Mrs. Kathleen Sendall, P.Eng., has been with Petro-Canada in various positions of increasing responsibility since 1978. She has also devoted significant time and effort to numerous local, provincial and national community and professional groups. Her volunteer work spans involvement in community affairs and technical and educational career development with special assistance to youth in particular.

At the University of Calgary, Mrs. Sendall had extensive involvement in the Chair for Women in Science and Engineering program by serving as Chair of the Advisory Council. As an experienced executive, she has provided focus upon key issues surrounding the participation of young women in science and engineering. In addition to this role, she has served on a number of advisory committees in the Faculty of Engineering and this year was appointed to the Board of Governors. She has also served as a member of Mount Royal College’s Engineering Advisory Committee and helped to develop their two-year engineering university transfer program.

As a Director and Secretary-Treasurer of the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE) she led in hosting the CAE’s Annual Meeting in Calgary in June, 2001. This was the first time that the CAE met outside of the Ottawa-Toronto-Montreal area and with Mrs. Sendall’s leadership it was a great success. She is Governor of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP), where she also served as Chair of the Environmental, Health and Safety Executive Policy Group. Mrs. Sendall is also a Director of the Canadian Centre for Energy Information. She has served on APEGGA’s Education Foundation as a Director and is presently an active member of the Corporation of the Seven Wardens in Calgary. Mrs. Sendall has also been a Director of the Canadian Engineering Memorial Foundation (CEMF), established in memory of the 14 women who lost their lives at Montreal’s L’Ecole Polytechnique in 1989. It is aimed at encouraging women to pursue engineering by providing support and scholarships. Mrs. Sendall made significant contributions toward strategic planning and operation in her role as Director of the CEMF.

Mrs. Sendall is also involved in many community organizations. She served as a Director of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) and co-chaired the Heartstrings campaign. She has been a Director of Junior Achievement of Southern Alberta and has been actively involved with the Famous 5 Foundation, particularly in the building and unveiling of the Famous 5 monuments in Calgary and in the establishment of the Rising Stars Dinner program. Mrs. Sendall is presently a Director of the Calgary Opera and chairs the Impresario Circle Committee. She is also the Chair of the Calgary Chapter of the International Women’s Forum (IWF).

In all of these activities, Mrs. Sendall has distinguished herself through her energy, strategic planning skills, organizational skills and ability to get the job done. She is indeed a role model for young women and men in engineering and in the community in general. Not only has she succeeded to the highest levels of her field, she has done so while being a dedicated mother and by retaining her wonderful sense of humour.

Honours, Awards and Distinctions

• Named to the Globe and Mail’s 100 Most Powerful Women list, 2004
• Named to the National Post’s 50 Most Influential Women in Canada list, 2003, 2004
• Named Mentor of the Millennium, Alberta Women’s Science Network, 2000
• Named Engineering Role Model, United States National Academy of Engineering, 2000
• Famous 5 Footprint Award, Famous 5 Foundation, 1999
• YWCA Woman of Distinction (Business, Labour, the Professions and Entrepreneurs), 1998
• Honorary Bachelor of Applied Industrial Ecology Degree, Mount Royal College

Professional Affiliations and Activities

• Director, Canadian Centre for Energy Information, 2002-present
• Director and Secretary-Treasurer, Canadian Academy of Engineering, 2000-present
• Fellow, Canadian Academy of Engineering, 1999-present
• Warden, Corporation of the Seven Wardens, Camp 18, 1998-present
• Governor, Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP), 2002-2004
• Chair, Advisory Council to the NSERC/Petro-Canada Prairie Regional Chair in Women in Science and Engineering, 1997-2002
• Director, Canadian Engineering Memorial Foundation, 1996-2002
• Chair, Environmental, Health and Safety Executive Policy Group, CAPP
• Member, Engineering Associates Program Steering Committee, Faculty of Engineering, University of Calgary
• Member, Society of Petroleum Engineers
• Member, Association of Petroleum Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta
• Past Director, APEGGA Education Foundation
• Past Director: Prism Sulphur Corporation, Sultran Ltd., CanWorld, Syncrude Canada Limited
• Past Member, Mount Royal College Engineering Advisory Committee

Community Service

• Chair, Calgary Chapter, International Women’s Forum, 2004
• Director, Calgary Opera, 2003-present
• Chair, Impresario Circle Committee, Calgary Opera, 2003 - present
• Vice-Chair, Development, and Director, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, 2000-2002
• Co-Chair, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra Heartstrings Campaign, 2000-2002
• Past Director, Junior Achievement of Southern Alberta, 1996-2000
• Honorary Chair, Petro-Canada United Way, 1997