsibility for errors or omissions.

Cover Photo: by Dave MahPhotos: by Dave MahLayout & Design: McCall Communications & Marketing

Welcome to the first ‘Top 40 Under Forty’ publication pro-duced by the Prince George Chamber of Commerce. This magazine is our way of cel-ebrating the young profession-als whose career paths have led them here. We thank the forty individuals on the pages here within for contributing their careers, their hours of volunteerism, and their fu-tures to building a progressive community together. If you’ve never visited Prince

George, the stories you’ll wit-ness on the pages ahead may challenge assumptions regard-ing North Central British Co-lumbia. But, if you are familiar with Prince George, the youth-ful spirit of this city and its end-less opportunities will be no surprise to you. This is not a story of doing more with less; Prince George offers its resi-dents the ability to do more WITH more: more financial compensation, more time for family and recreation, more af-

fordability, and more balance.As Prince George matures

from a rough frontier of log-ging and trade to a more re-fined city of health and educa-tional opportunities, industry services and supplies, hospital-ity and business, our core suc-cess continues to be built on a foundation of abundant natu-ral resources. ‘Dreams and opportunities’ attracted the first settlers to Prince George: dreams of lucrative resource extraction, the opportunity to stake claim to land, the abil-ity to benefit from trade and commerce. Well, some things haven’t changed and ‘dreams and opportunities’ continue to attract young professionals to Prince George but the dif-ference now, more than ever, is that the city’s affordability has become a major attraction too. Many twenty and thirty-somethings, often beginning their families, are not willing to forgo balance in life. They want more than a mortgage, more

time with the people they love doing the things they can af-ford to do, and they want the security of knowing that pro-fessional opportunities exist for them during these career determining years. As a Chamber of Commerce,

we look forward to providing more to our business com-munity. Part of these efforts includes supporting our young entrepreneurs and up-and-coming professionals because we recognize that our success as a city depends on the abil-ity of our youth to carry us into the future. We will continue to recognize and provide the op-portunities in business. It is up to you to dream big. Here’s to the top 40 and the places we’ll go together!

Jennifer Brandle-McCallCEO, Prince George Chamber of Commerce

Welcome from the Prince GeorgeChamber of Commerce CEO


She is responsible for managing five depart-ments, supervising more than 20 staff and develop-ing new community part-nerships.Faydra Aldridge has made

a career out of talking to people and telling their stories.Although these days she’s

the Director of communi-cations and Partnerships with Prince George’s Fam-ily YMCA, Aldridge began her career in broadcast news after she graduated from the University of Cal-gary with a Bachelor’s in Communications and two-year diploma in broadcast news from the Southern Alberta Institute of Tech-nology.

Her specialty in broadcast journalism first took her to Williams Lake and eventu-ally Prince George, where she co-hosted a morning radio show and created promotional campaigns for the two radio stations and one television station within the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.In 2006, she took a posi-

tion with the CBC as a pro-ducer of Daybreak North, the national broadcaster’s northern B.c. morning show where she was re-sponsible for all program content, and managing staff and operations at bu-reaus in Prince George and Prince rupert.in 2009, Aldridge made

the jump to the YMCA

where she worked her way up the ladder to her current role as director of communications where she is responsible for man-aging five departments, supervising more than 20 staff and developing new community partnerships.Some of her more recent

projects include manag-ing Shapedown North, the youth weight management program, to successful outcomes that exceeded Lower Mainland locations, and the creation of a new human resources manual for hourly and manage-ment staff.Aldridge has also directed

an expanded fundraising strategy and launched a new national YMCA brand-ing policy.And even though she’s left

her broadcasting career behind, Aldridge is often called on to resurrect her story telling skills and em-cee local events.

Fayd

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You could almost say that Jodie Baker, a 38-year-old school teacher at Prince George Secondary School (PGSS), has always known what she wanted to do with her career. “I got into teaching be-

cause I was influenced and inspired by a few of my teachers growing up, par-ticularly a few teachers I had in elementary school,” recounts Baker. “My moth-er was also a teacher, which resonated with me when I came to think about my career choices. Also, as a teenager i coached a num-ber of sports teams and always felt that this played a role in my decision to be-come a teacher.”Baker moved to Prince

George in 1981, and since her arrival, has attended a number of schools within

the community, both as a student and as a teacher. In the spring of 2011, Bak-

er completed her Master’s Degree in multi-disciplinary leadership - a field of study she strongly advocates.

“My husband and I, both teachers, have been lead-ing 21st cen-tury Learning and Project-Based Learn-ing initiatives t h ro u g h o u t the school dis-trict,” explains Baker. “21st century Learn-ing is designed to teach stu-dents how to explore their strengths and interests,

and relies less on curricu-lum, but more on utilizing emerging technologies to provide expanded learning opportunities.”

In addition to her work as an educator, Baker is also an avid equestrian rider. Through her role as Presi-dent of the local equestrian club, Baker has orga-nized a number of equestrian s y m p o s i u m s and educational clinics through-out the region. She is also the owner of Fancy Pants Breeches

– a company specializing in equestrian clothing in northern B.c.

Jodi

e B

ak

er

Jodie BakerTITLe: Secondary School TeacherCOMPANY: School District 57AGe: 38

“Do not get dis-

couraged by the small incidents that happen on

a daily basis. Keep your mind focused on the bigger picture –

your future.

”

Faydra AldridgeTITLe: Director of Communications and PartnershipsCOMPANY: YMCA of Prince GeorgeAGe: 37


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in 2006, Melissa Barna, a 31-year-old entrepreneur, started her self-employed b o o k k e e p -ing business, MB Business Services Ltd. At that time, Barna was only 25-years-old, but had com-pleted levels 1-4 bookkeep-ing at the col-lege of New Caledonia. She also had three years of expe-rience in vol-unteer work, and had lead-ership training courses with Youth with a Mission B.C. Society. Dur-ing this time Barna also

became a member of the Prince George Chamber of commerce. Barna felt that

her education, volunteer and l e a d e r s h i p training, along with two years of work ex-perience in retail service provided her with all of the practical skills she needed to own and oper-ate a success-ful business.“[MB Busi-

ness Services] was a fluke. At the time,

my husband and I were reevaluating our career goals. We wanted careers

that fostered a healthy balance between work and family,” Barna ex-plained. “We thought MB Business Services would be a great business to run while continuing to grow and raise our family.”Today, MB Business

Services employs a core group of four bookkeep-ers, and serves over thirty local companies to satisfy their bookkeep-ing and payroll needs. MB Business Services is very much a community-focused organization, and encourages all stakehold-ers to volunteer their time and services throughout Prince George. Similarly, MB Business Services works with two local “not-for-profit” organizations, Two Rivers Gallery and the Prince George Chamber of Commerce, to effectively manage the organizations’ bookkeeping and financial needs. Since its inception, MB

Business Services, under the leadership of Barna, has effectively increased its per-client sales by upwards of 20 percent. Barna recognizes that the demand for bookkeep-ing and financial services will likely grow within the next 10-15 years, as baby

boomers begin to retire. She has stated that she is looking forward not only to the growth in her busi-ness, but the growth of her family as well. This past November, Barna and her family welcomed their fourth child to the world.

Mel

issa

Ba

rnaMelissa Barna

TITLe: Director/Senior BookkeeperCOMPANY: MB Business Services Ltd.AGe: 31

“Take

advantage of the

educational resources at

your disposal while you still have the time.

”

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Tim Bennett has a pas-sion to give back to the city he calls home – and his career thus far proves it.As Manager of events

and Child Care Services at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Prince George, it’s Ben-nett’s job to look after ev-erything from fundraising,

recruitment and public re-lations events, to the non-profit’s fee-for-service child care programs, which help it raise the necessary funding it needs to con-tinue giving back to Prince George.“I love every minute of

it, I don’t think I would ever leave the field of

non-profits,” said Bennett. “every day is different. There are some days i’m sitting there preparing for an event and the next day I could be writing a very detailed marketing plan, you really get to dip your feet into every aspect of the agency.”“The other part of it is

the passion for the cause, working in the non-profit field you’re there because you want to make a differ-ence, you believe in it and want to put your time and energy into enhanc-ing the com-munity.”B e n n e t t

joined Big Brothers Big Sisters six years ago as an entry-level event planner. Since then, he worked his way up to In-terim executive Director, a position he held for a year while the organization’s full-time executive direc-

tor was away on mater-nity leave.Bennett is also a trustee

with School District 57, and is continuing his edu-cation part-time at the

University of Northern British Columbia where he’s working to-ward a Bachelor of commerce.His advice for

young business leaders?“Always be

yourself, that’s the biggest part

of it, be yourself and dream big,” he said. “You will truly have the oppor-tunity to build your career and do what you love to do.”

Tim

Ben

neT

T Tim BennettTITLe: Manager of Events and Child Care Services, School District 57 TrusteeCOMPANY: Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Prince George / School District 57AGe: 26

“Be

yourself and

dream big.

