DRIVING ALBERTA FORWARD
and the province’s first female deputy minister for social services, K–12 education, and infrastructure. Her many contributions to the public and her community were recognized with Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee Medal, Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, and the Institute of Public Administration of Canada’s Alberta Lieutenant Governor’s Award. We had our last in-person PRB meeting with Maria in August. As always, she was keen to discuss new ideas.
Maria had an immediate and positive impact when she joined our board in 2017. Her role was to ensure the public’s interests were fully represented in the board’s considerations, deliberations, and decision-making processes. Through her active participation on the board, Maria helped ensure that APEGA’s licensed professionals were qualified and competent to practise, and that they adhered to the standards, regulations, and ethics of the engineering and geoscience professions.
“I continue to be very encouraged by the initiatives and dedication of PRB volunteers and APEGA staff, as well as APEGA Council…. I commend them for their professionalism and diligence and have appreciated APEGA staff and the other volunteer members of the PRB fully embracing and giving due consideration to my input on behalf of the public interest.”
– Maria David-Evans , APEGA 2021 Annual Report
After the meeting, she shared her excitement about an upcoming fun-filled holiday with her grandchildren. It was our privilege to have served on APEGA’s Practice Review Board with Maria. She is greatly missed by all who knew her, collaborated with her, learned from her, and were inspired by her.
This responsibility to protect public safety in Alberta was a commitment Maria took to heart. Highly engaged and always thoroughly prepared, Maria was a dynamic leader who was greatly admired for her forthrightness and drive. She challenged us—in thoughtful and insightful ways—to explore new perspectives and new ways of thinking. Maria pushed the PRB, APEGA staff, and APEGA Council to innovate and take bold steps to improve our ability to regulate the professions for the overall benefit of Albertans. She was instrumental in advancing initiatives that transformed how the PRB and APEGA’s professional practice staff met statutory obligations to protect the public interest. In recent years, she made especially valuable contributions that enhanced APEGA’s practice review process through a new risk-based management approach that has made APEGA a stronger, more effective regulator. Maria’s commitment to excellence in public service spanned more than 50 years. She opened doors for women in the workplace as the City of Edmonton’s first female general manager of parks and recreation,
APEGA Professional Practice Department, on behalf of the APEGA Practice Review Board
APEGA Practice Review Board members:
Mahendra Samaroo , P.Eng., P.Geol. Chair Tom Johnston , P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.) Vice-Chair Sam Proskin , P.Eng., PhD, FEC, FGC (Hon.) Sandeep Gupta , P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.)
Marcella deJong , P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.) Dale Sahota , P.Eng. Shannon Hiebert , P.Eng. Dah Fong Kuan , P.Eng. Bill MacMillan , P.Eng. Jeff Fetter , P.Eng.
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apega.ca
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