Directors

Vanessa Werden

President

Vanessa is a construction lawyer at Jenkins Marzban Logan LLP in Vancouver. Her clients include contractors, developers, trades and suppliers. She regularly advises clients on contracts (including CCDC and MMCD standard forms), builders liens, unpaid invoices, delays and cost overruns.

Vanessa was the Secretary on the CCW Board of Directors in 2015 and 2016 and VP in 2017 and 2018. Her overall goal is to assist CCW with its mission of increasing women’s representation in the industry.

president@constructionwomen.org

Kate Kirwan

Vice President

Kate is the Virtual Design and Construction Manager for Turner Construction Company in Canada. She has an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Architectural Technology from Dublin Institute of Technology and is an Autodesk Certified Professional, concentrating on innovative technology, 3D construction design and 4D animation. She is a recognised certified professional in BIM (building information modeling), holding a certificate of management from The Association of General Contractors of America.

Kate is involved in all stages of construction, from creating animated videos at project pursuit stage through to developing as built drawings at project close out.

In the past few years, Kate has mentored numerous BCIT design students along with high school students through her involvement with the Green Bricks organisation. Kate has presented on VDC topics at BuildEX, for BIMbc and at numerous LCI (Lean Construction Institute) – Canada conferences. She advocates for the use of building information modelling (BIM) in the construction industry and is involved with numerous BIM groups.

Kate has been involved in Canadian Construction Women since 2011 and has been Programs Director since September 2014.

vp@constructionwomen.org

Stacie Crane

Treasurer

Stacie Crane is an Assistant Project Manager with several years of experience in design, construction and operations in industries ranging from renewable energy, transportation and buildings. Professionally she is passionate about fulfilling the project life cycle and assisting the team in reaching the project objectives; personally she likes to travel, be outdoors and volunteer. She is a firm believer that volunteering is good for the soul and she’s excited to be doing so for an organization that embodies empowerment, inspiration and support for women.

treasurer@constructionwomen.org

Lucie Taragos

Secretary

A newcomer to the Construction industry Lucie is currently the Brand and Communications Coordinator at ETRO Construction.

Throughout the past few months she’s been assisting the CCW with Social Media communication, using her storytelling skills to share the CCW’s message. By joining this year’s Board of Directors she set out to soak up as much knowledge as possible about our industry.

She brings with her 5+ years of leadership experience and a fresh outlook on how to bring women together.

Lucie’s an advocate for mental health and equality within the workplace.

secretary@contructionwomen.org

Shuwen Ma

Director of Programs

Shuwen Ma graduated from the University of Florida with a Master of Building Construction degree in 2011. She has a certificate of management in BIM (Building Information Modeling) from The Association of General Contractors of America.

Shuwen joined Canadian Turner Construction company as a VDC (Virtual Design in Construction) Coordinator since 2018. Prior to Vancouver, Shuwen worked with Turner Construction in Philadelphia and another GC in Miami. She has five-year demonstrated construction history across a variety of project types and she is passionate about the intersection of technology, design and construction. In her free time, she likes traveling, reading and hiking with Daha (her dog).

Shuwen is excited to join Canadian Construction Women and she is looking forward to promoting diverse events and activities throughout the year.

events@constructionwomen.org

Cindy Newman

Director of Sponsorship

Born and raised in Vancouver, Cindy has a deep interest in contributing to work and volunteer activities that positively impact our community and the built environment. She brings over 20 years’ experience in marketing, communications, and business development and has worked in the A/E/C industry for ten years. Cindy looks forward to collaborating with the CCW Board of Directors, our sponsors, and our members to help encourage and empower women in the construction industry.

In her spare time, Cindy enjoys traveling, exploring nature, taking long urban walks, and fitting in yoga and fitness wherever possible.

sponsorship@constructionwomen.org

Christy Nikel

Director of Membership

Christy is a Master Lean Black with 17 years of experience helping companies learn and implement effective problem-solving techniques. While she works with many industries, her passion lies with construction, where collaboration and efficiency directly impact the ability to deliver on time, with quality. In her free time, Christy enjoys gardening, cycling and singing loudly (and poorly). She is excited to join Canadian Construction Women and looks forward to serving as the Director of Membership.

membership@constructionwomen.org

Dara Wone

Director of Communications

With an educational background in business and architecture, Dara has been working in the AEC industry in various marketing and communication roles for over 10 years. In her current role as the Brand + Culture Builder at ETRO Construction, Dara works with the executive team to cultivate the future for the business and advocate for the employee experience every step of the way; building meaningful connections throughout the organization that optimize employee engagement, create culture champions, and seek every opportunity for the brand to live into its purpose and core values.

Dara also takes an active stance in elevating women in the construction industry, and being a voice for diversity and inclusion in the workplace. She believes in the work the CCW is doing to connect and empower women in the industry and hopes to shine a light on this work through her role as the Director of Communications.

communications@constructionwomen.org

Seema Lal

Director of Community

Seema Lal is a principal of SHK Law and is a member of the firm’s construction, insurance, commercial litigation and employment practices.

Her clients in the construction industry benefit from Seema’s focus on the negotiation and preparation of construction contracts, procurement issues, builders liens, disputes and construction litigation, including claims for extras and delay. Seema has acted as counsel in mediations and arbitrations, and has appeared before administrative tribunals and all levels of Court.

Seema is actively involved in the community and donates her time by participating on the Boards of a number of industry groups and non-profit organizations. She is excited to be able to assist the CCW in its mission of increasing women’s representation in the construction field.

community@constructionwomen.org

Kat Taylor

Director at Large

Kat graduated with a Bachelors of Engineering Degree in Civil Engineering in 2019.

She moved to Vancouver to begin her career at Canadian Turner Construction Company following her graduation. She is a project coordinator at Turner construction and has had the opportunity to work on many projects.

Kat is an energetic, motivated individual who is passionate about the construction industry. She feels accomplished when a project is completed and is able to take pride in the work she completes with her team.

Kat enjoys the outdoors, whether it be taking hikes in the mountains or relaxing on the beach with friends.

OUR DIRECTORS

CURRENT DIRECTORS