BOARD OF DIRECTORS

“As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands. One for helping yourself, the other for helping others.”
Audrey Hepburn

Volunteering is at the core of WCE’s beginnings and remains essential for the successful operation of the organization. We are grateful to have a phenomenal team of dedicated leaders from various technical backgrounds volunteering to serve the organization and advance its mission.

Chunpreet Sahota, MEng, P.Eng

Co-Chair
Structural | WSP

Chunpreet is a Structural Engineer at WSP in the Buildings group with over 12 years of experience in the engineering industry. Her focus is mainly on light industrial projects, however she has had the pleasure of working on a variety of projects including schools, cultural sites, transit and transportation, and government projects. Chunpreet is an active advocate at WSP and in the engineering community to curate spaces where all feel safe and welcome to bring their whole selves to everyday. She is specifically proud of the success that WCE has had in its first couple of years and cannot wait to see where this organization goes and the impact that it has on current and future engineers!

Kelsie Priest, P.Eng

Co-Chair
Structural | Glotman Simpson

Kelsie Priest is a Project Engineer at Glotman Simpson Consulting Engineers specializing in the structural design of concrete and wood-frame projects in British Columbia, Washington, and California. Kelsie graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of British Columbia in 2014. Since graduating, Kelsie has been actively engaged in the recruitment and retention of women in engineering through speaking to and mentoring University and High School aged women. She is proud to be a founding director of WCE to drive greater inclusion within the engineering community and connect women engineers with the support and resources they need to be successful in their careers.

Mikayla Morrey, P.ENG

Board Advisor
Structural | WSP

Mikayla Morrey is a structural Engineer-in-Training at WSP. Graduating from Queen’s University with a Bachelor of Applied Science in 2018, Mikayla started her career designing electrical substations and working on transmission and distribution projects for BC Hydro. After three years she switched industries to work with WSP in their buildings group. Mikayla has recently joined WSP’s Vancouver Diversity Committee as Programming Director and is excited to plan events that facilitate meaningful conversation and spark positive change. Mikayla’s passion for gender diversity and equity in engineering is what drives her in her role as Board Advisor at WCE. Being a founding Director for WCE is one of Mikayla’s proudest achievements as her work empowers and supports fellow women in industry.

Tracy Huynh, PE

Communications Director
Structural | RMI Carbon-Free Buildings

Tracy is a Senior Associate at RMI’s Carbon-Free Building Sector where she leverages her expertise in structural engineering, mass timber construction and Life Cycle Assessment analyses to support the team’s goals of reducing carbon embodied in building materials to meet rigorous climate standards. Before that, she worked in New York City as an engineer and project manager specializing in complex, freeform structures and mass timber buildings. She later moved to Vancouver, BC and led the research, development, and prototyping of prefabricated mass timber building components. She earned her B.Sc. Degree in Civil Engineering at Rice University and her M.Sc. Degree in Civil Engineering at Princeton University. She’s an avid defender for social and environmental justice and leverages her leadership to advocate for positive change. She is thrilled to join WCE as the Communications Director to continue supporting and empowering women.

NAZLI AZIMIKOR, P.ENG, PMP

Finance Director
Structural | Metro Vancouver

Nazli is a Structural Engineer with a passion for improving business processes in managing infrastructure. While practicing as a structural engineer, she worked on a variety of projects including high rise buildings, hospitals and dams. As a certified Lean Six Sigma and Change Management practitioner, Nazli has stepped into a Continuous Improvement supervisor role at Metro Vancouver Water Services. Nazli is an active advocate of women in STEM fields, acting as the events manager as part of BC Hydro’s Women Network and more recently as part of Metro Vancouver’s AWSTTEM (Advocates for Women in Science, Trades, Technology, Engineering and Math). She is thrilled to be joining WCE as the Finance Director and has lots of ideas for increasing engagement with the engineering community and adding to the value that WCE brings!

