Paula Sdao: abatement and air quality suppervisor - Thunder Bay. (2002 Winner).

Thunder Bay's Paula Sdao had not even realized she was nominated for an Influential Woman (1W) Award, so one can imagine how surprised she was when she returned from a six-week project in East Africa to hear she had been chosen as a private-sector 1W award winner.

Sdao, who has been an abatement and air quality supervisor for Wardrop Engineering since 1999, was nominated for the award by Len Hoey, Wardrop's manager of environmental services.

Sdao is "an excellent example of a locally educated individual who has chosen to apply her years of learning to benefit the economic strength of her community," Hooey says.

Sdao has a diploma in chemical engineering technology from Lakehead University and another diploma in environmental engineering technology from Confederation College. Her career in the environmental field began in 1995 with the Ministry of Environment, and some other short-term projects before being hired by Wardrop.

Over the past couple of years she has taken an active role with the company as one of its top project managers, and has displayed utmost dedication to sound environmental stewardship, says Hoey.

Sdao has actively worked at designing and implementing programs related to environmental issues and is a member of the environmental committee for the local chamber of commerce and was the driving force behind the establishment of the community's Cardboard Recycling Challenge and Waste Reduction Week.

In East Africa, Sdao represented Wardrop through her work on environmental audits of government-owned companies that are being privatized by the Ugandan government.

Now that she has returned to Thunder Bay she is working on air emissions for sawmills in northwestern Ontario, requirements needed due to new government legislations.

While she has been called a "mould expert" by some, Sdao says she would not use the term "expert," although she agrees she did do training in the area, and mouldrelated work takes up 80 to 90 per cent of her time.

At one point, she decided a mould seminar would be beneficial for the community so she spearheaded a two-day event that was attended by an estimated 40 groups. Since then, she has been a speaker at seminars at other Wardrop offices and at other events, including Thunder Bay Regional Hospital's air quality conference.

A series of seminars to help people understand environmental hazards is also in the early planning stages, she notes.

Sdao's work has included building investigations, specification preparation and project supervision. She has done certificates of approvals, environmental site assessments, site remediation, sampling of groundwater and surface water and has completed investigations for a number of clients.

Sdao says she is happy career-wise at this point. East Africa was an experience that Sdao says she would not hesitate to try once again.

She does plan to return to school for an engineering degree at some point and then aims to run an environmental department.

"The best piece of advice I can give is to never let something stand in your way--if you want it, you can get it." Sdao also spends time volunteering as chairperson of Wardrop's social committee, organizing various monthly events for employees and their families, in addition to spearheading fundraising initiatives within the company, like the annual Dragon Boat Festival.

Sdao says she feels it is important for companies to make social events a priority.

"(Social events are) very important to a company too," Sdao says. "People so often work next to other every day and never know anything about them. The social events give us the opportunity to know each other a bit and it's a great boost for office morale."

Sdao is an avid runner, who has participated in marathons in the past and says she would like to qualify for the Boston Marathon at some point.

Last year, she completed a mini triathlon and would like to do a full triathlon, but though she describes herself as a strong runner and biker, she says she needs to build her strength in the swimming event.

"Being physically fit gives me more energy during the day - I'm more with it," Sdao says, and adds that she has noticed a difference in her energy level since she has been in Africa and has not been as active as usual.