”

Kelly Bergman, the 35-year-old President and owner of BergMedia and father of two, has dabbled in professions that, while he was very successful in doing, were not the best fit for him.Before attending the Uni-

versity of Northern British Columbia in pursuit of a Bachelor’s Degree in com-merce, Bergman spent a number of years living in Taiwan. It was there that he became a prominent english teacher and devel-oped a passion for helping youth in his community. In 2008, while Bergman

was attending UNBC, he was nominated as the UNBC JDC West Co-Cap-tain; a role he carried out while achieving academic excellence in his curricu-lum. Following the comple-

tion of his degree at UNBC, Bergman began working for one of canada’s leading professional services firms, Deloitte. It was not long af-ter accepting the position, that Bergman came to the realization that he was not satisfied with his career choice. It was his academic suc-

cesses, past employment experiences and a pro-found passion for the gen-eral arts that translated in to Bergman’s current ap-petite for photography and web design. “I enjoy the challenge

of catching a moment in time, and having that mo-ment resonate with people forever. essentially, telling a profound story through a photograph,” said Berg-man in regards to his ca-reer choice.

Through his passion, Bergman has been involved with community partners addressing homelessness, and many committees in the local community.currently, Bergman is

growing his business and expertise as a photogra-pher and business-focused individual. Bergman’s ac-counting degree, in con-junction with his creative talents and leadership skills, have equipped him with the financial, analyti-cal and artistic skills to ef-ficiently serve small busi-ness clients throughout the community. Bergman has chosen to

grow his family and busi-ness in Prince George, and will be an asset to the com-munity for many years to come.

kelly

Ber

GM

an Kelly Bergman

TITLe: Owner/PresidentCOMPANY: BergMediaAGe: 35


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Kara Biles, a 27-year-old recruitment coordinator for Canadian Forest Prod-ucts Ltd., began her career in human resources at the young age of 22, and contin-ues to thrive by building on her human re-source creden-tials.In 2007, Biles

accepted a po-sition as a hu-man resources business-unit assistant with the B.C. Public Service Agen-cy. She quickly p r o g r e s s e d through the organization, landing such roles as proj-ect coordinator, marketing and training representa-

tive, and in 2009, e-learn-ing specialist position. It was at this time that Biles’ job scope grew to include the training and develop-

ment of 30,000 e m p l o y e e s across 280 communities, using comput-er technology as a primary mechanism.in 2003, Biles

began her pur-suit of higher education by enrolling at the college of New Caledonia (CNC). She was an exemplary

student, and built on the knowledge she gained at CNC by enrolling at the University of Northern

British Columbia (UNBC). in 2008, Biles graduated from UNBC with a major in marketing from the commerce program, and in 2010 that she complet-ed a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resource Manage-ment. That same year she completed her canadian Human Resources Profes-sional designation.In 2011 Biles was award-

ed the British Columbia Human Resources Man-agement Association’s 2011 “Rising Star” – a prestigious award that recognizes outstanding achievements. Currently, Biles is working towards attaining her Conflict Res-olution Certificate through CNC, and plans to attain her Master’s in Leadership within the next five years. When asked about her

decision to begin working for Canadian Forest Prod-ucts, Biles explained: “I decided it was time that I utilize my skills and ex-

pand my knowledge to the private sector, and was fortunate to land a human resources generalist with Canfor. I’ve recently ac-

cepted a position in Prince George’s head office as the new Recruitment Co-ordinator.”

kara

Bil

eSKara BilesTITLe: Recruitment CoordinatorCOMPANY: Canadian Forest Products Ltd.AGe: 27

“Don’t take

yourself too seriously, and take time to

celebrate your small victories.

”


The world of financial services can be intimidat-ing for people who don’t know it well, and that’s why Matt Brown’s company has made an effort to ensure their firm is as com-fortable as pos-sible for clients – an initiative that continues to help the company grow.“We’re able to offer quite

a range of services to our clients and just a really welcoming environment,” said Matt Brown, Partner, Dean Mason and co. inc. chartered Accountants. “So for any of our clients

that come to our office it should feel like home.”

Home for Brown, mean-time, has al-ways been Prince George. A graduate of the University of northern British Colum-bia, Brown de-cided to stay in B.c.’s northern

capital after he left school because of the city’s high quality of life and career opportunities.Fifteen years ago, he

joined Dean Mason and co. as a co-op student, a journey that took him from an entry-level position to supervisory, management

and senior management roles until he became a partner in the firm.These days, Brown is the

managing partner of the firm and is hard at work helping it expand from its current 20 employees to 30, attracting new clients and pursuing new lines of business. Although he’s

dedicated to the business, Brown is a big advocate of work-life balance.When he’s not at work,

Brown spends his time par-ticipating in organizations that his four children are involved in, road-cycling, running and cross-country skiing.Prince George’s relatively

small size allows Brown to continue to work hard and maintain a strong family life, he said.“Because of shorter com-

muting times I can still put in a pretty hard day here and be home with the kids.”

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It hasn’t taken long for Gord Brownridge to rise to the top of one of northern B.c.’s premier insurance brokerages.established in 1990, Brownridge and Company Insurance Services Inc. provides commercial, per-sonal and auto insurance, as well as financial ser-vices, to clients through-out British Columbia and Alberta.The firm, which is based in downtown Prince George, has a full slate of licensed agents.Although Gord Brown-ridge is only 33 years old, he has been involved with the firm for 16 years, and

has helped it grow into one of the most success-ful commercially focused insurance brokerages in northern B.c.Brownridge has helped his career along with a Bach-elor of commerce in Mar-keting from the University of Northern British Colum-bia. He is also a Canadian Accredited insurance Bro-ker with an honours desig-nation, and possesses his charted insurance profes-sional designation.At the company, he has managed both personal and commercial insurance teams.outside of his career, Brownridge has been a

long-time board mem-ber and past president of the Alumni Association of the University of North-ern British Columbia, and has been the organizing committee chair for the University’s Charity Golf Tournament for the last decade.in 2011, he founded The Nextwork, a social and business network-ing group for young pro-fessionals in the Prince George area. He has also organized and hosted a number of social and vol-unteering events for the group throughout the past year.

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e Gord BrownridgeTITLe: Vice PresidentCOMPANY: Brownridge and Company Insurance Services Inc.AGe: 33

Matt BrownTITLe: PartnerCOMPANY: Dean Mason and Company Inc. Chartered AccountantsAGe: 38

“For any of our

clients that come to our

office it should feel like home.

”


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William Cadell came to Prince George from Scot-land for the skiing, but he stayed for the business oppor-tunities.The 34-year-

old proprietor of Sparkgeo, which builds next-generation web mapping applications, ar-rived in Prince George eight years ago after obtaining an engineering De-gree and Master of Science from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.The problem with Scot-

land, he said, was the lack of ski hills.Prince George, on the oth-

er hand, offered all that he could’ve wanted.“The fact that we have 30

degree celsius summers and minus -20 de-gree winters is perfect, i get to enjoy the summer and enjoy the win-ter. It’s just an excellent place to live,” said cadell.At Sparkgeo,

Cadell takes data from or-g a n i z a t i o n s and businesses and meshes it together to

help companies modernize their work flows and be a “bit smarter” about infor-mation management.The company’s mission is

simple – to help companies tell their stories using maps and the internet. cadell recently built a virtual plat-form for the Tsay Keh Dene First Nation to not only ar-chive their cultural stories, videos and images but also provide the geo-locations of where these stories actually took place.cadell said the technol-

ogy helps First Nations make more informed decisions about major resource proj-ects in their traditional ter-ritory.“It supports first nations in

traditional-use data capture and that helps their decision making around environmen-tal projects so they have a better idea of the landscape and they can make better decisions in regards to min-ing or pipeline projects,” said cadell.

will

iam

ca

Del

lWilliam CadellTITLe: PrincipalCOMPANY: SparkgeoAGe: 34

“We have 30

degree Celsius summers and

minus -20 degree winters

is perfect … It’s just an

excellent place to live.

”


For Dennis Callaghan, hard work and determina-tion are the keys to success in northern B.c.’s rapidly changing business world.Callaghan joined Northern

Development Initiative Trust in 2009 after several years e x p e r i e n c e as a control-ler working with northern c o m p a n i e s involved in the manu-facturing and construction sector. At that time, the Trust, which was created in 2005 with an ini-tial capital injection of $185 million to invest in econom-

ic development throughout central and northern B.c., was about to start divvying out $30 million in funding to communities via the fed-eral government’s Commu-

nity Adjustment Fund.Although crunch-

ing numbers and managing accounts might sound like bor-ing accounting work, Callaghan said the Trust’s programs allowed him to work with fellow staff to find creative ways for

communities to maximize funding and drive job cre-ation in their regions.Callaghan was also one of

the key staff members at the Trust that helped de-velop its proprietary Cata-lyst software system, which helps the Trust efficiently manage funding applica-tions, programs and project reporting models.“I’ve had the opportunity

to think outside the box and help shape and mould the future of programs here, right from the way the basic normal accounts are han-dled to the approval pro-cess and the final reporting process,” said callaghan.Never one to shy away

from hard work outside the office, Callaghan pursued an MBA at the University of Northern British Colum-bia in his spare time, which forced him to learn how to balance his professional goals with raising a family.“My wife has been great,

and frankly, she’s gotten a bit used to it,” he said. “Do-ing an MBA while working full time with infants, and then doing a CMA while

working full time with young children is no picnic. Sometimes it’s hard to rec-ognize opportunities when

they’re in front of you, but if you keep working hard then opportunities will come.”

