PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
COLLABORATION IN ACTION APEGA Branch Chairs meet quarterly to collaborate and share information on how to better serve Members. In discussion at the June meeting are (left to right) Lakeland Branch Chair Natasha Pounder, P.Eng., Medicine Hat Branch Chair Said Said Yussuf, P.Eng., Fort McMurray Branch Chair Unokhaso Monofi, P.Eng., (hidden) and Central Alberta Branch Chair Sonny Nagra, P.Eng. -photo by Corinne Lutter
How Branch Renewal is Strengthening APEGA APEGA decided several years ago to make Branch renewal a business priority. The plan is paying dividends, as the Association relies more and more on developing its grassroots and incorporating ideas from around the province. As the new year begins, plans are in place to build on improvements — and enrich the Member experience through widespread engagement
BY CORINNE LUTTER Member & Internal Communications Coordinator
operations. Serving urban and rural commu- nities across the province, they’re vital links with our offices in Edmonton and Calgary. As voices of their Members, Branches provide feedback to APEGA Council and staff on issues important to Professional Engineers and Professional Geoscientists. They also act as voices of APEGA itself, communicating important Association infor- mation to our membership. Branches organize professional de- velopment sessions and hold networking events. They represent us in their communi- ties, helping APEGA deliver outreach pro- grams like science olympics and elementary science nights. That’s why improving Branch engage- ment — and through Branches reaching and hearing from more Members — has been an APEGA business priority over the past few years. It’s a key part of our ongoing efforts
all positions and is currently the Past-Chair. He got involved to meet other professionals and stay current on industry happenings. “The practices of engineering and geoscience are changing, not only in Alberta but in Canada. We’re not just competing against ourselves; we’re competing against the world,” he says. “It’s important that professionals be involved to really understand the issues — not only to know what’s going on, but to give back and help support the professions.”
Ten years ago Jim McCuaig, P.Eng., decided to get more engaged with his profession by volunteering as a Member-at-Large with APEGA’s Peace Region Branch. Over the next decade, he and his career moved around the province, and that commitment has followed him. In Lloydminster he vol- unteered with the Vermillion River Branch Executive, and today he’s active with the Edmonton Branch Executive as the Vice- Chair. “What’s kept me involved is the in- teraction with other professionals and the opportunity to help further my profession. I also found it really rewarding to take part in APEGA outreach programs and get young people interested in engineering and sci- ence,” he explains. Aldous Walters, P.Eng., has been on the executive of the Fort McMurray Branch continuously since 2006. He’s held almost
WHY BRANCHES?
Branches serve Members. But do they also serve the overall regulator and service goals of APEGA? Yes. APEGA’s 10 Branches — and the vol- unteers who run them — are integral to our
50 | PEG WINTER 2015
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker