Meet these local communications industry leaders at our speed mentoring event March 15!
Crystal Wood
Crystal has more than a decade of communications expertise, and is accredited in public relations. She is the CEO of Crown Communications Consulting. She helps organizations achieve their business goals, live up to their values and take care of their people. Her current role combines internal engagement, change management and communications.
Shannon Berry
Shannon Berry is a marketing and communications professional. Her innovative PR events have made headlines across Canada and have helped elevate celebrity brands, local businesses, and non-profits in their fundraising efforts. Shannon also sits on the board for Wayfinders Business Cooperative, an organization that strives to provide high quality support and a Community of Practice for start ups, entrepreneurs, and small business.
In her personal life, Shannon is the proud mother to three children. Her experience as a mom has led her to be a voice for those that have trouble being
heard. As an activist and an ally, Shannon is currently preparing to be a candidate in the next provincial election. She is also a Grant MacEwan Alumni.
Kristin Ward Diaz
Kristin has fifteen years of public and non-profit sector leadership experience. She is known for her expertise in policy development, stakeholder relations, facilitation, public participation, community development, non-profit board governance and diversity and inclusion. Kristin strongly believes in the power of mentorship, talent and organizational stewardship.
Stephanie Gillis-Paulgaard
Stephanie is a dynamic and charismatic communications professional who brings a wealth of experience to every project she’s involved with. With a passion for strategic communications, corporate reputation management, public affairs, and media relations strategy, she has established herself as a respected leader in the industry. She’s a proud native of Cape Breton, and her east coast roots have played a key role in shaping her unique perspective and approach to her work.
With over 20 years of experience, Stephanie has seen it all and has worked in a variety of sectors, including Hospitality, Life Sciences, and Consumer Packaged Goods, for both public and private companies. Her diverse background and creativity have allowed her to provide clients with the insight and guidance they need to achieve their project objectives.
Stephanie’s enthusiasm for communications is matched by her love for health and fitness, culinary adventures, and travel. She is also deeply committed to giving back to her community and actively seeks out opportunities to support local initiatives and causes. With her energy and passion, Stephanie is a force to be reckoned with in the communications world and beyond.
Sheri Doyle
Sheri Doyle is the owner of Digital Owl Communications—a consulting business that works with boards, non-profits, crown corporations, elected officials and businesses on award-winning, cross-platform communications and storytelling.
With over 15 years of experience in the public sector, she has developed communications strategies for wildfire response, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Premier of Alberta, provincial budgets, and national marketing campaigns.
She is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal for her communications work and has served as Director of Marketing and Communications for LitFest, Associate Producer of YEGPodfest, and as board director for Digital Alberta.
Carina Ludgate
Carina is the founder and principal of Henryk Branding Co., an Edmonton-based company providing clients with creative, quality strategic brand building, marketing, and communications services. With nearly a decade of industry experience creating brands and effectively managing them, Carina has a reputation for producing high-quality work with optimized results. She is endlessly fascinated by the world of brand and loves seeing a client’s brand come to life.
Through Henryk Branding Co., Carina is fortunate to work with many diverse clients who all have one thing in common: they understand the importance of building a thoughtful, purposeful, and well-executed brand.
In addition to running her company, Carina is a sessional instructor at MacEwan University in their Bachelor of Communication Studies program. So far, her roster of courses includes media relations and advanced strategic communications.
Outside of brand building and teaching, Carina is passionate about fitness and wellness. As a lululemon Legacy Ambassador, Carina is often found engaging in some sort of physical activity in her spare time.
Carina holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Alberta, a Bachelor of Communications from MacEwan University, and is currently completing a Masters of Arts in Communications and Technology. Her Master’s thesis is focused on brand communication and its impact on brand loyalty.
Randy Brososky
Randy Brososky has been working in the broad fields of marketing, communications and branding for more than 25 years. Informed by his early experience as an actor, writer, director and producer for theatre, film and television, Randy has been crafting stories through various forms of media that connect with people on an emotional level.
With Parodos Communications, Randy has led dozens of comprehensive and award-winning marketing and communications projects for clients as diverse as Strathcona County, the City of Edmonton, the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation, Covenant Health, EPCOR, the University of Alberta, EndPovertyEdmonton, Basic Income Alberta, the Old Strathcona Business Association, the Business Link, the 124 Street Business Association, Stony Plain Road Business Association, and the Legal Education Society of Alberta.
Randy’s approach to communications is informed by behavioural economics, Moral Foundations Theory, and nudge marketing, as well as his experience with multimedia storytelling for diverse audiences. His experience has taught him the importance of knowing your audience and communicating your messages in their language, for persuasion and behavioural change.
Jacquie DuVal
Jacquie DuVal is a communications professional with 10 years of experience in the field. She has worked in a variety of sectors, including food and beverage and not-for-profit organizations. Jacquie’s favourite areas of public relations are media relations, writing, and strategic communications.
Sharmin Hislop, B.Sc., APR
Sharmin is the Director of Corporate Communications at Alberta Blue Cross and has been with the organization for over 23 years. She oversees the Corporate Communications department, provides strategic PR counsel and support to the executive team and is the company spokesperson. Her education includes a diploma in Public Relations from MacEwan University, a certificate in Operations Leadership from Queen’s University School of Business, a Project Management certificate from NAIT, a certificate in Leadership Development from the University of Alberta and she holds a Bachelor of Science with Specialization in Psychology from the U of A. She earned the globally-recognized APR (Accredited in Public Relations) designation from the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS). A former president and board member of the local society, she is very involved with the national CPRS board as a member of the CPRS National Accreditation Council and volunteers as a Canadian awards jury coordinator each year.
Ingrid Schifer
At the epicenter of sales, communications and technology, Ingrid thrives. Hailing from the corporate world, she crossed-over into the private sector armed with a passion to help businesses socialize, digitize and transform their online presence. Leading the pack at Schif And The City for over 12 years now, Ingrid has found a penchant for helping business owners with marketing and communications.
Amaya Daley
The ringmaster, navigator and firestarter all in one, Amaya Daley is a seasoned communications and public relations professional and the Managing Director of Formidable PR.
It’s her steadfast vision of combining effective and clever communications with best ethical practices that guide every project to hit target goals, and more.
Savannah Melnyk
Savannah Melnyk has over a decade of communications and marketing expertise, primarily in the health care sector. She is the Creative Director at Formidable Public Relations, an Edmonton-based agency specializing in public relations, communications strategy, media relations, DEI and, most importantly, measuring and evaluating. With an education in marketing, communications and accounting, tying pieces together and understanding business needs is her specialty. She is passionate about seeing businesses flourish and is the driving force behind her never-ending ideas.