Carrie Comack, a 34-year-old mother of two children, has lived in Prince George since 2010, when she and her family moved from the lower mainland. Since arriving in Prince

George, Comack has been an integral member of the Columbia Bitulithic admin-istrative team - which is a key player in the construc-tion and stone industry – serving as their job cost accountant. Upon filling this role, Comack took it upon herself to change and reshape the future of the company so that it could operate at more efficient levels. “I was thrilled to move up

north and start a new po-sition with Columbia Bitu-lithic,” states Comack. “I was even more excited to

make a meaningful contri-bution to the organization through a measured cost-benefit analysis and the subsequent methodical lowering of its cost struc-ture.” Comack has

been in the account ing field for over fifteen years, and contin-ues to work towards her c e r t i f i e d Management Accountant (CMA) des-i g n a t i o n . She is also a member of the Interna-tional Institute of Business Analysis, which develops and maintains standards for the practice of world-

wide business analysis. In addition to the courses required for her cMA des-ignation, Comack has also participated in a number of courses pertaining to her

work with Columbia Bitulithic, including the Construction Safety Training Sys-tem course. Currently, Comack

is a coach for the Prince George Youth Soccer Asso-ciation and a volun-teer for numerous initiatives through-out the community. Comack continues to be a dedicated

employee, a determined business-woman, and a friendly, supportive resi-dent of the Prince George community.

Den

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ca

lla

Gh

an

carr

ie c

oM

ack

Dennis CallaghanTITLe: Chief Financial OfficerCOMPANY: Northern Development Initiative TrustAGe: 36

Carrie ComackTITLe: Job Cost AccountantCOMPANY: Columbia BitulithicAGe: 34

“If you keep

working hard then

opportunitieswill come.

”

“Follow your dreams and

don’t let anything stand in

your way.

”


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The northern boom and its positive impact on Prince George’s economy is what drove Clint Dahl to get into the real estate business.While he was chair of Ini-

tiatives Prince George, Dahl said he came to realize that the region’s abundance of natural resources, its trans-portation infrastructure and growth in Asia could mean only one thing – de-velopment opportunities in B.c.’s northern capital.“I wanted to be part of

making things happen and i had seen an opportunity in commercial, industrial, business and investment real estate,” explained Dahl, a real estate consultant with Royal LePage.Pulling the right people

together to make a deal happen is a real adrenaline

rush, said Dahl, and he’s very excited about a 12-sto-rey hotel and condominium project planned for down-town Prince George.A l t h o u g h

shovels have yet to hit the ground, Dahl said the $45 million project will be a “game changer” for downtown, and signal that the city is open for business.When he’s

not working, Dahl can be found at his second house located on a lake 40 minutes outside of town, or spending time

with family and friends. Al-though hard work and busi-ness growth are important in Dahl’s life, he said it’s im-portant to balance his work life with his personal life.“Family is a priority and

you just have to set work aside and enjoy time with family and friends. Work will be there to-morrow.”Dahl has two

pieces of advice for young business leaders: give more to others than you expect back and always remember that the only thing holding you back is yourself.Said Dahl: “Your

own limiting be-liefs are the only thing that stands

between where you are and where you want to be!”

clin

t Da

hlClint Dahl

TITLe: Real Estate Developer/AgentCOMPANY: Royal LePageAGe: 37

“Your own limiting

beliefs are the only thing

that stands between where

you are and where you want to be!

”


Mike Davis knows how to tell a story.The University of North-

ern British Columbia (UNBC) basketball alumni didn’t always want to come up north, but a fatefull call to his home in richmond a decade ago brought him to the city that he now gets paid to tell the world about.As Director, Marketing

& Communications for the 2015 Canada Winter Games, it’s Davis’ job to get the word out about one of the largest athletic events in the country – hosted in Prince George two years from now.Fortunately, he has some

talent telling stories.Although he started out

as a basketball player at UNBC, he took a job with the Western Hockey

League’s Prince George cougars as the Director of Public Relations and cor-porate sales shortly after graduation. He said the job meshed well with his previous experience in the sports world as an athlete, and provided new oppor-tunities for him to explore other areas of the busi-ness.“The cougars world was

neat because I was dab-bling in community re-lations, sales, business development and advertis-ing, it was a really diverse portfolio,” explained Davis.After five seasons with

the local hockey club, Davis took a job with the Prince George Airport Author-ity as Manager of com-munications and Business Development – just as the airport was expand-

ing its runway and adver-tising its ability to handle cargo planes to customers around the world.Not one to sit still, Davis

jumped to city hall in 2009 as manager of communi-cations and engagement, helping the city more ef-fectively engage with the public. While there, he was part of the committee that assembled a bid for the 2015 canada Games – a project he soon fell in love with.Although Davis is not a

native of northern B.C., he’s passionate about Prince George and sees the 2015 Winter Games as an opportunity to show-case the province’s north-ern capital.“This is a really neat plat-

form with the Games com-ing, the city’s 100th an-

niversary, the university’s 25th anniversary, it’s our time,” said Davis. “It’s the

northern decade and we’re really proud to showcase our community.”

Mik

e D

aviS Mike Davis

TITLe: Director, Marketing & CommunicationsCOMPANY: Prince George 2015 Canada Winter Games AGe: 34

Gar

rett

Do

BSo

n

Although Garret Dobson has yet to build a business that he can call his own, the University of North-ern British Columbia stu-dent has already given the world a big glimpse of his entrepreneurial drive.The fourth year Bachelor

of commerce student co-captained the 2012 JDC West Business Competi-tion team for the universi-ty. JDC West is the largest business case competition in Western Canada, pitting teams of university stu-dents against one another to solve complex business problems and present them to a panel of judges.Dobson played a central

role for the University team, raising more than $25,000 for charity, assist-

ing 48 students to prepare for the competition, re-cruiting mentors for the teams and fundraising to cover costs for the initia-tive.Born and

raised in Prince George, Dob-son didn’t al-ways know he wanted to be in business. His first paid gig was as a bus boy at the Keg S t e a k h o u s e and Bar, he fol-lowed that up with a couple more part time jobs be-fore he joined Geotech Drilling as a driller’s assis-tant after high school.“I didn’t know what I

wanted to do after high school so I took a job with Geotech Drilling, got my hands dirty, found out what real work was and decided to go back

to school for business,” ex-plained Dob-son.Although he

has considered leaving Prince George for oth-er cities after he graduates from Universi-ty, Dobson said the job oppor-tunities in the

north are too promising to overlook.“The opportunities in the

north are unparalleled.”

Garrett DobsonTITLe: StudentCOMPANY: University of Northern British ColumbiaAGe: 23

“The

opportunities in the

north are unparalleled.

”


PRINCE GEORGE .BCdreams. opportunity. affordability.

For more information contact:Initiatives Prince George Economic Development Corporation

Tel: 250-564-0282www.initiativespg.com

Prince George is described by its residents as a “city where people can get ahead”.

Opportunity, affordability and work-life balance are qualities that make Prince George the ideal location for young professionals to advance their careers while building the future of their dreams.

Whether your career aspirations lead you to be an entrepreneur, a skilled tradesperson, a business professional, or anything in between – Prince George is a smart move!

clin

t Fr

aSe

r

Clint Fraser, the 35-year-old Marketing Strategist for the northern Bc Tourism Asso-ciation (NBCTA), is acknowl-edged industry-wide as a leader in traditional market-ing initiatives and innova-tor in emerging marketing technologies. The NBCTA is responsible for developing, coordinat-ing and delivering tourism marketing programs on behalf of its stakeholders. Through its advertising ini-tiatives and regional publi-cations, the NBCTA markets the region globally. Fraser was raised in Prince George, and since a young age he has always felt pas-sionate about the com-munity. in fact, he chose to pursue his post-secondary education through the Uni-versity of Northern British

Columbia’s (UNBC) Com-merce Program. He is cur-rently raising his family here and his job, on a daily-basis, consists of actively promot-ing northern B.c. and the Prince George community. When asked about his fa-vourite projects to date, Fraser explained, “I have had the opportunity to work on a lot of great proj-ects over the years so it is hard to choose just one. The 2010 olympic Games in Vancouver were a game changer for the tourism in-dustry in British Columbia - it was awesome to be in-volved in many of the initia-tives associated with them, including the opportunity to work at the Whistler Media House during the games.”

More recent initiatives include Fraser’s role in de-veloping Prince George’s successful bid package for the 2015 Canada Winter Games and leading a team in developing a mobile web application, Travel North-ern BC, that allows users to effortlessly connect with Northern B.C. businesses and access travel planning information. What is Fraser’s advice to young innovators looking to get into the tourism sector? “Technology plays a major role in tourism marketing and we are always look-ing for new and innovative ways to use it, not only to reach prospective travelers but also to influence pur-chasing behaviour. There is a lot of opportunity for those young marketers that have a fluent understanding of technology and digital marketing practices to excel within the industry.”

