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Thank you. As one of the most wonderful, rewarding, exciting,
varied, challenging, and memorable years of my life draws
to a close, the one thought looming large is how to say thank
you to all of the people who have made it so. Where do I
start?
Our entire executive committee including President-Elect
Linda Van Gastel, P.Eng., Past President Ron Tenove, P.Eng.,
and Vice-President Andy Gilliland, P.Eng., have worked together
exceptionally well over the past year. Linda is well prepared
to take the reins in just a few weeks, and will be a fantastic
president.
I look forward to supporting Linda in her new role, just
as she and the rest of our executive have supported me this
past year. Thank you.
Our Council this year has been truly magnificent. We have
worked through several tough questions, some of our own making
and some imposed by circumstances beyond our control. Each
and every member of Council has contributed to solutions
that would not have come about without the dedication, commitment,
understanding and teamwork of the entire group.
What an honour it has been to watch you reach the right
answer each time, reducing several long standing and complex
issues into simple solutions that work. Thank you.
Beginning with Executive Director & Registrar Neil Windsor,
P.Eng., and extending through the entire organization, the
staff of APEGGA has been absolutely marvelous to work with.
We are fortunate indeed to have such dedicated and capable
people working on our behalf each and every day. You have
made this year possible for me with your hard work and efforts
in support of all 40,000 members of APEGGA. On behalf of
all of us, thank you.
Many of you volunteer your time to APEGGA. It could be on
a branch, one of our statutory committees such as the Board
of Examiners, the Discipline Committee, the Appeal Board,
or the Investigative Committee. Perhaps you serve on Student
Outreach, or Practice Standards or Communications Planning.
Over 600 members volunteer their time every year, and this
organization could not and would not function without you.
As president this year I have come to fully understand the
depth and breadth of your contributions, and can only say
thank you and keep up the good work.
Many other organizations interact with APEGGA and help us
to fulfill our mandate to protect the public and provide
leadership in the practice of our professions. This year
I have come to realize that we are not alone in our mandate,
that we have many partners, and I have met with many of them
this year.
Partners such as the presidents and deans of engineering
from both the University of Alberta and the University of
Calgary. More and more we interact with other post secondary
institutions such as SAIT, NAIT, Mount Royal College and
others. I met with leaders from the Calgary Catholic Immigration
Society and the Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association.
We work closely with the Canadian Council of Professional
Geoscientists and Canadian Council of Professional Engineers,
which both provide leadership and coordination at a national
level in our professions with strong input from our members
in Alberta.
Gordon Williams, P.Geol., is just completing his term as
president of CCPG, and Darrel Danyluk, P.Eng., who is just
set to begin his term as president of CCPE, are both from
Alberta. To all of you who help APEGGA fulfill its mandate
to protect the public, thank you.
One of our partners that I have gotten to know very well
over the year is the Alberta Society of Engineering Technologists.
Starting with attending ASET’s AGM last spring, helping
celebrate ASET’s 40th anniversary last year, and meeting
with ASET’s leaders on no less than seven occasions
to discuss the future of our common profession, I have come
to know both President Allan Yeung, R.E.T., and First Vice-President
Scott Turner, R.E.T., very well. Both are fine individuals
who are passionate about our professions.
They have helped me and APEGGA to fully understand that
Engineering Technology is part and parcel of the practice
of engineering. Just as engineers work closely and seamlessly
in industry together with engineering technologists, APEGGA
must find a way to work more closely with ASET as an organization.
Thank you.
APEGGA has always worked very harmoniously with our Provincial
Government, starting with our minister the Hon. Clint Dunford,
Minister of Human Resources and Employment, and his department.
The fact that we administer the EGGP Act on behalf of government
really mandates this close relationship.
We have come to realize this past year that not only do
we administer the act, we are responsible for proposing changes
to update and keep it current and effective. This past year
we have had more interaction with government than normal
as we have worked to find solutions to several complex issues.
This spring we will bring forward to our AGM proposed changes
to our act.
One change would provide a provisional license for people
who immigrate to Alberta. The second would create a new category
of membership in APEGGA to allow us to be more inclusive
of people practicing our professions and should be licensed,
but do not fit into the existing framework.
The minister and his department have supported and encouraged
APEGGA in this direction, and we appreciate their interest
and input. Thank you.
My colleagues at Optima have tolerated my absence from work
for the past year, and more than that, have supported me
with advise, encouragement, and understanding over these
many years of my involvement with APEGGA. In ways that they
do not even know, APEGGA Honorary Member Bob McTague and
John Newman have both contributed to the successes and progress
that APEGGA has made this year. Thank you.
Lastly, but not least, nobody can do a job like this one
without the full support of his family and friends. Too many
to mention, and too many ways to describe, you have my eternal
gratitude. Thank you all.
It has been a great honour and a privilege for me to serve
as president of APEGGA. One that I will never forget. Thanks
again.
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