APEGA
Meet the President She focused much of her career on strategic thinking and planning. Now, Connie Parenteau, P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.), is putting those skills to work as APEGA’s 96th President
Connie Parenteau Giving back to my profession is my motivation. My interest started at university, and con- tinued when my employer encouraged me to volunteer for APEGA. My first volunteer role with APEGA was outreach to Grade 3 science students. I brought in children’s toys that made various sounds. Then we discussed how the sounds were made, and we watched how waves propagated, using an overhead projector with water, an eye dropper, and Duplo blocks for obstacles. I went on to serve as a Councillor and a Vice-President on APEGA Council, and the rest is history. Along the way I’ve met many profes- sionals and have always found it very rewarding. This past spring, I travelled Alberta meeting APEGA Branch Members. I’ve been talking with them about who we are and what we do. The PEG: What have you learned from Branch Members? CP The visits confirmed for me that we are, in essence, innovators and influencers. We combine science with creativity to enable people to enjoy a high standard of living. We come up with new and better ways to make life easier and safer. We guide and shape the future of Alberta, Canada, and the world. And that is amazing to me. The PEG: What are your priorities as APEGA’s 96th President? CP More and more, Council’s time is spent looking ahead and shaping the future. We are leaving operations where they belong: in the hands of CEO Mark Flint, P.Eng., and his staff. Our confidence in staff
APEGA continues to improve the regulation of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists, says President Connie Parenteau, P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.), and she’s thrilled to play a leadership role in the process. The 96th President enjoys giving back to the professions she loves by putting her strategic planning skills to good use. “I am in the right place at the right time — a time when I can confidently say that APEGA’s much-discussed transformation is beginning to pay dividends. Members and applicants can count themselves as recipients of these benefits, and so too can the public,” says Ms. Parenteau. Although she’d been named President beforehand, her swearing-in took place April 24 at the APEGA Annual General Meeting in Calgary. (She began leading APEGA after last year’s President resigned in November.) In recent years, the St. Albert resident served APEGA as Vice-President and President-Elect, so she’s played key roles in driving change. Born in Edmonton, Ms. Parenteau is a graduate of the University of Alberta’s electrical engineering program. Over a 33- year career with TELUS Communications, she held a variety of technical, managerial, and leadership positions. She introduced several new services and improved many existing ones — taking a strategic approach that serves her well as APEGA continues its evolution. The PEG asked Ms. Parenteau a series of questions about her presidency and the issues she and APEGA face. The PEG: You’re a long-time APEGA volunteer. What motivated you to run for President? Why is it important to be involved with APEGA?
10 | PEG SUMMER 2015
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