The current staff at Women's Employment Outreach possess a broad range of educational backgrounds, from Social Work to Women's Studies, with a great deal of experience that has been successfully transferred to the field of employment counseling. We are fortunate to have such a dedicated and skilled group to assist our clients in moving forward with their job search goals. Meet our team:

Donna Stephenson joined the Women's Employment Outreach team as an Employment Counsellor in 2002 and in June of 2008 she took on the role of Coordinator. She is a Registered Social Worker (RSW) with a Bachelor of Arts degree and advanced training in counselling and adult education. Donna has worked for several years in the women's community, particularly around the issue of violence against women. She has completed the PLAR Practitioner Training and has facilitated several Portfolio Development workshops for WEO participants. Donna has also developed a specialized job search workshop for women over the age of 40 to address the unique issues and barriers they face within today's labour market. Donna is a member of the Nova Scotia Career Development Association and the Nova Scotia Association for Social Workers.

Juliana Wiens joined Women's Employment Outreach as an Employment Counsellor in 2006, prior to which she taught Interdisciplinary Issues in Career Development, an arts/sciences undergraduate elective course at Dalhousie University. Juliana holds an MA in Women's Studies from Dalhousie, and a BA from the University of Alberta. She has a background in research and has worked on a variety of research studies that explore issues pertaining to professional boundaries in the workplace, caregiving, addictions, and Black women's health. She has also worked directly with women in transition and with survivors of family violence. Juliana is a certified PLAR Practitioner and Personality Dimensions facilitator, and has experience facilitating Portfolio Development and Personality Dimensions workshops. Juliana is a registered member of the Nova Scotia Career Development Association.

Sherry Battiste has been an Employment Counsellor with Women's Employment Outreach (WEO) since May 2008. She received her Bachelor of Social Work degree (BSW) in 2005 and is currently in the candidacy process moving towards her RSW registration. Sherry also possesses a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology/Sociology and a Community Service/Counselling diploma she has received extensive training in leadership, adult education, group facilitation, and workshop/program development. Sherry is a member of the Nova Scotia Career Development Association. She has over five years experience in life skills/personal development/employment readiness workshop/program development, facilitation, and counselling and has assisted with six Portfolio Development workshop series and co-facilitated one workshop series. She has also worked within various community support agencies.

Monetta James joined Women's Employment Outreach as an Employment Counsellor in 2008. She is a certified trainer and facilitator, with a background in communications, creative arts and community economic development. Monetta has worked as an employment counsellor, program coordinator, outreach worker and cultural diversity arts consultant in Ontario and Nova Scotia. Given the diversity of her experience, Monetta embraces a broad spectrum of work which includes writing lively and engaging poetry and prose, designing programs for youth and community development, creating an innovative cultural diversity arts program and advocating for increased cultural and gender equity.