Clint Fraser TITLe: Strategic Planning and MarketingCOMPANY: Northern BC Tourism AssociationAGe: 35

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Kristal Grenkie, a 34-year-old single mother, moved from Smithers, B.C. to Prince George, B.c. in 2010. Kristal began her career at

the young age of 20, work-ing for the Bulkley Valley Credit Union. From there, Grenkie made a number of transitions throughout the organizat ion, beginning as a front-line teller, moving to ad-ministrative sup-port, and rising to Senior Lend-ing Manager. Grenkie’s cur-

rent role as senior lending manager with Integris Cred-it Union entails managing and growing an extensive

loan portfolio for both com-mercial and retail lending. Grenkie has led monthly production for the organiza-tion and is, in part, respon-sible for annual loan growth of 50 percent.“I started working for a

Credit Union at a relative-ly young age. i was impressed with what the credit Union was willing to offer me as an employee and as a member,” Grenkie said. “The credit Union was

willing to make an invest-ment in my education and help me attain my career goals. They are very sup-

portive.”Recently, Grenkie be-

came an “Associate of the Credit Union Institute” and completed her Accred-ited Mortgage Professional designation. As if that weren’t enough, Grenkie is currently a student at the University of Northern British Columbia in pursuit of a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce. Her goal is to complete her degree by the time she turns 40.In addition to Grenkie’s

career achievements, she is also a member of the Ju-nior Chamber International Prince George, and actively participates in events host-ed by the Prince George Chamber of Commerce. In 2012, Grenkie led the credit Union’s fundraising efforts to support those af-fected by the Lakeland Mills accident. Grenkie goes on to express

that “The community of Prince George is fairly new

to me, but I try to be as in-volved as much as possible in Chamber and community events to provide momen-

tum, meet new people, and advocate for our amazing city!”

kris

tal G

ren

kie

Mar

yJan

e h

an

na

hKristal GrenkieTITLe: Financial Services OfficerCOMPANY: Integris Credit UnionAGe: 34

“Never stop

being open to learning new

things.

”

Mary Jane Hannah is living proof that hard work is the real key to success in busi-ness.These days Hannah runs

one of Prince George’s fin-est hotels, overseeing a staff of 100 as she guides Downtown Prince George’s Ramada Hotel through a renovation while ensuring that guests continue to get top-notch service.But the 35-year-old didn’t

come through a conven-tional hospitality and tour-ism program to get into the business, rather she was born and bred into it.Hannah’s parents owned

two restaurants, which became her doorway into entry-level service jobs and eventually a very rewarding career.“I was brought up through

the business, and I believe it

was ingrained in me and in my blood to serve and help make people happy,” said Hannah.Her first business was a

dance studio she owned in Ontar-io, a sole propri-etorship that she described as a real education in “Business 101.”Hannah even-

tually sold the studio and moved west where she found a job as a hostess in a restaurant at the Holiday Inn Vancouver Centre. The hotel attached to the restaurant eventu-ally drew her in, and she worked her way through various departments until

she reached upper man-agement, eventually reach-ing the position of Assistant General Manager at the hotel. She was also named chair of the Board for the Cooperative Sales and Mar-keting group for all Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn express Hotels in B.C.Rising through the ranks of

the hospitality and tourism industry has giv-en her a unique understanding of the business, which Hannah said helps her as a General Man-ager at the ra-mada.“The first hand

experience of having positions throughout the hotel are gigantic in the building blocks toward

being successful as a man-ager,” Hannah explained. “it really helps you relate to both the employee side as well as the guest side of the business.”

Mary Jane HannahTITLe: General ManagerCOMPANY: Ramada Hotel Downtown Prince GeorgeAGe: 35

“It was

ingrained in me and in

my blood to serve and help make people

happy.

”


Shauna Harper, a 38-year-old entrepre-neur, finds gratification in helping others develop, grow and achieve their business goals. H a r p e r ’ s

prized busi-ness, Live-WorkPG, is an online market-ing, social me-dia and internal co m m u n i ca -tions strategy company in the Prince George c o m m u n i t y. Through her b u s i n e s s , Harper is able to help others achieve their businesses’

branding and marketing goals. “I love work-

ing with peo-ple. Meeting new people and hearing their different stories keeps my job interest-ing,” explained Harper. “With the work I do as an online Marketing and internal com-m u n i cat i o n s Strategist and as a Marketing Coach, I have the amazing o p p o r t u n i t y to meet new people daily, hear their sto-

ries, and teach them how

to better tell those stories.”Harper went on to explain

that she noticed an open-ing in the Prince George market for online market-ing coaching, which is why she took it upon herself to fill that role. Currently, Harper is work-

ing with Community Fu-ture Fraser-Fort George as a volunteer for their Youth Mean Business Program, which is designed to pro-vide business mentorship and coaching, training workshops and network-ing opportunities to youth. In her role, Harper works with local youth to provide them with the training and mentorship needed to suc-cessfully market their busi-nesses. Harper has put Prince

George on the social me-dia map. Businesses in the community are lucky to have a strategist on-hand who is capable of sculpting a social media presence for them that is both authen-

tic and effective. Working with clients from across the region and throughout a number of varying business sectors, Harper is pushing

our community to become part of the knowledge-based economy, indepen-dent of our resource back-ground.

Congrats to the past and present UNBC students who make up nearly half of Prince George’s

Top 40 Under 40.

Liam Iliffe Owner, The Wild Life

Gord Brownridge VP, Brownridge & Company Insurance Services Inc

Clint Fraser Strategic Planning and Marketing, Northern BC Tourism Association

Jodi Baker Secondary School Teacher, School District 57

Michelle MohrMortgage Broker, Invis

Kelly BergmanOwner/President, Bergmedia

Aidan KellyCEO, Tourism PG

Adele Yakemchuk Account Manager, BDC

Michael Stanyer Photographer, Alchemist Studios

Kelli MoorheadGeneral Sales Manager, Jim Pattison Broadcasting

Melissa MillsMarketing & Business Expansion Officer, IPG

Cathy MackayManaging Partner/Branch Manager, EDI Environmental Dynamics Inc

Mike DavisDirector Marketing & Communications, Prince George 2015 Canada Winter Games

Matt BrownPartner, Dean Mason & Company Inc

Dennis CallaghanChief Financial Officer, NDIT

Daniel MilburnDirector of Planning & Business Development, R. Radloff & Associates

Kara Biles Human Resources Coordinator, Sinclar Group Forest Products

Shau

na h

arP

erShauna HarperTITLe: OwnerCOMPANY: LiveWorkPGAGe: 38

“Start

networking sooner rather

than later. You can learn more about

yourself, others and

your business through efficient

networking.

”


John Kason is a self-made man.Twelve years ago, he

founded Global Securi-ties Corp., a full-service stock, option and com-modity futures brokerage. During that time, Kason has steadily grown his business into one of the city’s premiere brokerages while deftly manoeuvring through the tech bubble bust in 2001 and the Great recession of 2008.His advice for business

success? Stay connected to your customers.“You have to stay pas-

sionate and engaged with your business and custom-ers,” said Kason, a Certi-fied Financial Planner. “If you’re not passionate or engaged it really doesn’t matter if you’re spending more time or less time in

the office, it’s fun to be there.”He moved to Prince

George from Vancouver 22 years ago and pursued a career in the financial ser-vices business because of its fast-paced, ever changing na-ture.Today, Global

Securities man-ages more than $60 million in assets for what Kason calls “working pro-fessionals” in the Prince George region, but it isn’t his only business. Kason has also successfully de-veloped a commercial real estate property in the city, is a partner in an in-

surance business and has helped launch two tech-nology companies.one of the technology

companies, Business2Mo-bile, is a partnership be-tween him and Bart Wag-ner that aims to change the landscape for how businesses use mobile devices in day-to-day busi-

ness.In addition to

his professional life, Kason do-nates a signifi-cant amount of his time to events and organizat ions throughout the city. He is an active member of the Prince George rotary Club, he teaches financial train-

ing to School District 57 students and has devel-oped an economic and entrepreneurial Training program for the college of New Caledonia.

Kristen Harrot, a 31-year-old entrepreneur, highly values sport and sport culture, both of which she hopes to grow in the north-ern B.c. region.Harrot is currently the

General Man-ager for Pa-c i f i c S p o r t northern Bc, a not-for-profit or-ganization creat-ed specifically to serve athletes, coaches, offi-cials and volun-teers in north-ern B.c. Through the provision of various innovative services and programs, the centre helps athletes progress, while introducing sport op-portunities to the region’s

youth. When asked about her

career choice, Harrot ex-plained “I’ve always loved sports; amateur sports, professional sports and the dedication and persever-

ance of athletes in all levels of sporting.” Har-rot digressed, “I like being involved in the development of coaches and athletes across the region and in varying sports.”From a young

age it was clear that Harrot’s passion in life was sports. In 2004, she became a Gradu-ate of Brock University with a Bachelor’s degree

in Sport Management. To further her expertise, Har-rot completed her strength and conditioning specialist certification through the National Strength Con-ditioning Association in 2009/2010. What is Harrot’s proudest

accomplishment in regards to sport in northern B.c.?“This past year, I was in-

volved in the development of a new program to help young athletes in Prince George balance schoolwork while training to become elite athletes. in March, the School District 57 Board Members voted to approve the Canadian Sport School of northern B.c. The pro-gram is designed to give structure to athletes who are in grades 10-12 while competing in their respec-tive sport.”Harrot is most certainly a

valuable asset to the com-munity and northern B.c. as a whole. She continues to act selflessly on behalf of

young athletes in communi-ties across the region. Her passion to deliver health through fitness, while al-lowing athletes to develop

the skills to succeed in their sport, will continue to en-courage young athletes’ sporting and academic po-tential for years to come.

kris

ten

ha

rro

T Kristen HarrotTITLe: General ManagerCOMPANY: Pacific Sport Northern BCAGe: 31

“Never stop

being open to learning new

things.

