Sonya is a founding board member of Creative Okanagan and is no stranger to live music; her Mom was a music teacher and at one point Sonya played over 10 different instruments. Sonya busked at farmers markets and community events throughout her teens and placed well in some early music competitions.

Sonya has a rich history working in the special events and festivals industry. A graduate of Vancouver Island University with a Degree in Tourism Management, Sonya moved to Kelowna in 2006 and worked for Festivals Kelowna for several years. Sonya was involved in planning and coordinating events such as Parks Alive!, Celebrate Canada Day, the 2008 BC Summer Games, the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay Celebration in Kelowna, and Global Music Festival. For Eight years Sonya was the Community Relations Coordinator for Interior Savings Credit Union. In this role, Sonya looked after community engagement and investment on behalf of the credit union for 14 communities in the Thompson Okanagan region supporting numerous festivals, fundraisers and community events.

Sonya was a key stakeholder in BreakOut West, which Kelowna hosted in 2010 and 2018. BreakOut West includes a music industry conference, a three-night showcase festival and awards show.  In 2010 Sonya was on the Host Planning Committee and was also the Volunteer Coordinator. When BreakOut returned to Kelowna in 2018, Sonya was the Host Planning Committee Vice-Chair and Sponsorship Coordinator. These days Sonya is self employed by her business, Shine On Project Management, providing marketing consultation and project management services.