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Celebrating 10 Years at WLFN, Gailene William
“Gailene’s exceptional work ethic and expertise has assisted the finance department in moving forward. WLFN is grateful for all her hard work and dedication that she brings forward each and every day.”
- Lori Billyboy, WLFN Chief Financial Officer
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Gailene William is originally from Nemiah Valley, BC. She lives in Williams Lake with her husband and twin sons, while her daughter is off studying sciences at TRU in Kamloops. January 2023 marks Gailene’s 10-year anniversary of working at Williams Lake First Nation. Over the years, she’s seen the organization grow and change, but notes that leadership as well as the vision has stayed relatively steady and true.
When she started, the whole finance team consisted of Lori Billyboy (Finance Manager at the time) and Gailene, working in the basement of the old log band office in Sugar Cane. Gailene looks back at the old office fondly, jokingly referring to the basement as their “dungeon.”
She was initially hired for a term position as Financial Assistant while another employee was on leave, but soon took a full-time role as Payroll & Benefits Clerk. It was during this era that Gailene began taking courses at Tulo Centre of Indigenous Economics in Kamloops to bump up her certification. It was difficult to break away from home each month for her studies, having her little ones at home, but gaining meaningful skills that she could bring back to her community made the hard work worthwhile.
Since then, Gailene has never stopped learning, earning further certification in Payroll Compliance, and presently working on her Certified Payroll Manager’s certification. Gailene has held the position of Finance Manager since January of 2019.
From a bright and sunny smile, she quips “Everyone loves you when you work in finance — they’re all smiling as they come to pick up their paycheques.”
Gailene loves the support that she feels working for WLFN. She first started when her twin boys were very young, and having the daycare available was a huge asset.
