PROFILE
HE LOVES THE MOUNTAINS The Rockies, including Giraibaldi Provincial Park, where he poses in this photo, contain many of the vacation spots enjoyed by Kashif Dada, P.Eng. -photo courtesy Kashif Dada, P.Eng.
social and networking activities, plan science outreach events for students, and communicate important APEGA information to our membership. Mr. Dada volunteered first with Vermillion River Branch as a Member-at- Large, then as Secretary, Treasurer, Vice- Chair, and now Chair. “My motivation is to meet fellow engineers and geoscientists, and at the same time encourage Branch Members to give more back to the professions,” he explains. A highlight of volunteering so far has been working with local schools to organize the APEGA Science Olympics. “We want to encourage students to choose careers in engineering and geo- science,” says Mr. Dada. Seeing students actively engaged in science challenges is especially rewarding for him — and a bit surprising, too. “I’m always amazed at the creative solutions students come up with that I, as a Professional Engineer, didn’t even think about. It’s amazing how their minds work and the out-of-box thinking and solu- tions they come up with. APEGA Science Olympics is a great opportunity for them to exercise their minds.” Vermillion River Branch is working with local schools to hold a science challenge in the fall, after schools there launch a new science program. Mr. Dada and other branch volunteers will spearhead the initiative, and he says the branch also hopes to hold more social events for local Members and their families in coming months. (About 180 APEGA professionals live in the region represented by the Vermillion Branch.) “One of my goals as Chair is to engage the membership a lot more and spread the word about branch activities, while at the same time letting the Lloydminster community know about the value of the work done by engineers and geoscientists here.”
“One of my goals as Chair is to engage the membership a lot more and spread the word about branch activities, while at the same time letting the Lloydminster community know about the value of the work done by engineers and geoscientists here.”
about their lives, their careers, and the local engineering scene. He was encouraged to volunteer for APEGA’s Vermillion River Branch by fellow professional Jim McCuaig, P.Eng., an active APEGA volunteer who at the time was the Vermillion River Branch Vice-Chair. APEGA has 10 branches across the province and volunteers — like Mr. McCuaig and Mr. Dada — help connect Members in each branch to their regulator, each other, and their communities. Branches organize
would have thought I’d be living in Calgary or Edmonton. But it’s kind of surprising where you end up.” That’s not to say he’d change a thing about his life-and-career trajectory. “If you ask me now, I prefer living in Lloyd. I like the small-town lifestyle — and there’s less traffic,” he says with a laugh. “As long as the opportunities are in Lloyd, I’ll stay here.” An Engineer-in-Training when he arrived in Border City in 2012, Mr. Dada was eager to meet other professionals to learn
SUMMER 2016 PEG | 61
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker