Meet the Members of the Women in APEGA Advisory Group
The Women in APEGA Advisory Group comprises representatives from across the province who work in academia and industry. This dedicated group meets regularly to assess APEGA's diversity initiatives and discuss other organizations' successful strategies.
Professional Members
Heather Kennedy, P.Eng., FCAE
Chair
Heather Kennedy is proud to have been an engineer for more than 40 years. She believes that creating the right climate for young women to see engineering for the world-changing career that it can be and supporting women engineers as they embark on and have rewarding careers will make the engineering and geoscience field and our country better. Like many of us, she is learning about diversity and inclusion and how to be a better leader, partner, and global citizen.
Heather has had a diverse career in the resource sector with executive roles at Suncor Energy and the Alberta Energy Regulator and an extended secondment to the Government of Alberta. Heather is currently a corporate director and continues to contribute to not-for-profit and community-based organizations, as she has done for the past 30 years.
Lisa Hall, P.Eng.
Vice Chair
Lisa Hall started her advocacy for industry inclusivity as a University of Alberta student, on the very first Women in Engineering Dean's Task Force. As a working professional, her passion grew as she advocated for the Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Science, and Technology (WISEST) program, promoting it for Northern Alberta students. But she feels one of her biggest impacts has been through judging APEGA science fairs, volunteering for Science Nights, and supporting and mentoring girls and young women who are considering a science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) career—by touring them through her facilities, showing them options in a variety of STEM trades and professions, discussing their goals, and supporting their ambitions.
Lisa graduated with a B.Sc. in chemical engineering specializing in computer process control at the University of Alberta, and she has extensive technical and management experience in the pulp manufacturing sector through roles in leadership, operations, engineering, and capital projects. Throughout her career in the pulp industry, she has advocated for and seen change as diversity and inclusion initiatives have modified the industry’s approach to networking and career growth.
Lisa is excited to be involved with the Women in APEGA Advisory Group. She knows that real change requires hard work, advocacy, and education to foster active participation. Lisa believes it's important to keep moving the goalposts forward on this continuous journey.
Edie Bates, P.Eng., MBA, PMP, CCP
Member-at-Large
Edie Bates is the director of integrity execution at Enbridge, where she has dedicated over 25 years to various technical and leadership roles in engineering, project management, construction, controls, safety and reliability, and supply chain. As a professional engineer and executive leader, Edie is passionate about fostering opportunities and inclusion for women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
Throughout her career, Edie has been a mentor and advocate, passionate about inspiring the next generation of leaders. She has chaired Enbridge’s FEMINEN employee resource group and United Way campaign. She also volunteers with 1000Women4STEM, WISEST, and the APEGA Science Olympics. She is dedicated to supporting the development and retention of female talent and fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion within the industry and society.
John Cockbill, P.Geol.
Member-at-Large
John Cockbill graduated from the University of Calgary with a bachelor of science in geology. Following graduation, he developed his technical skills and operations experience with a junior E&P in Calgary, prior to moving to Shell in 2013. John has over 18 years of experience in technical and leadership roles supporting development of shale gas and coalbed methane. He is currently the groundbirch development manager for Shell in Calgary and proud to be a part of the value chain supporting LNG Canada.
Having the privilege to be a part of diverse and inclusive teams, John has been strongly influenced by his experiences and the relationships he’s built. He is passionate about championing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) efforts and providing equal opportunities for all individuals to thrive. He is an active member of the Shell EDI council and is excited for the next step in his personal growth journey supporting the Women in APEGA Advisory Group in advancing its objectives.
Meghan Drever
Member-at-Large
Meghan Drever graduated from the University of Alberta’s mechanical engineering program in 2020. She went on to work in manufacturing and transportation as an engineer-in-training. In fall 2023, she began a two-year bachelor of education at the University of Alberta. Following graduation, she hopes to enhance the instruction of science and math in secondary schools by making technical subjects more tangible for students. Meghan is driven to inspire young female students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and to improve how women are valued in STEM spaces.
Meghan looks forward to joining the Women in APEGA Advisory Group and pursuing equity, diversity, and inclusion advancement within the province. Meghan is an avid volunteer in her community, volunteering with Classrooms Without Walls, a Canadian organization that provides children without access to local education with an online classroom to continue learning.
Raman Gill, P.Eng.
Member-at-Large
Raman Gill is a chemical engineer with nine years of experience in the upstream oil and gas industry and management consulting. Her career has spanned various roles including reservoir engineering, project management, and business development. Currently, she serves as vice president of corporate development at Apar Energy, a private oil and gas company based in Calgary. As well, she is pursuing a dual MBA at Cornell University and Queen's University.
Raman is passionate about advancing women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), energy, and business. She has actively supported this mission through her involvement over the years with organizations such as the STEM Innovation Academy, Young Women in Energy, and the Calgary Petroleum Club. From 2019 to 2023, she founded and led a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering young girls to explore diverse opportunities in STEM while fostering leadership and business acumen skills from an early age. Raman has been committed to creating opportunities for young women to explore and thrive in these fields and is looking forward to continuing this important work with the Women in APEGA Advisory Group.
