A Lasting Contribution: Jennifer Spooner’s 31 Years of Leadership at CFA

Ask Jennifer Spooner what she’ll miss most when she retires from the Canadian Fuels Association (CFA) next year, and her answer comes without hesitation.

“It’s the people.”

Those three words have shaped Jennifer’s 31-year career at CFA and reflect the qualities that earned her the 2026 Françoise Landry CFA Achievement Award. The award recognizes individuals whose long-standing dedication, leadership and commitment have made a lasting impact on the association and its members, qualities Jennifer has embodied throughout her career.

Jennifer never expected her career at CFA to last more than three decades. She joined the association as a summer student in the mail room, but quickly discovered new opportunities to learn and grow.

Over the years, she took on roles in administration, meeting planning, data analysis and committee management, embracing every chance to try something new.

“I was always given the opportunity to try different things,” she says. “If there was a chance to learn, I wanted to do it.”

As CFA and the fuels industry evolved, so did Jennifer’s role. She supported technical committees, managed industry data, coordinated meetings and worked closely with members across a wide range of files. In her current role as Committee Manager and Corporate Secretary, she continues to help CFA committees and working groups collaborate, share expertise and advance solutions to industry challenges.

“I made a point to read everything that came across my desk,” she says. “By listening and participating, you learn so much, not only about the industry, but about the people.”

For more than three decades, Jennifer has been the steady force behind many of CFA’s committees and working groups, helping members collaborate, share knowledge and move important industry initiatives forward.

“Jennifer’s impact on CFA cannot be measured only by the years she has dedicated to the association, but by the relationships she has built, the knowledge she has shared and the culture of collaboration she has helped foster,” says Bob Larocque, President and CEO of CFA. “She has been a trusted partner to our members and colleagues, and her commitment to supporting others has left a lasting mark on CFA.”

That commitment has defined Jennifer’s career. Rather than keeping knowledge to herself, she has always believed in sharing what she has learned, helping colleagues build confidence and grow into their own roles.

“We’ve always been a team,” she says. “Nobody says, ‘That’s not my job.’ If someone needs help, we pitch in.”

Jennifer believes that culture has been one of CFA’s greatest strengths. Throughout her career, she has seen colleagues step in to help one another, celebrate milestones and build relationships that extend beyond the workplace.

That philosophy was shaped by the late Françoise Landry, who mentored Jennifer for nearly three decades. More than a colleague, Françoise became a trusted friend whose generosity, leadership and commitment to CFA left a lasting impression.

“She wasn’t just a coworker, she became a true friend,” Jennifer says. “She cared so much about the association, and that rubbed off on everyone.”

Receiving an award bearing Françoise’s name made the recognition especially meaningful.

“The award means a great deal to me,” she says. “Having it in her namesake takes it to another level.”

As retirement approaches, Jennifer is looking forward to travelling with her husband and spending more time with family. But leaving CFA will be bittersweet.

“I’ll miss the people,” she says. “CFA has always felt like a family to me. It’s the relationships and the sense of community that have made this place so special.”

Jennifer hopes her lasting impact will be simple: that people continue to support one another, share their knowledge and preserve the sense of community that has defined CFA throughout her career.

It’s the same spirit Françoise Landry inspired in her, and one Jennifer has spent more than three decades passing on to others.