Kari Lentowicz, BSc, M.A. Disaster and Emergency Management, EP, PMP
Kari Lentowicz hails from Denare Beach in Northern Saskatchewan. In 2014, Kari became the Saskatchewan’s first female Mine Rescue Instructor after eight years in mine rescue. She has participated as a competitor in nine competitions and a volunteer casualty and/or judge in several more. With this passion for sustainability and emergency response, Kari went on to complete her Master of Arts in Disaster and Emergency Management sparking further interest in the area of inclusion within the workplace.
After years in the mining industry and recognizing the intense gender disparity that existed within it, Kari Lentowicz decided that this needed to change. With her experience in mine rescue, she decided that this was going to be her vehicle of transformation. In 2018, her and fellow colleagues formed Diamonds in the Rough Emergency Rescue Organization (DITR) - a non- profit organization dedicated to increasing awareness around diversity and inclusion. Their first stop was Russia at the International Mines Rescue Competition in 2018. They became the first all-women’s team to compete in the event and also became the first women to work underground in Russia, a place where it is still illegal to do so. Kari’s drive to complete this project set a world stage to create a culture of inclusion in this area.
Kari’s intense devotion to this project is apparent in the passion she exhibits in her presentations and training program. In late 2018, she left her job to pursue this philanthropic work full time. As a testament to her experience with DITR, she has stated that though it is completely voluntary, this has been the most rewarding work of her career.
Click on the PGO Virtual Symposium Program.
