The Women Behind Spark

• Home
>>
• The Women Behind Spark

THE WOMEN BEHIND SPARK

Samantha Warren

Owner | Bold Promotions Inc.

sam@boldpromotions.ca 

Samantha Warren was born and raised in the Peace Region where she met her husband of 15 years. Making Fort St John her home in 2006, she has been in the promotional products industry since then and opened Bold Promotions in January 2017. With over 18 years of experience in the industry, Samantha quickly grew Bold from a one-woman operation to employing eight fabulous women and has since moved into a new location on the Alaska Highway.  She is also a huge community supporter and loves volunteering her time running charity golf tournaments, acting as Chair of the Spark Women’ Leadership Conference Steering Committee, and serving as President of the Fort St John Rotary.

Suzanne Young

HR Management Consultant | Self Employed

young.suzannekg@gmail.com

Suzanne Young grew up in Chetwynd, B.C. and, aside from a few years to attend post-secondary school, has proudly spent her time living and working in Northeastern B.C. With Bachelor’s Degrees in both Education and Commerce combined with both CPHR and SHRM-SCP designations, she has over 20 years of diverse industry experience in Human Resources Management. Suzanne believes in the rich opportunities available for individuals in the North and encourages embracing diversity, communicating with transparency, and facilitating positive change in every organization she works with. When not at her day job, if she isn’t volunteering her time with Spark or undertaking some wildly challenging costuming construction project, she can be found spending as much quality time as possible with her husband and two energetic boys (and her equally energetic Standard Poodle).

Megan Troyer

Partner | Via CFO

megan@viacfo.ca

Megan Troyer is a leader, passionate about bringing dignity, hope and vision to people and organizations through education and relationships. She is a Chartered Professional Accountant who has spent almost 20 years of her career providing financial leadership in the energy industry. Megan was raised in Fort St John, and as a partner in Via CFO, provides her unique expertise to many local businesses, her contribution to building her community. She believes leadership requires clarity and accountability but not at the expense of kindness. In 2019 Megan became a Certified Facilitator for the Dare to Lead™ curriculum under the instruction of Brené Brown. In her spare time, Megan provides leadership for a variety of community and nonprofit organizations, including North Peace 4-H, CPA Financial Literacy, Rising Above FSJ, FSJ Hospital Foundation, and Trades 4 Life International. Megan loves gardening, cooking, and travelling with her husband Steve.

Carolynn Oliver

Senior Policy Analyst | Employment and Social Development Canada

carolynn.oliver@hotmail.com

Carolynn Oliver is a dynamic leader with a proven track record of driving results and fostering innovation in diverse organizational settings. With a diverse background spanning from government agencies to financial institutions, Carolynn brings a wealth of experience in strategic planning, risk management, and operational excellence. With a Master of Business Administration and specialized certifications in risk management and program evaluation, she combines academic rigor with practical expertise. Carolynn is a passionate advocate for continuous learning, and she eagerly embraced the opportunity to contribute her expertise to the planning and execution of the Spark Women’s Leadership Conference. With a deep-seated belief in the power of education and empowerment, she is dedicated to crafting a transformative conference experience for women in the peace region. Carolynn has been a resident of Northeastern BC for over 10 years and when she has some downtime, she enjoys spending it with her husband and two fun-loving Labs.

Lilia Hansen

Mayor | City of Fort St John

 lhansen@fortstjohn.ca

Lilia Hansen was born and raised in the Peace Region and has called Fort St. John home since the early 1970s.  In addition to performing her duties as full-time Mayor for the City of Fort St John, Lilia is an appointed director of the Peace River Regional District (PRRD), North Peace Airport Society, board member of Community Futures Peace Liard, North Peace Senior Housing Society, and past Fort St. John Library board member. Lilia’s passion for giving back to her community also includes being involved with the Sunrise Rotary Club since 2010, holding director and officer positions. She has been recognized multiple times for her acts of community service and credits her achievements to strong mentors, family support, and those she has worked with. Lilia has been married to her husband Ron for over 34 years and enjoys spending family time with their golden retrievers.

Karen Thierson

Owner/Marketing Designer & Branding Specialist | Indigo Designs

karen@designsbyindigo.ca 

Karen Thierson is a passionate designer and branding specialist crafting compelling, award-winning graphic design and marketing campaigns for the businesses, organizations and individuals she works with. In 2007, Karen took a leap of faith and opened her design studio, Indigo Designs. Since then, she has gone on to win 8 National awards and 2 Provincial Awards for her marketing and design work. Karen has been lending her marketing design, web design, and theme weaving skills to Spark since 2015. In her free time, you will find Karen attending concerts and spending time with her husband and her dog, Oliver.

Lisa Henry

Regional Bookstore Retailer | Northern Lights College

picsbylgp@gmail.com

Lisa Henry loves creating and is always learning something new. In 2015, Lisa started her photography business, specializing in branding and headshot photography.  Her passion for supporting women led her to this photography niche and she is committed to help women launch and grow their businesses with all the imagery they need to succeed. A resident of Fort St John since 2021, Lisa is also the Regional Bookstore Retailer at Northern Light College and has recently completed her Certificate in Canadian Copyright Law. Outside of work, Lisa loves spending time with her husband and three children.

DeeAnn Pruys

Business Analyst | Troyer Ventures Ltd.

deeann.pruys@hotmail.com

DeeAnn Pruys is a dedicated and skilled Administrative Professional who had proudly called Fort St John home for the past 13 years. Holding the distinguished title of Payroll Compliance Professional from the National Payroll Institute, DeeAnn has contributed her administrative expertise for over ten years in the oilfield industry. With a decade long service at Troyer, her high standard of work and attention to detail, she now acts as a mentor and coach to new employees to ensure they have the tools they need to succeed. Giving back to the community is something near and dear to DeeAnn’s heart and through Spark she has been able to contribute her professional expertise and personal compassion to empower others to be their best selves and offer a helping hand. In her free time, you will find DeeAnn enjoying the outdoors with her young son and husband.