”

John

ka

Son John Kason

TITLe: Certified Financial PlannerCOMPANY: Global SecuritiesAGe: 37

“You have

to stay passionate

and engaged with your

business and customers.

”


www.�agshippg.ca

Samantha Pearl Kealing, a 22-year-old mother, is possibly Prince George’s youngest en-t r e p r e n e u r and philan-thropist. In October

2011, Kealing, along with a group of local mothers, cre-ated a local not-for-profit organization, cloth for a Cause, which helps fami-lies in need by providing them with re-usable cloth diapers. cloth for a cause is able to put together complete diapers by refur-

bishing used diapers and working with diapering companies sets of diapers

are then distrib-uted to needy familes.When asked

about the driv-ing force behind her decision to bring her inno-vative concept to fruition, Keal-ing responded, “i came from a background where I needed similar services. i recognized a niche in the mar-ket and a need for cloth diapers for low income families.”

Kealing has al-ways been a philanthro-

phist, and for several years prior to the launch of cloth for a Cause she could be found volunteering at St. Vincent de Paul, the 3rd Av-enue Collective, and other locations in the Prince George community.currently, the Prince

George organization has expanded to seven Cloth for a cause chapters across canada - an eighth chapter

is in development for the Province of Nova Scotia. In spite of the limited national scale of the organization at this time, the organization is able to ship elsewhere, provided the funds are available within the group or if a recipient is willing to cover shipping costs.What’s Kealing’s take on

the opportunity for oth-ers to innovate and make

positive change on a similar scale?“There’s always room to

innovate,” describes Keal-ing. “There are countless numbers of societal issues that need to be addressed, not only at the local level but on a global scale. It’s about identifying these problems and coming up with a solution to remedy our past practices.”

Sam

anth

a Pe

arl

kea

lin

GSamantha Pearl KealingTITLe: OwnerCOMPANY: Cloth for a CauseAGe: 22

“Keep

doing what you’re

doing. You can be the

change you’d like

to see in other people.

”


Aidan Kelly, the 31-year-old ceo of Tourism PG, continually strives to advo-cate for the community of Prince George. It was just over ten years

ago, in 2002, that Kelly re-located to Prince George to attend the University of Northern British Colum-bia (UNBC). While there, Kelly was able to complete a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce with a Major in Marketing. In addition to his academic success at UNBC, Kelly was also heav-ily involved in the school’s extracurricular activities in-cluding serving as the Vice-President of the northern Undergraduate Student Society (NUGSS). As the first ever CeO for

Prince George’s destination

marketing organization, Kelly has been responsible for developing and build-ing an effective action plan to grow economic activity in the community with a strong focus on the tourism sector.When asked about his de-

cision to fill the CeO role at Tourism PG, Kelly respond-ed: “I think the tourism sec-

tor is extremely interesting. There are so many opportu-nities to work with diverse groups of people and have resounding, positive im-pacts on the community.” Kelly digressed, “I moved to Prince George ten years ago and ended up falling in love with the community. My work with Tourism PG is a way for me to give back to

the community.” In addition to his work

with Tourism PG, Kelly is a dedicated resident of the Prince George community, which is demonstrated through his heavy involve-ment with varying commu-nity groups. Kelly served a three year

term on the UnBc Alumni Association Board of Di-rectors, and is currently a Board Member for the northern Bc Tourism Asso-ciation and the Two Rivers Crime Prevention Society. Additionally, Kelly is a mem-ber of the President Task Force on Athletics and Rec-reation at UNBC, a member of the UnBc capital Plan Committee, Chair of the Northern Transportation Improvement Committee, and a volunteer at large throughout Prince George.

aid

an k

elly Aidan Kelly

TITLe: Chief Executive OfficerCOMPANY: Tourism Prince GeorgeAGe: 31

Liam Iliffe, a co-owner and President of The Wild Life, is living out his passion, and, at the age of 28, has achieved a number of his childhood aspirations. Iliffe’s recent business venture, The Wild Life, is a specialty outdoor equip-ment and clothing shop in the Prince George com-munity. “i decided to get into the retail sector, specifically selling outdoor equipment and apparel because out-door recreation is a pas-sion of mine, and i really enjoy self-employment,” recounts Iliffe. “I studied marketing and anthropol-ogy at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC), so the business venture just seemed to fit.”

While Iliffe has already proven successful in Prince George’s retail sec-tor, this humble resident of Prince George also boasts a number of past accomplishments as well. Throughout his years at UNBC, and beginning in 2002, Iliffe was actively in-volved in campus life. He led the school as the Presi-dent of the northern Un-dergraduate Student Soci-ety – an elected position at UNBC which provides representation to the en-tire student body. Iliffe went on to further de-velop his leadership skills when he co-captained the 2008 UNBC JDC West team with fellow nominee, Kelly Bergman. In addition to these lead-ership roles, Iliffe was also

instrumental in the devel-opment of a grassroots, nation-wide charity, Five Days for the Homeless, in which university students live “homeless” on their campus to raise money and awareness for a local charity. As if these contributions to the Prince George com-munity were not enough, Iliffe also played an inte-gral role in the creation and management of We Day 2009 and 2010. “We Day is an initiative of Free The Children, an international charity and educational partner that works with schools to implement the We Act program. We Day is now in eight cities across Canada, and still growing,” explains Iliffe.

There’s no doubt that Iliffe is an asset to Prince George, and particularly to the northern region of

B.C. He is an innovator, entrepreneur and an avid promoter of the region.

liam

iliF

Fe

Liam IliffeTITLe: Co-Owner/PresidentCOMPANY: The Wild LifeAGe: 28


Toll Free 1.800.668.7646 I facebook.com/tourismpg I twitter.com/tourismpg

www.tourismpg.com

Achievement in education, business and leisure are paramount to Prince George. An affordable, successful and friendly atmosphere awaits you in the north.

Get here to be immersed in our thriving environment.

Pho

to C

redi

t: U

NB

C

A passion for the outdoors and the natural world is what drove Cathy Mackay into the field of Biology.But to label her just a biol-

ogist would be a disservice.As the Managing Partner

and Branch Manager at eDI environmental Dynam-ics inc. in Prince George, Mackay engages with natu-ral resource companies to provide them with advice and baseline information that can help guide them through complex environ-mental permitting process-es for major mining and oil and gas projects.“Very often we’re on

the front lines of creating awareness for our clients, and giving them practical ways of incorporating envi-ronmental concerns,” said Mackay.

examples of her work in-clude helping to form a partnership between the

University of Northern Brit-ish Columbia, the Prophet River First Nation, encana and eDI to develop a Tra-ditional ecological Knowl-edge Project that benefits all parties involved. The project was started in 2007 and was awarded a collab-orative research award this year.Mackay also recently

made a successful business case to an oil and gas indus-try company to implement a caribou habitat modelling in their operating area.She originally attended

Simon Fraser University for electrical engineering, but switched to biology when she realized it would ultimately lead to a career that was largely outdoors and would have a positive impact on the environment.

In 1997, she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Bi-ology from Simon Fraser University, and then went to work for five years as a Habitat Protection Officer, fisheries technician and wildlife/habitat inventory specialist.

Since Mackay joined eDI in 2006, the firm has tripled in size and now has a staff in excess of 60 people. eDI is known as one of the leading environmental and biological consultancies in Western Canada.

cath

y M

ack

ayCathy MackayTITLe: Managing PartnerCOMPANY: EDI Environmental Dynamics Inc. AGe: 39

“We’re on the

front lines of creating

awareness for our clients, and giving

them practi-cal ways of

incorporating environmental

concerns.

”


Dan Milburn has, liter-ally, helped build Prince George.As the previous City of

Prince George Director of Planning and Develop-ment, Milburn was able to lead an award-winning team of engineers, plan-ners and technicians to promote community and business activities.During his 11-year stint

with the City, Milburn helped update many of City’s land use and devel-opment bylaws, stream-lined business processes at the City, led a number of downtown redevelop-ment initiatives, promoted safe and affordable hous-ing and protected heritage and archaeological values.His efforts, in tandem

with his team, helped the

city earn a LiveSmart BC Green City Award and an energy and Climate Action Award for Leadership in Action, among other note-worthy achievements.Since April,

Milburn has been leading Business De-velopment and planning at r. Radloff and As-sociates, one of the city’s pre-mier full-service engineer-ing firms.What does he like best

about his job? Seeing ideas become brick and mortar realities.“What I love about it is

the variety and the chance to be a part of all the excit-ing projects coming up [in the area],” said Milburn.

“It’s also really rewarding because you get to see a project from its initial concepts to an end proj-ect that’s developed and helps the community.”Since he made the jump

into the private sector, Milburn has had the op-portunity to work on excit-ing projects such as: resi-dential development plans in Mackenzie and Fort St.

