Girls Take Flight – Speaker Series

Cheryl Stone

Chief Strategy Officer, Nieuport Aviation

Cheryl is Nieuport Aviation’s Chief Strategy Officer. Having been with the organization since 2022, Cheryl’s strong understanding of the intersection between strategy and impact has made her invaluable in driving forward strategic initiatives at the award-winning passenger terminal at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. Having worked both with government and within government, Cheryl has a proven track record of delivering strategic initiatives in partnership with government, business and community organizations.

Cheryl is a recognized leader in the aviation industry, having served as the first Young Professional Liaison to the ACI-NA World Business Partners & Associates Board and was named in 2024 to Wings Magazine’s Top 20 Under40 in Canada list. Prior to joining Nieuport, Cheryl spent six years with the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) at Toronto Pearson where she managed public affairs and government relations activities with national and international industry organizations and played a lead role in the corporation’s engagement with industry, business, and academic organizations.

Cheryl holds a Master’s Degree from Sir Wilfrid Laurier University and an Honours Bachelor Degree from King’s University College.

Lesley Page

Founder, Girls Take Flight

At age 50, Lesley Page had her first flight in a small airplane. It was love at first flight!

Realizing that “Life is too short to be a passenger”, she got a Private Pilot license and she and her husband take turns as captain of their Cessna 172.

Lesley shares her love of flying by organizing discovery flight events to introduce women and young people to aviation. In 2014, she founded Girls Take Flight, an annual event held at the Oshawa Executive Airport, and the precursor to Girls Take Flight at Billy Bishop.

Lesley is an experienced public speaker and engaging story-teller. She enjoys inspiring people to overcome their fears and obstacles and to achieve their dreams by relating her journey from burned-out corporate manager to award-winning private pilot.

Emma Flanagan-Dellipizzi

Assistant Chief Pilot, Dash 8 Line Operations, Porter Airlines

Emma started her aviation journey in 2014 after obtaining her Glider Pilot’s licence through the Royal Canadian Air Cadet Program. She began her career as a flight instructor based at Oshawa Airport, where she trained private, commercial, and IATPL students. After joining Porter in 2022, Emma began training Dash 8 Q400 pilots and later progressed to the role of Standards Pilot, Dash 8 Simulator. Nearly five years into her career with Porter, Emma is now the Assistant Chief Pilot, Dash 8 Line Operations. 

Throughout her career, Emma has been able to share aviation in various capacities, including through volunteer work with the Air Cadet Program, NLAF mentorship, Girls Take Flight, and Porter’s own Destination Porter program.

Shaylene Abrey-Webster

Aerospace Engineering Student,
RCAF Foundation Scholarship Recipient

Shaylene Abrey-Webster is a final-year Aerospace Engineering student at Toronto Metropolitan University and a two-time RCAF Foundation scholarship recipient. She has completed three internships spanning aircraft manufacturing, certification and satellite engineering. At Collins Aerospace, Shaylene worked in chemical regulatory compliance and improved analysis processes using Excel VBA and macros. She has also supported aircraft certification testing within Bell Flight’s Materials and Processes Engineering department and contributed to low-Earth-orbit satellite engineering at Telesat. Passionate about aviation, Shaylene hopes to encourage more young women to explore careers in aerospace.

Diba Alam

Engineering Science Student,
RCAF Foundation Scholarship Recipient

Diba Alam is a final-year Engineering Science student at the University of Toronto, specializing in Machine Intelligence with a minor in Robotics. A two-time RCAF Foundation scholarship recipient, Diba completed a Systems Design Engineering internship at MDA Space, where she supported the development of Canadarm3 and next-generation robotic systems. She has also represented Canada at a European Space Agency robotics workshop and contributed to research in artificial intelligence, robotics and autonomous systems. As former Co-President and current advisor to Women in Science and Engineering at U of T, as well as co-founder of Women of SEDS Canada, Diba is passionate about creating opportunities for the next generation of women in STEM and space.

Melanie Dias

Aerospace Engineering Student,
RCAF Foundation Scholarship Recipient

Melanie Dias is an aerospace engineering student at Toronto Metropolitan University, a licensed glider pilot and a 2026 RCAF Foundation scholarship recipient. She is actively involved with the University Soaring Society, as the Co-President while helping make glider training and aviation experiences more accessible to students. Melanie also serves as an ambassador with TMU’s First-Year Engineering Office, welcoming and supporting students as they begin their engineering journeys. She also served on the Aerospace Course Union where she organzied TMU’s first Women in Aerospace Conference. Passionate about aviation, mentorship and community-building, she hopes to encourage more young women to see themselves pursuing careers in aerospace.

Tonya Yearwood

Chief Executive Officer, Black Aviation Professionals Network

Tonya was born in Toronto, Ontario to natives of Trinidad & Tobago. She worked in both Canada and the United States in a variety of careers; Finance, Fitness, Postal Service, and Automotive until she found herself in Aviation & Aerospace within the IT space. Working in the industry allowed Tonya to have a new found appreciation for air transportation but quickly learned that diversity in Aviation & Aerospace was non-existent compared to her previous professional experiences. Without its challenges, the Black Aviation Professionals Network (BAPN) was formed, a non-profit organization to help her fellow colleagues and the next generation of leaders and aviators in the sector. BAPN will promote Aviation, showcase it’s more than pilots and flight attendants, appeal to the Black community showing the variety of careers available and supply the resources to thrive. There are Aviation Professionals and professionals in Aviation. Together, we are BAPN!