Top 40 Over/Under 40

Penticton’s Top 40 Over/Under 40 is a recognition program that identifies 20 outstanding leaders under 40 years of age, and 20 outstanding leaders who are 40 years of age and older, living and/or working in the South Okanagan-Similkameen. These individuals are inspiring, innovative, create a significant and positive impact, and are community minded.

Recipients from both the Under 40 and the 40 and Over categories will be announced every Friday beginning April 12th.

Congratulations to all the Top 40 Winners, and thank you for your contributions to our community.

Josephin Schmitz-Burchartz

SB Denture Clinic

When she was just 12 years old, Josi remembers her father returning from a leadership seminar and sharing a quote by Henry Ford. 

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” 



Those words became a guiding principle for Josi, and after graduating high school at 16, she attended UBC to study biology. Josi recalls her first class where the professor informed the students that before the end of the semester, more than half of the class would drop out. He was right, but Josi not only finished his class, she... Read more...

Madeline Terbasket

Artist, Storyteller, SOS Pride

Madeline’s creative journey is as diverse as it is impactful. Their first mural, “Chief Skemxist,” stands proudly in downtown Keremeos, B.C., symbolizing Madeline’s deep connection to the Similkameen Valley. In 2017, Madeline embraced the art of burlesque, performing as Mother Girth, “the two-spirit tease,” and earned the title of ‘Most Innovative’ at the Edmonton Burlesque Festival. Burlesque has been a transformative tool for Madeline, leading to body positivity and nurturing self-love and respect.

Madeline’s foray into drag performance began unexpectedly. After dressing up as “Rez Dude” for Halloween and thoroughly enjoying the experience, they decided to bring the character to the stage as "Rez Daddy." Read more...

Chelsea Terry

Penticton Art Gallery

Chelsea is a life-long resident of Penticton, and has been involved in numerous local projects and organizations including being the lead designer for the South Okanagan Similkameen Medical Foundation’s $10 Million Campaign for the Oncology Ward upgrade, has served as on the

Board of Directors for the Penticton and District Arts Council as well as Penticton Women in Business, and wrote and produced a short film for the Snakebite Film Festival's 5 day Film Challenge in 2024 which won Best Production Design and Best Cinematography.

One of Chelsea’s biggest marketing accomplishments at the Art Gallery... Read more...

Ankit Sachdeva

VEXXHOST

Since joining VEXXHOST, a tech company offering cloud-based solutions for businesses, Ankit has been instrumental in promoting network expansion and driving significant revenue growth over the past seven years. With a dedicated focus on technology sales for the last three years, Ankit has positioned himself as a solutions provider, helping clients navigate new functionalities and products that enhance their workflows and lives.

Before that, he earned his first Masters degree in International Business from HULT Business School in San Francisco, and then a second in Project Management from Harrisburg University, Pennsylvania. His professional experience has spanned roles from sales and e-commerce to insurance. Read more...

Tristan Joseph Boisvert

Penticton and Districts Community Arts Council

Travel played a key role in Tristan’s development, starting with solo trips to Borneo, Malaysia. After pursuing a culinary degree from the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts in Vancouver and later an art program in Montreal, Tristan spent a total of 15 years in almost 40 different countries, working as a freelance writer and art director in cities like Berlin and London, and for high-profile clients like Disney and Virgin Media. 

In 2021, Tristan returned to the Okanagan and joined the Penticton and Districts Community Arts Council two years later as the managing director. The Council’s mandate has always been to support, foster, and create a vibrant arts community, but Tristan and the team went a step further and... Read more...

Nicole MacMillan

Tim Hortons Restaurants of the Southern Interior

Nicole moved to Penticton back in 1992 when her parents purchased their very first Tim Hortons. After graduating with a degree in culinary arts and hospitality from Le Cordon Bleu in Las Vegas, Nicole worked as a team member in the family business, learning each and every role in Tim Hortons before becoming an approved Franchisee alongside her parents, Paul and Beryl Stawarz, in 2022. 