Amy Scott, EIT

Logistics Director
Structural Restoration | RJC Engineers

Amy is a Design Engineer at RJC Engineers with a focus on structural restoration and specialty structural engineering. Amy earned her Civil Engineering degree from the University of Victoria, where she co-founded a Seismic Design Team that travelled to San Diego to compete in an international competition shortly before COVID-19 halted travel. Since moving to Vancouver, Amy has become eager to connect with women in the industry and looks forward to providing opportunities for others. Outside of work, Amy has been part of the Girl Guides of Canada for most of her life and is now a leader for a unit of young girls who continually inspire her with their zest for learning and “sky’s the limit!” attitude.

Leona Smith, PMP

Membership Director
Head of Section, Senior Project Manager | COWI

Leona is the Head of Section and Senior Project Manager at COWI North America where she leads the Project Services group in Canada, supporting the project management of bridge, tunnel, and marine infrastructure projects. Leona earned her Materials Engineering degree from the University of Toronto and has a masters certificate in Project Management from the University of Victoria. Leona loves crosswords, running, and riding her e-bike on North Vancouver’s hilly streets. She’s excited to join WCE as Membership Director to continue to grow the organization, supporting and empowering women in engineering and increasing gender diversity and inclusion in our industry.

Neda Naderi, EIT

Mentorship Director
Structural | Weyerhaeuser

Neda is a Structural Engineer-In-Training with previous experiences working in the mass timber wood industry. She has been involved in educating engineers and contractors in connection design standards for tall wood buildings including participating in new research that assists in pushing the construction industry in a more sustainable direction. Neda earned her BASc degree in Civil Engineering and MEng in Structural and Earthquake from the University of British Columbia. She is an avid podcast listener especially about media analysis and Greek mythology. Neda is also passionate about empowering more women to join leadership roles. As Mentorship Director she is excited to help create a safe and accessible community where members can connect with each other and share their experiences.

Shahrzad Pedram, P.Eng

Outreach Director
Building Science | Stantec

Shahrzad is a Building Science Engineer at Stantec Consulting Ltd. With her background in building science and building enclosure engineering, she brings practical, constructible, and pragmatic solutions to new construction and existing building projects. Shahrzad earned her BASc degree in Civil Engineering from the University of British Columbia, and earned a MASc in Building Science Engineering from British Columbia Institute of Technology. She is currently a part-time faculty of BCIT’s Masters in Building Science Program, and serves on committees for Engineers & Geoscientists BC for Building Enclosure Engineering and Consulting Practice. Shahrzad likes to take advantage of the great British Columbia outdoors including hiking, snowboarding, cycling, and playing on a women’s outdoor soccer league team. Shahrzad is passionate about outreach initiatives for women and girls in STEM fields. As Outreach Director for WCE, she looks forward to creating events that will engage and draw people of all backgrounds to the engineering industry.

Miriam Pang, EIT

Programming Director
Mechanical | OSI Maritime System

Miriam Pang is a Mechanical Engineer-in-Training at OSI Maritime System with design and test experience in navigation and bridge systems for government projects and the naval sector. She is knowledgeable in shock, vibration, environmental, and EMC qualification testing and has also site commissioning experience for large scale amusement rides in Abu Dhabi and Qatar. Miriam graduated with a BSc in Chemical Engineering from University of British Columbia which was then followed by her MSc in Mechanical Engineering from University of California, Los Angeles in 2018 and her MBA from Quantic Technologies in 2019. She is a passionate leader who enjoys mentoring young professionals. As the Programming Director at WCE, she is excited to plan and organize impactful events that address challenging topics and fun ones to foster new connections between members. During her spare time Miriam enjoys weightlifting, painting, and dancing with her cat.

Rimi Plaha, P.ENG

Sponsorship Director
Environmental | WSP

Rimi is currently an Environmental Engineer at WSP where she works on contaminated sites and remediation projects, and mine reclamation projects in BC. She earned her Bachelor of Applied Science in Environmental Engineering from the University of Waterloo and worked in various sectors (local and provincial government, consulting, and mining industry) as a co-op student during her degree. Rimi is passionate about connecting with other engineers to foster diversity in this industry. As the Sponsorship Director at WCE, she is enthusiastic to connect with consulting companies to continue to bring value to the members of the organization and to the sponsors. During her spare time, Rimi enjoys traveling and working on DIY home projects.