As the Director of People, Culture and Communications for CUPS Calgary, Ilda Songhurst has faced many challenging problems and dedicated herself to solving each one.
“For me HR isn’t just about what you do within your own organization,” says Songhurst, who has been in the HR industry for more than 20 years. “It’s about who you are and how you share that with others. I am dedicated to being a part of shaping HR to make a difference in the industry as a whole.”
To that end, she mentors new and upcoming HR professionals, or those who recently moved to Canada, and also plays a large role in her local HR industry group, providing support and guidance to other non-profit sector HR professionals.
In 2022, Songhurst won the Alberta CPHR Strategic Innovator Award. She’s currently working on completing a Masters of Executive Leadership at Royal Roads University with the goal to become a better leader in the HR industry and discover methods to teach other HR professionals.
“The effort Ilda puts in to accomplishing her goals is inspiring,” says husband and nominator Rod Songhurst. “It’s always amazing to me that while she puts everyone else first, she still manages to find the time to grow and learn to improve herself as well.”