James related to the $1.4 billion Mt. Milligan cop-per-gold mine development.His past experi-

ence with the city also pro-vides his firm with a unique

understanding of the city’s make-up and planning ini-tiatives, which means R. Radloff is better able to meet the region’s planning needs.Milburn is also a part-

time instructor at the Uni-versity of Northern British Columbia.

Luke McDonald, a 37-year-old Partner with L&M engi-neering Ltd., began his ca-reer at a young age, working as a forestry sur-veyor. in 2000,

M c D o n a l d attained a Diploma in Geo-matics Technol-ogy from the British Colum-bia Institute of Technology. In addition to his academic k n o w l e d g e , McDonald also boasts 17 years of experience in the fields of surveying, civil engineer-ing and construction and project management.

More recently, Luke has moved into a partnership role with L&M engineer-

ing. In this new role, McDonald directly manages groups of surveyors, tech-nologists and en-gineers to provide full project services throughout north-ern BC. In a Project Management role, he coordinates teams for qual-ity control, quantity tracking and inspec-tion work. “An initiative

that I’m particu-larly proud to have

played a role in is the Prince George Runway 15-33 expansion Project at the Prince George Air-

port,” said McDonald. “The project took four years to complete, which was a large part of my life. i feel a sense of gratification upon completing a project, and can’t help but revel in the positive impacts a particu-lar project has on the com-munity.” In addition to the Prince

George Runway expansion Project, McDonald played an integral role in the de-velopment of the Prince George Boundary road Connector project and the Prince George Global Logis-tics Park project. Today, McDonald is an

vital member of the Prince George community and serves as a member for the Prince George Home Build-ers’ Association and the Prince George Chamber of Commerce; a Director for the Prince George old Tim-ers Hockey Association; and a judge for the annual Cen-tral Interior Science exhibi-

tion. It is without a doubt that McDonald will contin-ue to serve as a committed,

bright and trusted member of the Prince George com-munity.

luke

McD

on

alD Luke McDonald

TITLe: PartnerCOMPANY: L&M Engineering Ltd.AGe: 37

“Don’t

crastinate. Do things

today rather than

waiting for

tomorrow.

”

Dan

Mil

BUrn

Dan MilburnTITLe: Director of Planning and Business DevelopmentCOMPANY: R. Radloff and Associates Inc.AGe: 39

“What I love

about it is the variety.

”


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Nanaimo-native Melissa Mills first came to the north in an effort to “experience something new.” It didn’t take long for her to fall in love with Prince George.As the economic

Development Of-ficer at Initiatives Prince George, the city’s eco-nomic develop-ment and market-ing arm, it’s Mills’ job to promote the city as a great place to live, work and invest.She first learned

about economic development through a professor while she at-tended the University of Northern British Columbia, where she went on to earn

a Bachelor of commerce with a double major in In-ternational Business and Marketing.

“i’m really in-terested in the s u sta i n a b l e development of resource-based com-munities,” ex-plained Mills. “Being in Brit-ish Columbia my entire life, natural re-sources is very much a part of my community and why we have what we

have today. Prince George is a prime example of how to do that properly.”In addition to her work at

Initiatives Prince George,

Mills has also been a mar-keting coach and mentor for the University’s JDC west teams for the last three years, helping future northern business leaders hone their ideas into poten-tially revenue-generating enterprises.Next year, Mills will gradu-

ate from the University with an MBA – but she’s keenly aware that education isn’t everything in business. In fact, her advice to young business leaders is to get out in the community and network.“I think a lot of people my

age or younger than me have a sense of entitle-ment,” she said. “You have to get out there and net-work and get involved to set yourself apart.”

Melissa MillsTITLe: Economic Development OfficerCOMPANY: Initiatives Prince George AGe: 26

“You have to get out there and

network and get involved

to set yourself apart.

”

Mel

issa

Mil

lS

• Record employment with over 4% Job Growth over past year

• $34 Billion in capital projects to be developed over next 3-5 years

• Significant Commercial and Industrial activity

• Residential Vacancy at less than 5%

• Record Passenger Air Traffic

PRINCE GEORGE REAL ESTATEA SMART INVESTMENT

[email protected]

FOR COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL AND INVESTMENT REAL ESTATE

Royal Lepage Prince George1625 4th Ave Prince George, BC V2L 3k2


Michelle Mohr, a 28-year-old mortgage broker with Invis and a single-mother, developed a strong work ethic at an early age. While at-tending the University of northern Brit-ish Columbia (UNBC) in pursuit of a B a c h e l o r ’s Degree in c o m m e rc e , Mohr worked full-time at the Bank of Montreal to establish herself in the Prince George business community, and to begin her career.

in 2010, a colleague of Mohr’s started-up a local branch for the National

Mortgage Bro-kerage, Invis. It was at this time that Mohr made the deci-sion to leave her position with the Bank of Montreal in pur-suit of advanc-ing her career. That same year, Mohr attained her mortgage broker’s license from the Finan-cial Institutions Commission (FI-

COM). Mohr is also a mem-ber of both the Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals,

and the Mortgage Brokers Institute of British Co-lumbia. In both 2010 and 2011, Mohr was awarded the top producer award for Invis British Columbia. This comes as no surprise as she is an educated, strong woman that is building her business through integrity, leadership and dedication. Mohr has been an advo-

cate for the Prince George community and stated that “her pride for Prince George and need to help promote the community have been driving forces in her journey toward suc-cess.” She has been an ad-vocate for the community and has participated in a number of local charitable functions including Bring Awareness to Autism and Run for the Cure. As well, she played a key role in the fundraising of $20,000 to support a local resident, and a dear friend, battling with Leukemia.

This past year, Mohr was able to complete her Com-merce Degree at UnBc with a major in Marketing, which she intends on ap-plying to her ever-growing business. Mohr continues

to look toward the future, and has stated that she would like to attain her Ca-nadian Securities License and volunteer with the St. Vincent de Paul Society.

Mic

helle

Mo

hr Michelle Mohr

TITLe: Mortgage BrokerCOMPANY: InvisAGe: 28

“Don’t ever

give up, even if times

are hard. Things will get easier.

”

Passion and commitment are two words that define Tasha Moodley and the career path she’s chosen.Originally from South

Africa, Moodley came to Canada several years ago with a background in human resources management and de-sire to pursue a career in professional coaching.“My desire is to develop

people and help them re-alize their full potential,” said Moodley. “Often we go through life and don’t really understand what our talents or strengths are and we end up in the wrong job or unhappy, so through develop-ment and understanding of one’s self we can im-prove personal success.”Moodley said she takes

a holistic approach to professional coaching, helping business people go from “good to great” by identify-ing their spe-cific talents, and helping them capital-ize on those talents while also maintain-ing a healthy and balanced l i f e s t y l e .In addition to

her business, Moodley is an Associate cer-tified Coach through the International Coaching Federation, specializing in personal and life coaching, relationship management, team development and leadership development.

Her passion and com-mitment for professional coaching has allowed her to work with organiza-

tions such as the central interior Native Health Society, the Prince George division of Fam-ily Practice, the royal cana-dian Mounted Police and All-Wood Fibre Ltd., among others.“I think it’s

about commit-ting,” Mood-

ley said of balancing her professional life with her personal life. “it takes a commitment to want to have balance.”

Tash

a M

oo

Dle

y Tasha MoodleyTITLe: Certified Business and Leadership CoachCOMPANY: Tasha Moodley – Inspiring Personal and Business ExcellenceAGe: 31

“My desire is to develop people and

help them re-alize their full

potential.

”


DL#23034

Kelli Moorhead broke through the glass ceil-ing when she became the youngest and one of the only female General Sales Managers in the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.As manager,

Moorhead leads a team of nine sales profession-als who represent two radio and three television stations. She also oversees seven members of the group’s television and radio cre-ative departments.Before moving to Prince

George, Moorhead had worked in edmonton, cen-tral Alberta and with the

Alberta Radio Group in the Hinton/Jasper Area.She said she found her

day-to-day ex-periences as a senior account m a n a g e r representing cKPG TV, cTV and Global (in north cen-tral B.c. and Jasper) “re-warding and instructional.”in 2008,

M o o r h e a d made the bold

decision to juggle her ca-reer and life as a single par-ent and pursue an MBA at the University of Northern British Columbia.“Throughout my years

at CKPG TV, I have helped

many business and govern-ment agencies, non-profit organizations and charities achieve their marketing goals through the use of electronic media advertis-ing,” explained Moorhead.Her MBA also allowed her

to present a third year busi-ness course at the univer-sity in September 2011.She said she worked hard

to make the content inspir-ing and enjoyed the lec-tures and getting to know her students.“It was also wonderful

how much I learned about myself during the experi-ence.”In addition to her role with

the Jim Pattison Group, Moorhead is on the Board of Directors at the Spruce Credit Union and a member of the Canadian Women in Communications Associa-tion.Although Moorhead has

found immense success with her career, she said her daughter is the most influ-

ential person in her life, and that becoming a mom at a young age grounded and

motivated her and drove her to pursue an education and rewarding career.

Kelli MoorheadTITLe: General Sales ManagerCOMPANY: Jim Pattison Broadcast Group AGe: 37

“It was also wonderful

how much I learned about

myself.

