 Mira Laurence is a Sports Anchor / Sports Reporter. A big microphone, some headphones and the chance to talk about Hotdogs on the radio! That was all it took to sell Mira on a career in the broadcasting business. Mira started voicing radio commercials at a young age for her family owned radio station in Yorkton, Saskatchewan. When Mira learned of the opportunity to be part of the start-up of a new station on Vancouver Island, she made the move out west. She’s been part of the ‘A’ News family since the launch of the station. She says her favourite part of her job is being at local sporting events and connecting with the local sports community and athletes. She considers it an honour to share their stories with ‘A’ News viewers. When Mira’s not at work, you may spot her thrashing in the bushes on a local golf course trying to retrieve her lost tee shots. Mira just completed the 2010 Tour de Rock. 1100 km Ride down Vancouver Island raising money for paediatric cancer research. |
 Laura Nashman joined the British Columbia Pension Corporation in December 2008 as Chief Executive Officer. Laura is an accomplished public sector leader with prior experience at Provincial and Municipal levels of government in Ontario. Before joining the BC Pension Corporation Laura was the Commissioner of Employee and Business Services at the Region of Peel, a large municipality in the Greater Toronto area. Laura brings a fresh leadership style and is known to inspire positive change in other people and in organizations. She is currently leading a large scale organizational change program at BC Pension Corporation aimed at rebuilding and retooling many of the core business functions. Laura has been a mentor for other women leaders and those looking for guidance and direction early in their career. She holds a Master of Industrial Relations degree from the University of Toronto. |
 Michele Shorter is the driving force behind Body Dynamics and the Bootcamp fitness training program. She has been in the fitness industry for over 15 years, and certified personal trainer with American Council of Exercise (ACE), BCRPA Strength and Group Trainer and as a Sports Nutrition Specialist. In 1997 she created Body Dynamics Bootcamp – Victoria’s first Bootcamp-style fitness program. She is certified in pre and post-natal fitness and developed Victoria’s first “Baby Bootcamp” – a program dedicated solely to new moms, or soon-to-be moms. Her role at BDHQ includes Cheerleader and loves working with the community to help make Victoria the fittest city in Canada! |
 Marcia McNeil practises in the areas of labour, employment and human rights law in the private and public sectors, particularly municipalities, police services boards and high-tech companies. She has frequently appeared before British Columbia’s Supreme Court and Court of Appeal, as well as before administrative tribunals, including the provincial and federal Human RightsTribunal, labour arbitrators and the B.C. Labour Relations Board. Marcia practised law at the B.C. Labour Relations Board and then Public Service Employee Relations Commission, where she provided advocacy and bargaining services to the provincial government. She later joined the Victoria-based boutique labour and employment firm of Fuller, Pearlman, McNeil. Prior to joining Heenan Blaikie in October 2009, Marcia was a partner in the Victoria office of another national law firm. Marcia is Chair of the B.C. Industry Training Appeal Board and Vice-Chair of the Community Care and Assisted Living Appeal Board of British Columbia |
 Suzanne Spence is Strategic Acquisitions Associate with Pacific Carbon Trust, responsible for sourcing credible, high-quality BC greenhouse gas offsets on behalf of our clients. Employing customized and innovative procurement methodologies, Suzanne engages with offset project developers as they progress from project concept and development to the sale of offsets to Pacific Carbon Trust. She brings to Pacific Carbon Trust a depth of professional public procurement and project management expertise, with a strong emphasis on sustainability. While serving with the Provincial Government, Suzanne was project manager for over 60 environmentally preferable procurement projects. Suzanne sits on the National Procurement Standards Advisory Council and is an enthusiastic member of PCT’s Green Team. In her free time, Suzanne enjoys spending time with family, friends and her retired racing greyhound. She looks forward to her annual vacation adventures which include exploring North America by motorcycle. |
 Lise Gyorkos originally planned to pursue careers in design or music by attending both Mount St. Vincent University and the International Academy of Design. However, after attending university, Lise discovered her love of publishing when working for her father’s publishing company, Metro Guide Publishing based in Halifax. Lise moved to Victoria in 1993 with her husband and worked as a production manager for Key Pacific Publishers, where she gained invaluable knowledge on the running of a large publishing company, building a strong foundation for establishing her own business. When Key Pacific closed in 1998, she took the opportunity, along with her present business partner, Georgina Camilleri, to form her own publishing company called Page One Publishing. After 12 years, they have grown into a full service publishing company, continue to publish thirteen contract publications, and have developed their own award-winning magazines: Douglas, Victoria’s business magazine, and their newest, YAM, Victoria’s favourite lifestyle magazine. In April of this year, Page One Publishing was awarded “Business Leader of the Year” at the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce Business Awards. |
 Heidi Worthington is a seasoned marketing and advertising professional who has recently called Victoria home. She honed her marketing skills working with the consumer goods giant Unilever, where she developed breakthrough marketing programs for brands such as Dove, Becel, Knorr and Sunlight. Heidi began her career in Toronto after completing her degrees in Montreal (BComm, McGill) and in Europe (MA, KUL). Always keen for a new challenge, she accepted a transfer to Unilever’s European offices where she spent over 10 years working with Global Brand teams from every corner of the world. Returning back to her Canadian roots, Heidi is now applying her expertise as the Marketing Director with the Victoria Conservatory of Music. Together with the new CEO and management team, she is helping to transform the VCM into a vibrant centre for music education and performance. Heidi is passionate about music, especially the positive impact it has on children, seniors, and the cultural lives of all members of our community. Originally raised in Ontario, Heidi loves the West Coast life. She’s hoping that her work at the VCM will, in some way, help keep it the best place to live in the world! |
 Diana Syrotuck has worked with information technologies since 1979. Much of that time has been devoted to managing projects and specializing in Implementation Services. She has extensive experience in the design and implementation of digital spatial procedures and systems. Diana also has considerable experience in Project Management / Lead, Service Level Management, Application Management processes and Implementation, data conversion, training, and HelpDesk services. Most recently she has focused on Software Testing and project level Quality Assurance processes. Diana has also contributed to internal Sierra processes such as social committees, peer mentoring, and as a Career Advisor to other Sierra employees. |
 Donna Dangerfield joined KPMG Victoria as a senior manager in Tax in September 2008 after working more than 10 years in a mid-size accounting firm in Vancouver. Having grown up in Victoria, the call back to the island lifestyle was an easy decision as an ideal location to raise a family. Her primary areas of expertise revolve around personal tax, trust, succession and estate planning for private companies and individuals. Assisting family members in dealing with tax planning and compliance issues surrounding the death of a loved one provides her with some of the more challenging and rewarding aspects of her work. Now that Donna and her husband are the proud parents of a very energetic toddler, finding time to pursue interests outside of work that don’t involve a component of “play time” is hampered but she still enjoys the odd hour cultivating her love of reading, especially the mystery genre. |
