Ontario Construction News staff writer
Here are the 2020-21 executive and Board of Directors members for the Canadian Association of Women in Construction (CAWIC).
In a statement, CAWIC says: “These women are all strong leaders within the construction industry and seek to provide guidance through leadership, mentorship and community and look forward to their term with CAWIC in supporting #WomenInConstruction.”
President: Luana Buratynski
CAWIC president Luana Buratynski is responsible for technical sales and business development at Northern Facades Ltd., a division of Flynn Group of Companie. She has served on the association’s board of directors since 2017.
“Completing her first three years as the CAWIC Special Events Director, Luana has executed several successful events through the recruitment of new members, forming functional working committees and sourcing sponsors in the process,” CAWIC’s statement said.
At Northern Facades, Buratynski works with clients across North America providing solutions for fabricated architectural panel systems, specializing in the building envelope, exterior wall cladding industry. Her career has over 10 years experience in the ICI sector.
Vice-president: Acacia Ashick
CAWIC vice-president Acacia Ashick is a project co-ordinator at Urbacon, a Toronto-based commercial general contractor She has has been a member of the Urbacon project management team over the last two years “and continues to learn and embrace her journey as an emerging construction professional on site and in the office,” the statement says.
She has supported CAWIC since 2018 as a member and volunteer. In February, Ashick became the CAWIC director of marketing, where she increased the social media engagement by more than 200 per cent.
“Acacia looks forward to her new role as elected CAWIC vice-president in seeking to dissolve the gender imbalance in the industry and empower young women to pursue career paths in construction using CAWIC as a gateway for mentorship, opportunity and inspiration,” the statement said.
Treasurer: Munjyot Jaswal
CAWIC treasurer Munjyot Jaswal (MJ) is the director of operations and strategy at Wooden Panda Inc., a digital marketing agency, providing services in branding, marketing strategy, and marketing solutions.
She had previously worked in the real estate/development and construction industry for the past five years, “where she was able to gain insightful experience in both managing the finances for large scale residential and commercial projects as well as the financial operations of these companies,” the statement says.
“This experience had allowed Munjyot to marry two of her passions: construction and finance to provide value by leading collaborative and innovative finance teams in the industry. MJ is a proud supporter of women in construction and looks forward to bringing insightful financial leadership to the CAWIC board and members.”
Secretary: Laura Krische
CAWIC secretary Laura Krische is a project co-ordinator for the City of Toronto – Parks Forestry and Recreation-Park Development Capital Projects.
“With over 15 years of experience beginning as a junior estimator for a site services and landscape, Laura worked for the private sector on many projects including large municipal parks and golf courses across Ontario,” CAWIC says in its statement.
“Prior to her current position, Laura was a project co-ordinator for Melloul-Blamey construction in Waterloo and also gained valuable site experience working as a field engineer and assistant site supervisor for PCL Toronto. There, “Laura delivered a 10MW solar farm project in Rigetown; with a strong contracting team. Laura believes knowledge is power and the more we learn and share makes us that much stronger as women in construction.”
Director of Special Events and Programming: Kristina Slonova
Kristina Slonova works as business development leader for Zurich Insurance Company Ltd. She has over 10 years of experience working in the construction professional services field.
“Most recently, Kristina worked in the contract surety business unit where she managed a portfolio of midmarket construction customers to determine their surety program needs and provide solutions to her clients,” the statement says. “She has been an active member of CAWIC since 2014 and has been a volunteer with the CAWIC Special Events Committee since 2018. Kristina is a strong advocate of the advancement of women in construction and surety industries.”
Director of Mentorship: Katherine Thornton
Membership director Katherine Thornton, is an associate, construction lawyer at Glaholt Bowles LLP. She joined the practice as an associate in 2019 after summering and articling at the firm.
“Katherine has assisted clients from large scale infrastructure projects to home renovations,” CAWIC says. “Katherine’s experience includes undertaking legal research, drafting pleadings, preparing written submissions and reports, coordinating documentary discovery, negotiating settlements, and attending court on motions and case conferences.
“During law school, Katherine received the course prize in Construction Law. While a law student, Katherine provided pro bono litigation services to low-income residents and she represented clients at the Landlord and Tenant Board and the Social Benefits Tribunal.”
Director of Community Outreach: Leah Traviss
Leah Traviss is employed as a project manager at PCL Construction. She has 12 years of experience in the ICI sector and has been involved in many projects varying in size and complexity, including new construction, retail renovations and interior fit-outs.
Before joining PCL in 2012, Traviss worked with Vanbots/Carillion and interiors builder Govan Brown.
“Leah is an active member of the Toronto Construction Association’s Young Construction Leaders (YCL) group and held a position on the YCL Committee from 2013 to 2017. In recognition of her success in recruiting new members, Leah was awarded the TCA’s Matt Stainton Top Gun Award (2009). Leah has participated in hosting seminars for Construct Canada focused on mentorship and recruitment/retention of women in Canada’s construction industry.”
Director at Large: Lora Ferrazzo-Bourck
Lora Ferrazzo, managing partner, Artistic Skylight, has been “a driving force behind the company’s growth for almost 25 years,” CAWIC says. “Focused on innovation and business growth, she lead this niche business into the international market and saw the rise in the company’s global reach.
“Accompanied by the Artistic Skylight grow and gain brand recognition in its industry, Lora was recognized by the International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants Southern Ontario Chapter with the “Outstanding Volunteer Award”, and invited to be part of the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force for IIBEC International. Lora’s background and knowledge has enabled her to be a strong proactive female advocate in the construction, manufacturing and exporting industries.”
Director of Industry Relations: Trudy Case
CAWIC Director of Industry Relations Trudy Case, is a project manager at Ground Force Environmental, a GFL Company. She manages various types of environmental remediation projects including spill response, insitu remediation, water treatment, drilling, soil remediation and demolition. “She has over 15 years of experience in the construction industry including estimating, scheduling, cost control and project management,”
CAWIC says Case is very passionate about: leadership – being a strong and successful leader, mentorship – help women create successful careers in construction, community – giving back. Trudy believes her experiences in her professional life and within the construction industry make her a valuable addition to the CAWIC Board of Directors and also makes her a strong role model for her son and daughter at home.”