Kate is a Human Resources Coordinator with eight years experience both in and outside the Human Resources field. She developed her skills in human resources during her time as HR Assistant with the Association of Canadian Com-munity Colleges in Ottawa. After three years there, she had the oppor-tunity to live and work in the United States. During that time she developed her project management skills work-ing for the consulting firm Criminal Justice Institute Inc. in Middletown, Connecticut. CJI consults primarily with the U. S. Department of Justice and state Departments of Correc-tions, and provides training and tech-nical assistance nationwide. During that two-year period, Kate traveled across the U. S., helping to organize and execute various seminars and larger scale conferences in the capac-ity of Project Manager, Training & Technical Assistance.

Kate's academic background in-cludes an Honours Bachelor of Busi-ness Administration, with a focus on Human Resources, from Brock Uni-versity in St. Catharines, ON. In the past two years she has devoted most of her spare time to preparing for and writing the Comprehensive Provincial Examinations for her Certified Hu-man Resources Professional designa-tion. She intends to complete the final experiential component in the coming year. Kate also holds her Registered Professional Recruiter designation.

Currently, Kate works in the casino industry as Human Resources Coordinator with Rideau Carleton Racetrack Slots in Ottawa, which is part of the Ontario Lottery & Gam-ing Corporation (OLGC). OLGC is a Crown Corporation under the aegis of the Office of the Attorney General of Ontario.

Most Ontarians are familiar with OLGC's lottery line of products such as Lotto 6/ 49 and Sports Select, but the corpora-tion also has under its umbrella fif-teen Racetrack Slot Operations, five Charity Casinos and three Commer-cial Casinos. Most of the Racetrack Slot Op-erations and Charity Casinos have opened within the last five years, thus there has been a tremendous amount of growth during that time.

As Human Resources Coordina-tor, Kate was part of the team that established Rideau Carleton Race-track Slots in 1999. During that time she actively recruited, hired and 350 employees within two months. Since then, Kate has acquired responsibil-ity for Disability Management, Work-er's Compensation Claims Manage-ment and other aspects of Occupa-tional Health & Safety. She is also a trainer, assisting in the delivery of several different programs relating to Human Resources Orientation, as well as training for supervisors. Kate also provides advice and assistance to staff and managers on policies and procedures. Most recently, her re-sponsibilities expanded to include chairing a panel for a new internal grievance procedure.

In terms of future plans, Kate is looking forward to completion of her CHRP designation and would like to continue taking courses and keep-ing current on issues and best prac-tices in human resources. She has recently taken on the volunteer posi-tion of Editor of IPM's Members Quarterly.

At home, Kate's favourite spot to relax is the family cottage in Que-bec's Gatineau Hills. She is also kept quite busy these days spending time with the beagle puppy she and her husband recently adopted.


Shalini Richards: Regional Co-Chair, Maritimes
HR CONSULTANT, EXECUTIVERECRUITER, HALIFAX

Shalini is a senior Human Resources Professional with over seven years' experience in the field of Recruitment and Re-tention. With a focus on the Recruit-ment and Staffing industry in Nova Scotia, she has developed her busi-ness acumen and a passion for the growing field of Human Resources.

Shalini's academic pursuits in-clude training from the National Seminars Asso-ciation focusing on Women in Management, a degree in Man-agement and Hu-man Resources from Mount Saint Vincent Univer-sity and a degree in the study of Sociology and Psy-chology. In addition to holding her Certified Human Resources Profes-sional designation, Shalini is also a Registered Professional Recruiter and is certified through the Canadian Man-agement Professionals Association.

Currently, Shalini is working as an Executive Recruiting and HR Consultant on an independent basis. Using the networking and research skills she has developed throughout her career, Shalini has assisted in the successful placement of various top candidates with some of Atlantic Canada's business leaders.

Shalini also works in a generalist HR capacity and has been responsi-ble for implementing several formal- ized HR procedures. Recent projects include the implementation of a Per-formance Management System, a Salary and Compensation Review, developing Recruitment and Selec-tion Process and Techniques, and Conflict and Discipline Management.

Being active in her profession is a priority for Shalini, and she has vol-unteered her time to the pursuit of ensuring that Human Resources is respected as one of the top profes-sions in Atlantic Canada. She has played a leading role in numerous committees, including the Member-ship Committee for the Human Re-sources Association of Nova Scotia (HRANS), the Mentorship Pro-gram for HRANS, a Performance Management Committee, a Conflict Resolution Committee and her most current appointment of Regional Co-Chair of IPM for the Halifax chapter.

In her personal time, Shalini has a great passion for dogs and spends her free time with her 4-year-old Basenji, Anubis. She also enjoys going to the gym, spending quality time with her friends and reading the latest Indo-Canadian fiction.


Tracey Lillis: Change Specialist
PLANNING THE LOGISTICS OF LARGE WORKFORCE REDUCTIONS

Tracey Lillis is the Vice Presi dent and General Manager of Toombs KWA Inc., a career transition firm in Western Can-ada with national and international affiliates. With over 20 years of ex-perience in career management, pub-lic relations and individual counsel-ling, she provides career transition services including executive coach-ing, assessments and team build-ing. Tracey has worked with small, medium, and For-tune 500 corpora-tions in all aspects of career transition & development. Through KWA Partners Inc., the national affiliate of Toombs KWA, Tracey understands the Canadian business market and its regional variations.

As General Manager of the Ed-monton office, she is responsible for leading a team of senior career spe-cialists, directing all business develop-ment activities, and managing daily operations. Tracey uses her extensive experience to help companies through organizational change and assist with employee terminations and career transitions. She has been instrumen-tal in planning the logistics of large downsizings and individual depar-tures and advises management on best practices for the termination and follow-up support of the departing employee. She is a contributing au-thor to a publication on best practices for releasing employees that has been adopted as a training tool and re-source in many companies.

As a seasoned career transition consultant, Tracey counsels employ-ees in career planning and all aspects of conducting a successful job search. She is certified in the use of the Ca-reer Architect group of instruments and qualified to administer and inter-pret the Myers Briggs Type Indicator and Strong Interest Inventory. Tracey has trained in a number of propri-etary tools and courses, including 360-degree feedback and executive feedback, through Lee Hecht Harrison, global partner with Toombs KWA. Tracey is a member of the Toombs KWA senior executive team and plays a key role in the strategic plan-ning, policy development, and P & L responsibility for the organization. Tracey strives to create a vibrant work environment encouraging work/ life balance, fairness, fun, and opportuni-ties for growth.

Prior to joining Toombs KWA, Tracey worked in management roles for both the public and private sec-tors, and has provided individual and group counselling in the health serv-ices area. Since 1986, Tracey has been committed to the outplacement industry where she started as a Pro-gram Manager with a Toronto con-sulting firm.

Tracey graduated from the Uni-versity of Windsor with an Honours B. A. in Psychology. In addition to her Certified Human Resources Pro-fessional (CHRP) designation, she is a member of the Human Resources Management Association of Edmon-ton (HRMAE), a Registered Pro-fessional Recruiter (RPR), and a member of the International Associa-tion of Career Management Profes-sionals (IACMP). Her education combined with her work experience allows her to bring sensitivity, busi-ness awareness, and professional insight to her clients.

In her leisure time, Tracey enjoys family related activities and many out-door pursuits, including canoeing.