APEGA
My personal philosophy is that when one accepts a job, one accepts all the responsibilities that come with it — even if some aspects are not pleasant.
on how APEGA can meet economic and continuous improvement challenges, as we continue along this path? Provincial economic conditions are outside our control, so we need to be nimble enough to adjust accordingly. We need to constantly prioritize our work and ensure that the areas of higher risk are resourced adequately and acted upon. I am also hopeful that our province is resilient and will find a path forward, through a severe recession. We at APEGA have paid a price by having two successive, annual wage freezes, which in some cases has lowered staff morale. Many of our Professional Members have also suffered through this period. We should take the view that what cannot be helped must be endured. However, we need to keep our spirits high and continue to perform at a high level. In the big picture, we are very fortunate as Albertans and Canadians — we should not lose this perspective. At the time of this interview, you’ve been in the position for a little over 60 days. Characterize those days. And what do you see your next 60 days being like? The early days have been a big and busy learning curve. I joined at a busy time of our annual cycle, just before our Annual General Meeting and the annual change in our leadership at the elected Council level — with a new President and five new or re- elected Council members. It was also a time when I reorganized and had vacancies in three of four
specific duties to the Registrar but contains just one mention of the CEO! This construct can at times place these two positions in conflict. I believe that Council was wise to combine these positions and make one person responsible for the entire mandate of the Association. In my view, this limits the potential for conflict and allows the Association to move forward with one voice in a unified direction. How would you define your leadership style? I define my leadership style as a servant leader who enables others to act. I also subscribe to being a situational leader — someone who is willing to take decisive and firm action when necessary. I do not enjoy or seek out confrontation, as I am sure applies to many people, but when others do not act ethically or when our Association’s reputation may be at risk, I am willing to tackle the matter head on. My personal philosophy is that when one accepts a job, one accepts all the responsibilities that come with it — even if some aspects are not pleasant. However, I also want to be accessible to staff at all levels of the organization and work as colleagues with a common purpose. You’ve come to this role at an interesting time. The organization embarked on ambitious goals, about five years ago, in terms of improving processes and becoming a better regulator. With the downturn in the economy, funding those improvements through dues increases became a major issue. Any thoughts
SUMMER 2017 PEG | 19
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