IPAC & CESBC - New Professionals & Students Speed Mentoring Event

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When: November 26, 2019

Event format: Speed mentoring targeted towards new professionals and students. Participants will have the chance to speak with three mentors during the speed mentoring rotations. There will also be other casual opportunities for networking.

Event Schedule : 

5:15 PM Registration/networking

5:45-6:00 PM opening remarks and introductions

6:00-7:15 PM speed mentoring

7:15-7:30 PM networking

SPACE IS LIMITED! Registration will be closed when we reach max. number of registrants.

IPAC Vancouver and CESBC operate on a cost-recovery basis for events. While we cannot refund tickets, you can transfer tickets to another person

Where: Alma VanDusen Room, Vancouver Public Library, 350 W. Georgia St, Vancouver, BC 6B 6B3

Mentor Bios

Eva Lewis

Eva is a program coordinator with Arts and Social Sciences Co-op at Simon Fraser University.  The focus of her role is working with Masters students in Public Policy, International Studies and Urban Studies, and engaging with a diverse range of organizations representing government, not for profits, research institutes, professional associations and businesses to develop valuable Co-op work opportunities for students.

Eva also works with the School of Public Policy, based at SFU Vancouver, on alumni and community engagement initiatives and events.  Most recently, she has become involved in project work with SFU’s Government Relations department in developing partnership opportunities with federal and BC government departments related to work integrated learning (WIL) and student and new graduate recruitment.

Prior to joining SFU, Eva worked as an Associate with a strategic communications firm in Vancouver.

Hiking, trail running and yoga are some of Eva’s favorite activities, as well as improv comedy, spoken word poetry and going to international film festivals. 

Table Topic: How to Have a Great Interview.

Joni Rose

Joni Rose has over 20 years of experience in adult education, human resources, employee training, career development and program management. Prior to starting with the BC government in 2009 as the WelcomeBC Training Manager, she developed, administered and led training programs for the Surrey School Board, Douglas College and The University of BC. She has worked as a Co-operative Education Coordinator for both SFU and Kwantlen. In addition, she has been a career coach and writes/consults on employee training and development. Her current role as the Senior Program Advisor focused on skilled immigrant programming to help skilled immigrants find employment that is commensurate with their pre-arrival skills and training.

Table Topic: Government recruitment process and work style.

Janene Erickson

Janene is Nak'azdli Whut'en, of Dakelh First Nation in northern BC and honoured to be an adopted member of the Takaya Wolf Clan, First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) family.

Over the past seven years, Janene has worked in the CEO's office to support the implementation of a new health governance partnership between BC First Nations, the province of BC, and the government of Canada which included the successful transfer of federal health services to BC First Nations control. This work, a first for Canada, led to the formation of the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA), an institution created by First Nations people for First Nations people. Working to change 'the system' from sickness to wellness, the FNHA champions a holistic and traditional perspective of health and wellness that acknowledges and includes an individual’s physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.

As a 'customer-owner', she proudly serves First Nations people through her role in Partnership Development and Projects at the First Nations Health Authority. She has been appointed to the board of the new BC College of Nursing Professionals and sits on the Inquiry Committee of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC. She brings her energy as a First Nations Wellness Champion to the work - her accomplishments, including Boston and Ironman are empowered and inspired by her parents. Janene also brings her lived experiences, the teachings she's learned and the education she's earned through a Masters in Public Health from UBC and strives to do her work with an open heart and open mind.

Table Topic: Incorporating wellness in the workplace through a First Nations Perspective of Health and Wellness. Supporting a ‘wholistic’ approach to employee wellness, retention, personal development and team building.

Alycia Fridkin

Alycia Fridkin is an Urban Health Planner with the City of Vancouver’s Social Policy & Projects team. Most recently she worked as a Policy & Research Analyst in Indigenous Health at the Provincial Health Services Authority, and as a Senior Policy Officer for the First Nations Health Authority. She holds a PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of British Columbia, focused on the meaningful involvement of Indigenous people in health policy decision-making, and a Masters of Health Science in Public Health from the University of Toronto. Alycia identifies as a Jewish Queer White Settler who lives in the West End of Vancouver on the unceded territory of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.

Table Topic: Successfully utilizing your academic and research skills in a government workplace.

Katie Skelton

Katie is Anishinaabe and member of Henvey Inlet First Nation. She is proud to be an adopted member of the Tak'aya Wolf Clan, First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) family.

Growing up as an Urban First Nation in the Greater Toronto Area, Katie now considers herself a guest on the unceded and traditional territories of the Coast Salish peoples - sḵwx̱wú7mesh úxwumixw (Squamish), sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh), and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) nations.

Katie proudly serves First Nations people through her role in Partnership Development and Projects at the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA). As part of the CEO’s office, Katie directly supports the implementation of a health governance partnership between BC First Nations, the province of BC, and the government of Canada. This health governance partnership, led to the formation of the FNHA, an institution created by First Nations people for First Nations people. Along with her team, Katie works with partners to change 'the system' from sickness to wellness, while championing a holistic and traditional perspective of health and wellness. Katie also serves as a public board member on the BC College of Pharmacists which regulates pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and the pharmacies where they practice.

Katie brings her energy as a young mother of two, who is consistently encouraged by the vibrancy of the culture that surrounds her as motivation to champion change for the next seven generations.

Table Topic: Championing and incorporating Cultural Safety & Humility in your work and workplace. 

Jennica Nichols

Jennica Nichols has an undergrad degree in molecular biology and biotechnology (BSc, University of Waterloo). She did quality improvement and health promotion for two years before getting a master’s degree in epidemiology and global health (MPH, University of Toronto). Jennica spent 5 years working as an evaluator – first at a hospital-based evaluation consulting firm and then a national health charity. During this time, she earned her Credentialed Evaluator designation and co-owned a research-informed theatre company. 

Professionally, Jennica is passionate about using evaluation for ongoing learning, respectful research, and health solutions that meaningfully involve the intended end users. Jennica believes being a researcher and evaluator is an incredible privilege and she works towards using the power it affords her to advocate for these things. Since 2016, Jennica has been working towards her PhD at UBC (Interdisciplinary Studies). Her research involves advancing methodologies and creating tools to do integrated knowledge translation better. Jennica started doing some evaluation consulting in BC in 2017 - mainly strategic planning, arts-based data collection and impact evaluations. Some things she likes to nerd out on include evolution, measurement, space, arts-based research, sustainability, viruses, complexity theory and data science.