”

kelli

Mo

orh

eaD


Dan O’Brien, a 37-year-old entrepreneur in the forest-ry sector, is the Owner and President of o’Brien Man-agement, Bidright con-tracting, O’Brien Training, Mack Brothers Logging in Quesnel and Taylor Profes-sional Driving. At a young age, through

his family’s heavy involve-ment in the northern Bc logging industry, o’Brien developed a strong com-mitment to the resource industry and to quality training in all aspects of ma-chining and trucking opera-tions. currently, through his

businesses BidRight Con-

tracting and Mack Brothers Logging, o’Brien operates log harvesting operations in various communities across B.C. and Alberta, employing a number of local residents in northern B.c. and gener-ating a significant amount of economic activity within the forestry sector. o’Brien states that it is the “rapidly evolving characteristics of the forestry industry that motivate him to expand his operations and continue to innovate.” O’Brien’s businesses

o’Brien Training and Taylor Professional Driving, which he started in 2007 and 2009 respectively, are integral

parts of the Prince George community, as they address northern B.c.’s current need for skilled machinists and operators throughout the region. O’Brien is a bright, young

entrepreneur in an aging industry. His hands-on ap-proach to work has em-powered him to continue striving for success. His en-ergy, innovative ideas and business-focused mindset are exactly what the for-estry sector - and the com-munities it supports - need as the industry undergoes a dynamic shift into the 21st century. What is O’Brien’s advice to

future entrepreneurs look-ing to get involved in the forestry sector? “Come up with a great

idea and stay focused on turning that idea into a re-ality. Do not be fearful of trying new things. Particu-larly in the forestry sector,

industry norms are always changing. So there are a number of opportunities for innovative new practic-

es, which could ultimately reshape the way business is carried out.”

Dan

o’B

rien Dan O’Brien

TITLe: PresidentCOMPANY: O’Brien Management; Bidright Contracting; O’Brien Training; Mack Brothers Logging; and Taylor Professional DrivingAGe: 37

Born and raised in Prince George, Parmar became a partner with Heather Sadler Jenkins LLP, the largest law firm in north-ern B.C., after only five years of practicing law. His success was the result of building a business law practice from scratch for the firm, which employs some 60 people including 20 lawyers.Although Parmar gradu-

ated from high school in Prince George and then attended the College of New Caledonia, he moved south to Simon Fraser University where he went on to earn a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1999.

He followed that up with a Juris Doctor from the University of Saskatch-ewan in 2003, and then articled for a year with Hope Heinrich LLP before joining Heather Sadler Jenkins LLP.Since then, he has gone

on to earn an MBA from Simon Fraser University, and has built a business law practice that includes corporate and commer-cial law, residential con-veyancing and mortgages, commercials loans, com-mercial leasing, wills and estates, employment law and creditor’s remedies.When Parmar hasn’t

been busy with the law, he’s devoted his spare

time to giving back to the community he calls home. He was a part time in-

structor at the Univer-sity of Northern British Columbia from 2006 to 2009, and also taught business law at the Col-lege of New Caledonia in 2008.Parmar is also active in

the Prince George men’s basketball league, and has helped coach the D.P. Todd Secondary High School junior boys basket-ball team. Parmar is also the past

president of the Prince George Chamber of Com-merce.

Gau

rav

ParM

ar Gaurav Parmar

TITLe: PartnerCOMPANY: Heather Sadler Jenkins LLPAGe: 37

Logg

ing

and

Saw

mill

Jour

nal,

Dave

Miln

e


Shane Sienaert, a 37-year-old Wealth Management Consultant with Spruce credit Union, has always been interest-ed in finance.“I can still re-

member wak-ing up early in high school to check the stock mar-ket,” Sienaert remin isces . “I remember a particular project in high school where students would ‘buy and sell’ stocks. This went on for a while, and I was the winner of our in-class challenge. Since then, I’ve always been passionate about the subject.”

It may have been during his high school years that Sienaert developed an un-

derstanding and appreciation for the stock mar-ket, however, it was not un-til he pursued his Bachelor’s Degree in So-cial Sciences at the University college of the Cariboo (UCC) and the Univer-sity college of the Fraser Val-ley (UCFV) from

1993-1998 that he began trading stocks himself. Since then, Sienaert has

worked diligently towards completing a number of ac-creditation courses within the financial management

sector, including the cana-dian Securities Course and the canadian insurance Course. Sienaert is also a designated professional in the fields of financial plan-ning, wealth consulting, and estate planning and trust strategies.Over the past four years

with Spruce Credit Union, Sienaert has successfully grown the Spruce wealth management services by 500 percent. Sienaert has also consistently ranked in the top 50 out of 1,600 credit Union sales repre-sentatives across Canada – an impressive achieve-ment given the recent eco-nomic conditions.What’s Sienaert’s advice

to those looking to get into the financial management sector?“There are many oppor-

tunities to get into the fi-nancial sector and do well. Across the country, we’re seeing the consolidation of financial institutions,”

describes Sienaert. “The customer service aspect of banking and wealth man-agement is slowly dwin-dling. Someone with the right personality, educa-

tion and an eagerness to help others has the poten-tial to do very well within the industry.”

Shan

e Si

ena

erTShane Sienaert

TITLe: Wealth ConsultantCOMPANY: Spruce Credit UnionAGe: 37

“The

opportunity to grow your

skill set should not

be taken for granted.

”

R. Radlo� & Associates is proud to congratulate Dan Milburn for being selected as a recipient of the Prince George Chamber of Commerce “Top 40 Under 40” Award.

R. Radlo� & Associates is a Civil Engineering �rm that provides engineering, planning and consulting services across Northern B.C. Specializing in infrastructure design, construction projects, asset management and capital project planning, R. Radlo� & Associates has worked closely with First Nations and local governments throughout B.C. since 1992

Congratulations to one of our own!

R. Radloff & Associates • www.radloffeng.comPhone 250-562-6861 • Fax 250-562-6826

Planning • Engineering • Consulting1596 3rd Avenue, Prince George, BCPh: 250.563.6777 Fax: 250.563.7630

!

Matt Calvert, Senior Partner

Logg

ing

and

Saw

mill

Jour

nal,

Dave

Miln

e


Trevor Sprague’s advice to young entrepreneurs is to leave no rock unturned.“Be on top of everything

you specialize in,” said Sprague, General Man-ager, Sands Bulk Transport. “Don’t walk by a rock with-out overturning it because sometimes those become your best customers and some of the best people you meet in business.”Prince George-based

Sands specializes in the bulk transport of petro-leum products and chemi-cals for customers in the forestry, mining, construc-tion, aviation, pulp and paper, agriculture, marine and retail sectors.Sprague started work-

ing at the age of 14 for the then-Beaver Lumber, which he said helped him

build his confidence and people skills from a young age. After that, he went on to work for Curtis elite Security for six years be-fore joining Sands in a sales role.Sands has seen its total

annual fuel transports more than double to 40 million litres since he first joined the company in 2006. Sales have also in-creased to more than $10 million annually from $4.1 million during the same pe-riod of time.Outside of work, Sprague

has developed a lifelong passion for hockey that continues to serve Prince George hockey community to this day.In addition to the fact

that he’s been a Regional Scout for the Western

Hockey League’s Portland Winterhawks for the past three years, Sprague is also Head Coach for the Major Midget League’s Cariboo cougars.This year, Sprague was

selected to be an Assistant Coach with the Western Branch challenge, repre-senting the best under 16 hockey players in Western canada.“All of that time that I

and my staff spend work-ing with these elite hockey players is unpaid volunteer time, but it is something we all feel strongly about,” he said.Sprague also recently cel-

ebrated his 14th wedding anniversary with his high school sweetheart Jessie Sprague. They have two daughters.

Trev

or S

Pra

GU

e Trevor SpragueTITLe: General ManagerCOMPANY: Sands Bulk TransportAGe: 35

Michael Stanyer, a 31-year-old entrepreneur, is the part-owner of a thriv-ing photography and vid-eography studio in Prince George – Alchemist Stu-dios.Stanyer’s expertise covers

a blend of artistic work and marketing. Stanyer com-pleted his Undergraduate Degree in english Litera-ture, as well as his Gradu-ate Degree in Marketing at the University of Northern British Columbia. In addi-tion to his time as a stu-dent at UNBC, Stanyer was also able to teach a num-ber of marketing courses for two years. “As a child, I was fasci-

nated by digital media. I played with early versions of Auto CAD and loved film editing. In high school

I saved money from part-time employment to invest in digital editing tools.” Stanyer went on to say, “Profession-ally, I have worked in digital media for ten years. i started de-signing graph-ics for a local technical writ-ing company, PF Publishing, and carried on doing graphic work as an added benefit to the po-sition I held at UNBC.”In 2009, Stanyer’s work

on graphic design shifted from an added benefit to become his livelihood, when he started Alchemist Studios with a childhood friend, Daniel Abraham.

The company was intended to be a part-time interest but has since transformed into a full-time occupation. Alchemist Studios brings

two notable innovations to the city of Prince George. The first, PG Listings, is an online database of MLS list-ings with a focus on high

quality photos and videos. The second, The counterfet, is a graphic novel adaptation of edmund Spens-er’s 1590 fantasy epic, The Faerie Queene. Both innovations have received inter-national praise,

however, the latter has been selected to appear in a critically praised an-thology called The Graphic Canon by Seven Stories Press, with an image from the graphic novel appear-ing in a Wall Street Journal review.

