Leanne Rancourt, CPE, started her editing career right after she earned her master’s degree. After working in-house for five years, she decided to go freelance in 2006, and joined Editors Toronto (and later, Editors Hamilton-Halton). Seeing the certification tests as valuable to the profession, Leanne decided to give back to the organization by volunteering on the certification committee. She not only proofreads and marks pilot and candidate tests but also works with other committee members to improve the tests, giving candidates the best test-taking experience possible. Her volunteer work has the added bonus of teaching her more about editing: she gets to discuss editing practices with the other committee members, and she incorporates knowledge she gains from these discussions and the answers to test questions into her professional work.
In addition to being a certification marker and proofreader, Leanne has volunteered as a mentor. She found the experience to be rewarding and memorable, as she helped other editors launch their own careers.
While Leanne does all kinds of editorial work, she focuses primarily on higher education textbooks. Editing educational materials, she says, makes her feel like she’s contributing something positive to the world, since textbooks are an integral part of the learning process. When she’s not editing, she enjoys knitting, running and spending time with her three children.
The featured volunteer recognizes the contributions of our dedicated people who keep Editors Canada going. Volunteers are the backbone of the association, and we are grateful for the many members and affiliates who answer the call when help is needed.
Want to make a difference in your association? Find out more about volunteering for Editors Canada.