CAGC Member Awards and Recognition

2022 CACG Leadership Award Winners

 

2022 CAGC New Leader Award

 Angela Krutish

Angela Krutish graduated from the MSc Genetic Counselling Program at the University of Manitoba in 2019. For her thesis, Angela examined the impact of the genetic assistant (GA) role on the genetics workforce, productivity, practice and relationships. She has worked to make her study findings accessible and tangible to the professional community, and has continued to assist clinics to apply her research results.

Since graduation, Angela has continued her research work on genetic assistants, receiving two research grants, and co-supervising two undergraduate students working on this research, along with her co-PI, Jessica Hartley. Angela is a faculty member of the University of Manitoba GC program and has participated in clinical supervision, teaching , course coordination, review of thesis projects, and development and delivery of a new research curriculum.

Angela has looked for opportunities to become involved in the broader genetic counselling community, serving as a member of the CAGC Research Committee, the ABGC Practice Analysis Advisory Committee, and the Canadian Board of Genetic Counselling.

In the words of her nominator, “ I have consistently been impressed by Angela’s insight, thoughtfulness, and drive to support and improve both her professional and personal communities, [and] her desire to provide greater access and integrity in genetic services for Canadians.  I am excited to see her thrive in future leadership roles where she can continue to support and maintain the integrity of the genetic counselling profession both within the University and beyond”

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2022 CAGC Professional Practice, Innovation, and Advocacy Leadership Award

Jocelyn Carter-Sim

Jocelyn completed her MSc genetic counselling at the University of Manchester. Upon graduation in 2007, Jocelyn accepted her first Genetic Counsellor position in Fresno, California. Her skill set rapidly developed through exposure to a broad range of clinical cases, however Jocelyn was keen to get back to Canada.

In 2008, Jocelyn accepted a Genetic Counselling position in Victoria, BC, where she has grown as a professional ever since. In her role as a Genetic Counsellor, Jocelyn has also volunteered to support the Victoria Chapter of the Rare Disease Foundation, facilitating monthly Parent-2-Parent meetings, and organizing an annual Rare Disease Day and an annual family summer barbeque.

As a member of the CAGC Jocelyn has taken on many roles. She was the inaugural bylaw officer. This involved countless hours of research, revision of the old and outdated bylaws, and submission of more appropriate ones.  Through this work she helped to modernize the CAGC and set the Association up for success in the years to come.

After this major achievement, Jocelyn served on CAGC’s Annual Education Conference Committee for several years.  She co-chaired this committee for two years, resulting in very successful conferences in St. John’s and Winnipeg.  Anyone familiar with the AECC knows that this is an incredible accomplishment and is only attainable after hundreds of hours of hard work as a leader and an organizer. Since 2017, Jocelyn has also been a member of the Scientific Planning Committee which curates the scientific content for the conferences and secures accreditation for continuing education credits. She has been co-chair of this committee in 2021 and 2022.

Each of these contributions on its own represent a major undertaking, and her sustained commitment to the organization is truly impressive. If you have had the opportunity to work with Jocelyn in any capacity, you know that she is incredibly approachable, a hard worker, a creative thinker and a valuable member to any team.

In the words of her nominator: “Sometimes the best leaders are the people who work hard and consistently, over a long period, on several projects, all the while leading by example.  Jocelyn embodies this type of leader exactly, and in this way, her work has significantly promoted high standards for all current and future Canadian genetic counsellors.”

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2022 CAGC Lifetime Achievement Award

Margaret Lilley

Margaret Lilley is a certified genetic counsellor with more than 20 years experience in laboratory and clinical settings.  Margaret is passionate about medical genetics, teamwork and effective leadership and exemplifies this in the work place and beyond each and every day.

Margaret graduated from the McGill University, Masters in Genetic counselling program in 1999 and spent the first two years of her career working in a clinical setting in New Mexico.  She returned to Alberta in 2001 and immediately her enthusiasm and ability to bring forward innovative ideas and garner support was evident. 

One of Margaret’s first initiatives was to establish a laboratory genetic counsellor role in the Molecular Genetics Laboratory in Edmonton.  She began by promoting the skill set of a genetic counsellor, and emphasizing the value that this role could add to the laboratory team.  What began as a part time position in the lab, has blossomed into 4 genetic counselling positions across 4 different genetic lab services in Edmonton and 2 genetic counsellor positions in the laboratory in Calgary

Margaret is a passionate advocate for regulation of genetic counsellors, she was  involved in the CAGC professional development taskforce, as well as the CAGC core competencies working group.  Margaret was instrumental in separation of the CAGC Certification Board to form the Canadian Board of Genetic Counsellors and served as its first chair. She has continued to advocate locally and played an instrumental role in the creation of the Alberta Association of Genetic Counsellors. This organization was the result of many years of persistence and hard work.  At the time of its inception, in 2018, Margaret served as vice president of the organization and is currently in the role of president.

Margaret has mentored numerous clinical and laboratory genetic counsellors over the years, always challenging them to engage in all available professional activities and to consider how the value of the genetic counsellor might be recognized in both the health care and community settings.

Margaret is extremely generous with her time, and is always willing to share what she has learned from her experiences, not only at a local, provincial and national level, but also through publication to share her knowledge more broadly.

In the words of her nominators: “I am constantly in awe of Margaret’s energy and enthusiasm and her willingness to take on any task that advances patient care and the role of the genetic counsellor, regardless of how daunting it may appear”. “Margaret truly understands what it is to be a team member and has worked with small local teams, larger provincial groups and organizations on a national level, working productively and efficiently, all the while empowering others to do their best work.”

 

Previous Leadership Award Recipients

  • 2021 New Leader Award-Laura Redondo
    2021 Professional Practice, Innovation, and Advocacy Leadership Award- Andrea Secord
  • 2020 Professional Practice, Innovation, and Advocacy Leadership Award- Lola Cartier
  • 2019 New Leader Award- Charity Fan
    2019 Professional Practice, Innovation, and Advocacy Leadership Award- Shannon Chin

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