Directory of Experts
Ashley Duncan
Co-chair, Build TogetHER BC
Topics: Women in trades
Bio: Ashley Duncan is vice-president of the International Association of Heat & Frost Insulators & Allied Workers Local 118. She is the Insulators’ first female VP in Canada. A Red Seal insulator, Duncan is a staunch proponent of the retention and advancement of women in the trades. In addition to co-chairing Build TogetHER, the women’s committee of the BC Building Trades, she is on the governance committee of the BC Centre for Women in the Trades.
Contact
Phone: 604-877-0909
Email:
[email protected]
Chelsea French
Co-chair, Build TogetHER BC
Topics: Women in trades
Bio: Chelsea French is a full-time commercial transportation mechanic, a shop steward, member of the occupational health & safety committee and shop first aid attendant. They’re also an active member of their union, the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 115. They are working toward creating change and support for 2SLGBTQQIA trades workers. They also advocate for maternity improvements and inclusive work spaces, with a focus on recruitment and retention.
Contact
Phone: 778-397-2220
Email:
[email protected]
Lee Loftus
WorkSafe BC board member, longtime advocate for an asbestos ban in Canada
Topics: Asbestos and workplace safety, sustainability and Just Transition
Bio: Lee Loftus is the former business manager for the International Association of Heat & Frost Insulators & Allied Workers Local 118 and the former president of the BC Building Trades Council. He is also a member on the Collaborating Researcher and Steering Committee for the Adapting Canadian Work and Workplaces Project. This project, an initiative through York University and Simon Fraser University, involves working across an international group to explore ways of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Loftus is also an active member of GreenJobs BC and the BC Federation of Labour’s Climate Action Working Group. Loftus has been a leading advocate for building retrofits as a way of creating green jobs and increasing energy efficiency in buildings.
Contact
Phone: 604-877-0909
Email:
[email protected]
Vicky Waldron
Executive Director, Construction Industry Rehabilitation Plan
Topics: Mental health, substance use, stigma, training, screening, treatment, building resiliency
Bio: Vicky Waldron has worked internationally leading program delivery for mental health and substance use services for a wide spectrum of populationss. She has developed programs and policies for both health authorities and the private sector working closely with high-profile industry leaders, CEOs and wealth-makers for over 15 years. With CIRP, Waldron is charged with developing and producing a new service delivery model that adequately meets the needs of the organized construction industry in British Columbia against the harsh backdrop of the opioid epidemic.
Contact
Phone: 604-521-8611; 1-888-521-8611
Email:
[email protected]
Kyle Downie
CEO, SkillPlan
Topics: Apprenticeships, workforce development, curriculum and instruction, essential skills
Bio: Kyle Downie has worked both internationally and nationally leading educational and workforce development teams, and developing and designing programming, instructing and mentoring for both private and public industries for more than 20 years. Currently, he is the CEO with SkillPlan, where he focuses on developing strategies to improve the skills of workers in the unionized construction industry in British Columbia and throughout Canada.
Contact
Phone: 604-436-1126 (ext. 102)
Email:
[email protected]
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