Now, as the owner and operator of every Tim Hortons from Summerland down to Osoyoos, Nicole spends each day aiming to make a positive impact on someone’s life while inspiring her team of over 300 members believe in themselves and pursue their goals. Read more...

Joel Patan

Patan Heating and Air Ltd.

Growing up, Joel was inspired by his grandfather’s and father’s dedication to the trade. The company he owns and operates today is a continuation of his father’s legacy and proudly named after his father’s old company. Patan 

Heating and Air’s logo is a tribute to his grandfather’s spirit animal, bestowed by the Inuit during his work in the Northwest Territories. Starting his career as a sheet metal worker, Joel earned his Red Seal certification, followed by becoming one of Alberta's first Red Seal certified gas fitters. He expanded his expertise by gaining certification in sustainable construction, and completed the Certified Energy Advising program as well as becoming a level 1 building inspector with the Building Officials Association of B.C.

Read more...

Jamie Lloyd-Smith

City of Penticton

Jamie Lloyd-Smith has harboured a deep curiosity about global injustices for as long as she can remember, however, it was a visit to New York City at the age of 17 where she witnessed first-hand terrible poverty and homelessness intertwined with social exclusion in one of the world’s largest and wealthiest cities. The experience ignited in her a fervor for justice that would lead to her spending many years in the non-profit sector before joining the City of Penticton as its Social Development Specialist.

Since its formation in 2020, Jamie’s department has seen a significant number of achievements including bringing in 200 new childcare spaces, investing in... Read more...

Kassity Van Alphen

Femme Form Coaching

As a happily married indigenous mother of 2 boys and 1 step son, Kassity Van Alphen started her own fitness company, Femme Form Coaching, after years of professional mentorship. In two short years, she has already helped over 150 women change their lives, not just physically, but in mind, body, and soul.

Kassity has dedicated herself to finding a way to help other women be less overwhelmed and thrive in everyday life, whether that be as a mother, spouse, worker, or all three. More often than not, women come to her wanting to lose weight, but Kassity looks at the other aspects of their lives that are out of alignment and begins working on the root causes. Read more...

Marlene Trenholm

Partner Co. Health and Wellness, Penticton Women in Business

Marlene  loves  helping  others  set  meaningful  goals to further their business, career, or personal aspirations by peeling back the layers and working through any limiting beliefs. By setting targets, developing accountability partnerships, creating action plans, and performing follow-ups, she not only drives others towards success, but also herself. 

She is also a lifelong learner, having first received an education degree and then completing numerous continuing education courses along with workshops and seminars. With all of this knowledge on a wide-range of subject matter, she leads her Partner Co. Health and Wellness team by... Read more...

Ashlie Atkinson

Balance School of the Arts

Born and raised in Penticton, Ashlie was a keen student of the arts starting at the age of 8 in voice, dance and acting. As an adult, she became a graduate of the Canadian College of Performing Arts with a career that has been marked by notable performances with various theatre companies, including The Arts Club, Theatre Under the Stars and Gateway Theatre Co. She also captivated audiences as a main stage singer for Norwegian Cruise Lines and was one of the final contestants on CBC's reality TV search "Maria."

When Ashlie and her husband moved back to Penticton in 2010, she starred in lead roles for Soundstage Productions’ “Chess” and “Evita”, and earned choreography credits for "Footloose" and "Grease". Read more...

Victoria Jaenig

ULLUS Collective

Victora was born and raised on the unceded traditional territory of the syilx peoples, deeply rooted in a family of knowledge keepers fluent in nsyilxcen and trained in storytelling and performance using syilx worldviews. She has since become an apprentice of the nsyilxcen language, songs, dances, ceremony, protocols, and through her work with En'owkin Centre's Nak'ulamen Performance Collective along with six other performers, she has assisted in revitalizing Syilx performance back into the community.

As the volunteer Arts Administrator for Ullus Collective, Victoria led a series of events called “OURts”, which focused on “Our Arts” and consisted of panels, artist mixers, and... Read more...