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Jen DesLauriers

Manager, Talent Attraction

As manager of talent attraction, Jen collaborates across all divisions and departments at First West to grow our team of skilled and enthusiastic team members.

As a seasoned talent attraction and HR professional, Jen’s more than 20 years experience in recruiting includes over a decade in Canada’s credit union system. She’s developed a deep respect and appreciation for the cooperative values she was introduced to during her time at Vancity Credit Union, where she worked as manager of talent.

Regarded as an innovative leader, Jen draws on outside-the-box tactics to discover new team members. While she’s been involved with numerous initiatives within First West’s people and culture team, her first passion is connecting the right candidate with the right role.

Away from the office Jen enjoys spending quality time with her family in the Comox Valley.

Cara Watmough

Senior Talent Attraction Specialist

Cara is a natural at connecting with people, and connecting them to others with shared interests and goals. With more than 20 years of recruiting and human resources experience, including various positions at First West since 2006, she’s created opportunities for hundreds of people to grow their career.

In recent years, Cara played a key part in advancing First West’s Equity, Inclusion, Diversity and Belonging strategy and activities. With this passion, she is currently focused on building relationships with candidates and community members for exciting roles at First West.

Cara is hands-on throughout the journey of welcoming new people to the organization—facilitating introductions, conversations, and questions and on-boarding. Working with her team and team members across the organization, she helps individuals flourish in roles that strengthen their career and contributions.

Ask what she enjoys about her job, and Cara describes the meaningful impact she makes to her community through giving back to and partnering with local charities, universities, Indigenous communities, and organizations supporting people with diverse abilities.

First West feels like home to Cara, and you’ll feel just as welcomed when meeting her. As someone who finds great joy from spending quality time with others, she’s often found in pursuit of new connections, outdoor adventures, and experiences with her family and dog, Kona.

Kate Hartley

Senior Talent Attraction Specialist

Kate wants to know everything you’re looking for in your next role. As a Talent Attraction Specialist, she loves working with people to help them grow their career in any direction—and she’s thrilled when a new connection turns into an opportunity to help someone flourish!

As a person who’s passionately committed to achieving her own goals, Kate understands what those who are hoping to elevate their career are looking for. She’s driven to make the best match between job-seekers and First West, ensuring that people feel inspired by our co-operative values and can flourish as part of our fast-growing credit union.

When you first meet Kate—in an interview, or perhaps a chance encounter while she’s exploring the beautiful BC outdoors—she’s likely to be curious about your interests, talents and aspirations. And that could be the start of a whole new path for your future.

Start the conversation with Kate now to discover new opportunities at First West!

Danya Shima

Talent Attraction Specialist

Danya is of Cree/Metis and European decent, a citizen of White Bear First Nation in Treaty 4 territory, residing on the unceded territories of the Semiahma (Semiahmoo), sc̓əwaθenaɁɬ təməxʷ (Tsawwassen), qiqéyt (Qayqayt), kwikwəәƛ ̓əәm (Kwikwetlem), q̓ʷɑ:n̓ƛ̓ən̓ (Kwantlen) and q̓ic̓əәy̓ (Katzie) First Nations. She has deep, personal understanding of the impacts that equity-deserving groups experience, and is active in First West’s diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) culture. Including co-chairing the Indigenous Peoples Circle, an employee network group at the credit union. Her work includes bringing consistent focus to indigenization within the workplace, through which organizations can welcome Indigenous people, thought, and unique policy making into the inner workings of the organization.

Dedicated to helping people take the next step in their careers, Danya creates and fosters connections between job seekers and hiring managers at First West. From interviews to successfully joining our team, she ensures that your value and voice is at the centre of your experience.

Danya can tell you everything about the experience of working at First West, as her own career and influence have grown with new opportunities—from helping members in the Lower Mainland build their wealth to welcoming new people into the organization as a Talent Attraction Specialist. Having a background in collaborative management, and as an advocate for inclusive spaces, she is a guide for those in equity-deserving groups to build a trusting, safe and supported relationship with colleagues as the explore and enter a career at First West.

As a big believer in living well—and a longtime lacrosse fan, the medicine game—Danya’s personal time is often spent at a lacrosse arena across Turtle Island, cheering loudly! Her appreciation for the positive impact of physical fitness is also evident in the many hours she dedicates to supporting Indigenous youth through local sports programs.