ABOUT KATRINA DION

My name is Katrina Dion and I am currently a PO-TCO-02 in D Division. I work at the RCMP Headquarters in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Outside of my full time role as a PO-TCO-O2, I carry multiple titles and am proud of each title I own; I am a wife, an aunt, a daughter, a strong advocate for individuals living in the community with physical and intellectual disabilities, and the outgoing Vice President for the Manitoba Marathon. I am invested in the community where I live, and I am a strong advocate for friends, family, and community members who need assistance. I am passionate about treating people fairly, recognition, and advocating for the rights and needs for myself and others.  Along with my passion to excel in my workplace and in my community, I am an avid sports fan and animal lover.  

It all started in my previous role as a Support Worker in September of 2009. During my time with the organization I worked with, I was quick to notice similarities between client goals and how passionate my clients were at achieving the goals. I noticed after a few years of working with the same clients, that we would write down the same goals annually but never discussed or thought about what steps the support workers and agencies supporting them needed to take to help them achieve the goals. In 2012, I formed a group within the agency called the Simaril Inc. Self-Advocacy Coalition. I found a colleague of mine that shared the same values and possessed the same passion to help recruit members for the community. We hosted monthly voluntary meetings where we would provide the clients we cared for the opportunity to come attend free training sessions, brainstorm fundraising activities we could do as a group to raise funds to put towards goals, and provide them a safe space to discuss concerns they had. We openly discussed ways to tackle concerns and how to bring forwards ongoing issues with senior leadership for the organization which allowed for open communication lines between clients and management. In my role, I created presentations and learning sessions for clients to attend that would teach them how to advocate for themselves and deal with a variety of situations they regularly encountered.

When I was nominated and voted onto the Board of Directors with the Manitoba Marathon, I was brought on to fix the process in which allocations were handled.  Each year, funds from The Helen Steinkopf Foundation are distributed to applicants who met specific eligibility guidelines. This program was often pushed to the side or funds were allocated incorrectly due to inexperience and lack of resources. Outside of the Helen Steinkopf Foundation, runners raise funds for people with disabilities and there were little to no instructions on how to handle the donations or how they would be distributed. When I joined allocations I was quick to realize that the board lacked knowledge and resources to effectively distribute the funds from both fundraising and the Helen Steinkopf Foundation annually. I partnered with a co-chair and we passed a motion to enter a working agreement with United Way where they would handle and distribute funds, keep them in the province, and support those living with physical and intellectual disabilities each year. It was important to myself and members of the community that United Way align with our core values and distribute the funds in a way our runners would be proud of.  Together, using dedication and strong communication we published a working agreement with the United Way in 2020.

As for the Helen Steinkopf foundation, the board continues to distribute the funds annually as the marathon was near and dear to the hearts of Helen's family. The fund applications are reviewed each year by an allocations committee that I started, following guidelines that align with the mission of the Manitoba Marathon and the family of Helen.

As a member of the board, I focused on financial budgets, audits, and sponsorships to ensure the future of the Manitoba Marathon.  Decisions had to be made to fix and balance the budget after previously running a deficit for consecutive years.  As a member of the board, I recruited sponsorship dollars and in-kind sponsorships that allowed us to reallocate funds from one area to another.  During my tenature, I took part in six financial audits and was able to ensure the financial documents we kept for being a registered charity remained up to date and accurate. Transparency, Hard work, networking, the ability to forecast registration numbers, and budgeting appropriately has ensured the marathon for years to come.  I am proud of the work I have accomplished alongside fellow board members and give you my word that I would carry this dedication over to CUPE 104.  

These are a few examples where I have gone above and beyond for members of the community. If I were voted in as Secretary/Treasurer, I would be sure to bring you my hard-working experience, my strong advocacy skills, financial experience, and governance experience.   I am a strong advocate for mental health and I care about the wellbeing of each individual I work with, and value the importance of the role we all play in ensuring public safety.