Beyond Trees and Boards, Growing Talent on #TeamEACOM: Sharon Villeneuve-Cloutier
At EACOM, we are investing just as much in technologies as we are in our people. We are happy to share Sharon Villeneuve-Cloutier’s story, named amongst Top 10 under 40 by Opérations forestières et de scierie.
Born in Rouyn-Noranda and a lifelong resident of Abitibi, Sharon Villeneuve-Cloutier has had a passion for forests for as long as she can remember. Her father, a logging and forestry equipment mechanic, introduced her to the sector at a very young age. She also comes from a family of hunters and fishers, and she has kept these traditions alive as well.
Sharon received her diploma in forest management techniques from the Harricana Training Centre in 2015. This vocational training gave her varied practical and theoretical knowledge that let her transform her passion for the forestry sector into a career. With her timber scaler’s licence, she has carved out a place for herself in a very male-dominated profession.
“My father often took me out into the woods, and I love the outdoors. When I found out about the academic options in forestry work, I decided to pursue a career in this sector. At first, I had to learn to ‘be one of the guys’ [as there are so many men in this industry]. But the team is fantastic and EACOM is a great place to work,” explains Sharon.
Initially hired as a sub-contractor, Sharon integrated to EACOM’s Matagami team so seamlessly that the sawmill created a new scaler position in 2016 so that she could become a permanent employee. This job has let her work with experienced scalers from other sawmills so that she can hone her skills. Sharon oversees the management of the timber scale, truckers and scaling at the Matagami sawmill. These are major tasks for someone just starting out in their career, but she is definitely up to the challenge!
“Sharon demonstrates tremendous pride in working for EACOM Timber Corporation. She is very engaged in her job as a timber scaler and she never stops learning. She has had just three years of experience but already stands out through her punctuality, hard work, commitment, curiosity, passion and integrity. Sharon is very sociable, which enhances our workplace. Her personal values have brought her great success,” says Frédéric Bédard, Matagami Forest Operations Supervisor, EACOM.
Her determination, upbeat mood and curiosity are not confined to the mill, as Sharon takes her role as forestry ambassador very seriously. She recently represented EACOM at the triathlon of the École Galinée primary school in Matagami, at the “Our Forest” open house of the Abitibi-Témiscaminque forestry association (AFAT), and during Quebec’s forest month. She also meets with high school students to introduce them to forestry and encourage them to pursue a career in this sector on a regular basis.
Her energy and dedication to her profession earned her a spot on the Top 10 Under 40 list of Opérations forestières et de scierie magazine for 2018. Congratulations, Sharon!