APEGA
Mr. Nagendran has served on the Board of Governors at the University of Alberta, and he’s been the Manager of Environment and Engineering for the Alberta Special Waste Management Corporation. He’s also worked for the Canadian International Development Agency in Indonesia and was a consultant to the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank on projects in India, the Philippines, and Thailand. An APEGA Member for 40 years, Mr. Nagendran is the first person to lead APEGA in the newly created position of Registrar & Chief Executive Officer. Following are the results of a question-and-answer session with Mr. Nagendran.
Much of your experience is in the regulatory and government worlds, but this is your first foray into self-regulation (beyond being, as a P.Eng., a Member of a self-regulated profession). How do your past leadership positions prepare you for your APEGA roles? How about your more technical past positions? Self-regulation is a privilege allowing Members to regu- late themselves and be regulated by their peers. Yet the rules of engagement have many similarities to direct, government-regulated activities. In both instances, regu- lations need to be firm, fair, consistent, and predictable. The rules of engagement must be transparent. A regulator needs to be compassionate. The idea is not to see how to punish people or industry but rather to see how we can incentivize adherence to the Engineering and Geoscience Professions Act and General Regulation, including our Code of Ethics , and provide the tools Members and Permit Holders require — pertinent
and current professional development, for example, and current and pertinent professional standards, guidelines, and bulletins. The APEGA position of Registrar & Chief Executive Officer is an extension of my career and the opportunities I’ve enjoyed. Leadership positions are a privilege and a platform to make life a little better for the people around you. This position provides me with a unique opportunity to enhance the image of our 97-year-old Association, while always remembering that its prime purpose is to protect the public and sustain the high quality of service our Members provide to all stakeholders. The technical positions I have had along my career journey have been an opportunity to contribute to my profession. I have been very fortunate to work with some tremendously talented people, from whom I have learned much. Throughout this journey, it has been the people who have made this worthwhile.
This position provides me with a unique opportunity to enhance the image of our 97-year-old Association, while always remembering that its prime purpose is to protect the public and sustain the high quality of service our Members provide to all stakeholders.
16 | PEG SUMMER 2017
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