Mic

hael

STa

nye

r Michael StanyerTITLe: OwnerCOMPANY: Alchemist StudioSAGe: 31

“Focus on

developing your skill set instead of designations

and degrees.

”


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Being president of a multi-million dollar forestry com-pany at a young age might go to some p e o p l e ’ s heads, but not Greg Stew-art. For him, it’s people that make his position per-sonally and professionally rewarding.“The key el-

ement that d eter mi n es a company’s success is the people,” Stewart, president of Sinclar Group Forest Products Ltd., ex-plained. “Without the peo-ple, our business would be trees, some buildings and a lot of metal.“it is the people that

brings the equipment and processes to life. it is the people that find and main-

tain our custom-er relationships. it is our people that use their creativity and passion to find solutions to our challenges.”S t e w a r t ’ s

g r a n d f a t h e r, Bob Stew-art, founded the business with his part-

ner Ivan Andersen half a century ago. Since then, Sinclar Group has grown to include eight sawmills, planer mills and value-added forest product mills throughout central British Columbia.That said, Stewart didn’t

just waltz into the family business. After pursuing an education in Chemical en-gineering after high school, he worked in Trail, B.C. for Teck Resources – Canada’s largest mining company.He then went on to earn

an MBA from the richard Ivey School of Business at the University of West-ern ontario. As his career progressed toward man-agement roles, a desire to pursue the family business drove Stewart toward Sin-clar.Although the B.c. interior

forest sector has faced in-numerable challenges in recent years, Stewart is a firm believer that the industry has room to ex-pand and adapt to an ever-changing market, generating jobs for British

Columbians for decades to come.“Whether it was in re-

sponse to the sustainabil-ity concerns in the early 1990’s or our response to

the mountain pine beetle epidemic, this sector has demonstrated that it is prepared to take steps to remain globally competi-tive.”

Gre

g ST

ewa

rTGreg StewartTITLe: PresidentCOMPANY: Sinclar Group Forest Products Ltd.AGe: 37

“The key

element that determines a company’s success is the

people.

”

Celebrating young business leaders.

telus.com/community

At TELUS, we believe that empowering young leaders to reach their full potential leads to stronger business performace and a culture that better understands the customers we serve.

We are proud to sponsor Prince George’s Top 40 Under 40.


Terry Thiara - one of this year’s youngest nominees - is a twenty-five year old entrepreneur, and was only nineteen when his vi-sion started to take shape. in 2006, Terry

was in the midst of his second year pursuing a Bachelor’s De-gree in com-merce from the University of northern British Columbia, when he used a student line of credit to purchase his first rental home and “flip it.” Terry recognized that the local real estate market was on an upswing and felt it was an ideal time to in-vest. Sure enough, Terry’s

investment paid off. He used the profits from this investment, and wages earned from part-time and seasonal work to purchase

four additional rental homes. It wasn’t until

2010 that Terry recognized a gap in the local economy for the import and fabrication of granite, quartz and marble countertops. it

was then that he decided to start his esteemed busi-ness, Lithium one imports. At the beginning of this greenfield investment, Terry, along with a part-ner, began to import stone from India and fabricate those materials in to coun-

tertops. More recently, the company has diversified into exterior stone clad-ding which they import from china. Terry also operates Lith-

ium One Developments, which is currently leading work on the development of a spec home in college Heights and a nine-home subdivision in the Hart, and TriMark Solutions - a trades-based business which works for other con-struction contractors. Terry is driven to succeed

by the constant need to innovate. He recognizes that, in business, if you’re not striving, you’re dying. He is currently elated by the increase in demand for his products and services across northern B.c.

Terr

y Th

iar

a Terry ThiaraTITLe: OwnerCOMPANY: Lithium One ImportAGe: 25

Hanna Van de Vosse might best be described as the eternal optimist, at least when it comes to business.The 36-year-old managing

partner and senior biolo-gist with eDI environmen-tal Dynamics inc. in Prince George believes one of the keys to success in business is to continually look for op-portunities – even in situa-tions where optimism is at a premium.“It’s about finding op-

portunity and opportunity doesn’t always look like op-portunity,” explained Van de Vosse. “You might be in a crisis, you might have something happen that seems negative, but if you really think about it maybe there’s an opportunity for you there.”Van de Vosse started down

the road into the field of

Biology with dreams of be-coming a marine biologist, but her career took her down a very different path.After she graduated from

the University of Victoria with a Bachelor of Science in Biology in 1997, she worked as an environ-mental techni-cian for a large mul t inat iona l engineering and environmental consulting firm.In 2007, she

joined eDI as an aquatic biologist. She soon pro-gressed in her career at eDi to become a Project Man-ager for Major Projects such as pipeline environmental assessments. in 2010, she became an owner of eDI.Van de Vosse loves liv-

ing and working in Prince George because of the life-style it offers – first-rate hik-ing and fishing within min-utes of the city, and virtually no traffic congestion.She said eDI strives to

strike a balance between envi-ronmental re-quirements for future genera-tions as well as industry’s needs.“That’s where

we fit in, that’s our niche,” she said. “We’ve developed prac-tical solutions

that help industry do what they need to do but at the same time make sure the environment is protected for future generations.”

han

na v

an

De

vo

Se Hanna Van de VosseTITLe: Managing PartnerCOMPANY: EDI Environmental Dynamics Inc.AGe: 36

“Opportunity

doesn’t always look

like opportunity.

”

“In business, if you’re not

striving, you’re dying.

”



Owning and operating a hair salon is no easy task, but for Shannon Wright it comes naturally.Originally from Houston,

B.C., Wright grew up in the indus-try, and first went to work for her mom, also a stylist, at the age of 14.At first

Wright was just answering the phone, but it progressed from there and pretty soon even her friends were call-ing on her to fix their hair.Although she runs a busi-

ness, at the end of the day Wright loves to watch the

transformation that takes place in someone who loves their new hair style.“I love seeing the trans-

formations [in people] and I love see-ing my clients and my team on a daily basis,” said Wright, owner of The Pepper Tree Hair Stu-dio in Prince George’s coast inn of the north.

Although Wright grew up in the hairdressing indus-try, she pursued formal training at the interior Academy for Hairdressing in Kamloops and Ms. Lo-reas College of esthetics in Prince George. She is a

hairdresser, esthetician, barber and licenced co-lour educator.Wright bought The Pep-

per Tree Studio in 2007, and became the first First Nations person to have a business in the Coast Inn. In addition to being a Gitxsan Hereditary Chief, Wright has been very ac-tive in Prince George’s community, donating her time at the local Big Broth-ers and Big Sisters.What’s the key to her suc-

cess in an ever-changing and competitive industry? A top-notch team.“I think it’s having a good

team that you can trust, that can help run the busi-ness.”

Shan

non

wri

Gh

T Shannon WrightTITLe: Stylist, Owner/OperatorCOMPANY: The Pepper Tree Hair Studio Inc.AGe: 32

“I love

seeing the transformations

[in people].

”

Adele Yakemchuk’s pas-sion is helping small and medium-sized businesses “fill in the gaps.”As Manager of Consulting

at the Business Develop-ment Bank of Canada in Prince George, Yakemchuk helps businesses through-out northern B.C. track down top-notch consul-tants that help enterprises improve everything from workplace health and safe-ty plans to iT systems.As rewarding as it is to see

the businesses she works with grow, Yakemchuk said that, at the end of the day, it’s the people that she gets to work with that get her out of bed every morning.“The people, that’s what

makes it for me,” Yakem-chuk said. “99% of my cli-ents are amazing people.”

Yakemchuk grew up in Cache Creek and moved to Prince George 10 years ago to attend the Univer-sity of Northern British Columbia. After graduating in 2001 with a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance and Marketing, she pursued job opportunities with banks, which she saw as a “finish-ing school” for business students.The Business

Development Bank of Cana-da, a Federal Crown Cor-poration with more than 100 offices across the country, then hired her for a custom-er service role. In the last 10 years, the bank has allowed her to grow from an entry-

level position to a Manager of Consulting; along the way providing her with op-portunities to dabble in underwriting and business development, among other roles.Yakemchuk said the Busi-

ness Development Bank has provided her with many opportunities to grow her career right here in north-ern B.c., and although

she’s found suc-cess at an early age, she’s also learned an im-portant lesson or two about business.“Don’t take life

so seriously,” she said. “i caused myself a lot of stress early on trying to be perfect and perfection isn’t achievable.”

Adele YakemchukTITLe: Manager, ConsultingCOMPANY: Business Development Bank of CanadaAGe: 34

“My clients

are amazing people.

”

ade

le y

ak

eMch

Uk


Leaders aren’t just born… They’re developed

Bill QuinnTel: 250-964-6420Mobile: [email protected]

You too can move from manager to leader

• Improve your communication• Enhance your leadership abilities• Move forward with confidence• Increase your self esteem• Advance your team

Congratulations nominees, on your leadership accomplishments

250-562-2454 www.pgchamber.bc.ca

PG Showcase ToursA service o�ered to both Employers in Prince George and anyone wanting to visit PG to investigate opportunities and work

Call our o�ce and book a tour for $80 and we take care of the rest: vehicle shuttle to and from any point in Prince George

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Top 40 under 40 2013