Age: 35
Job title: Vice President Manufacturing, All Weather Windows
Why she’s a 2019 Top 40 Under 40: She’s a trailblazer in charitable works and the manufacturing business.
Jillene Lakevold’s voice noticeably brightens when she talks about “People of Action.”
It’s a slogan adopted by Rotary clubs around the world to describe the can-do attitude of its members. As a 12-year veteran of the Rotary Club of Edmonton Glenora, including two years as co-president, Lakevold has seen that motto put into use.
“I’m inspired by how many different ways a club gives back. Through scholarships to institutions in the city; through working with local organizations like the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers; through partnering with Rotary clubs internationally,” she says.
“It’s not just one thing. It’s how people apply their passions within a club to really make a difference, not just in their community, but the world.”
In her work life, Lakevold applies the same attitude to get things done. She’s vice president of manufacturing at All Weather Windows, a company her father helped found several decades ago.
It’s now the largest privately owned window and door manufacturer in Canada.
Lakevold is responsible for all of the company’s manufacturing operations. As a senior executive in a company that operates in two male-dominated industries — construction and manufacturing — Lakevold is often breaking barriers, even if it’s not something she actively seeks to do.
She says women in the industry want the same as men — to get new opportunities, to get recognized for their talent and encouragement to use their skills and grow.
Everyone wants a mentor or industry veteran to offer guidance on the path forward, she says.
“Sometimes females might not be as bold to ask. So that’s where the extra effort helps. But I think the want is actually the same.”
This article appears in the November 2019 issue of Avenue Edmonton