Erin James, P.Eng.
Member-at-Large
Erin graduated with a B.Sc. in mechanical engineering from the University of Saskatchewan in 2000. Since then, Erin has refined her technical and management experience with various roles serving many industries through a process automation lens. She currently leads a business unit for Spartan Controls, serving industrial customers across Western Canada.
Erin has had a passion for encouraging women and girls to enter science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields since her university days leading the College of Engineering’s Science Outreach program. It was then that she first realized the need and potential to develop an interest in STEM within girls at an early age to then attract them to related careers after high school. Throughout her career, she has continued to advocate for opportunities for women’s advancement in STEM fields and believes strongly in the benefits that creating inclusive and diverse work cultures will achieve for the health and longevity of any organization.
Nancy Manchak, P.Eng.
Member-at-Large
Nancy Manchak has diverse energy sector work experience in project management, pipeline integrity, and operations. She has a B.Sc. in materials engineering from the University of Alberta and a master of earth and energy resources leadership from Queen’s University. Her master's research focused on the evolution of social licence and stakeholder engagement in the Canadian oil and natural gas sectors.
With more than twelve years of volunteer leadership experience, Nancy is passionate about building community, whether that be in her profession as an engineer, with her alma mater, or through advancing diversity and inclusion in the STEM fields. Nancy is a publicly elected University of Alberta senator and advisory board member for WISEST (Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Science, and Technology).
She also volunteers with her community league, the 2022 International Pipeline Conference Organizing Committee, and YPAC (Young Pipeliners Association of Canada). Nancy previously volunteered on the leadership committee for the Enbridge FEMINEN (Females in Engineering) Employee Resource Group, where she supported the organization’s growth beyond the Edmonton region. As a member of the Women in APEGA Advisory Group, Nancy is looking forward to advancing initiatives to attract, engage, and retain women in the engineering and geoscience professions.
Rana Mandour, P.Eng.
Member-at-Large
Rana Mandour attained her B.Sc. in civil engineering with an environmental engineering option from the University of Alberta in 2018. She is currently a project engineer for the Solid Waste Management Practice at Tetra Tech in Edmonton.
Rana values her community. She takes on organization and leadership roles at work and through volunteering. One example is her past roles at DiscoverE: a student-led initiative at the University of Alberta's Faculty of Engineering that delivers STEM-focused classroom workshops, clubs, events, and summer camps across Western Canada and the Northwest Territories. DiscoverE kick-started her interest and passion for increasing the number of girls and women in STEM. Since then, Rana’s goal has been to continue normalizing having women and girls in STEM fields, and to be someone who can share her experiences and provide mentorship to others as she was fortunate enough to have that opportunity herself.
Jacqui
Mmono, E.I.T.
Member-at-Large
Jacqui Mmono is a process engineer-in-training with a bachelor of science in chemical engineering from Queen’s University (2010) and has nearly eight years of experience in the oil and gas industry. She has contributed to various projects, including facility expansions, upgrades, and tie-ins, all while pursuing a passion for the fitness industry. This has allowed her to focus on what she loves most: inspiring and empowering people from all backgrounds to lead healthy and fulfilling lives. As well, Jacqui is deeply committed to empowering women, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. She strives to serve as a role model, demonstrating that women and the minorities can thrive and succeed in these industries.
Jacqui is excited to be a part of the Women in APEGA Advisory Group, where she can contribute to shaping the future of women in engineering. This role allows her to actively engage with others who share the same passion for creating a more inclusive and supportive environment for women in STEM. She looks forward to fostering discussions, supporting new initiatives, and providing guidance to women pursing careers in STEM fields.
Connor Scheu, P.Eng. (he/him)
Member-at-Large
Connor Scheu is a renewable energy engineer who has experience with energy transition and international development projects across six continents.
Connor is a Métis engineer and member of the Engineers Canada Indigenous Advisory Committee (formerly the Equitable Participation in Engineering Committee). Connor is a passionate champion of allyship and intersectionality within professional inclusion initiatives. Connor strives to support inclusion at the workplace, provincial, and national levels. His hope is to help engineers take a leadership role and leverage their ethic of societal service to advance gender parity on all fronts.
Mandy Williams, P.Geol.
Member-at-Large
Mandy Williams has worked as a geologist since graduating from the University of Alberta in 2004. She currently sits on the board of the Alberta Women’s Science Network and in 2014, she co-founded GeoWomen of Calgary, an organization committed to advancing women working in the geoscience professions in Calgary. In 2022, she was featured in an ePEG article, A Blocked Pipeline to Success: Changing the Female Geoscientist Experience.
Mandy is a senior-level geologist in the oil and gas industry with expertise in both clastic and carbonate exploration and development. Her experience covers conventional and unconventional reservoirs within the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin and the Williston Basin.