Registrar & CEO's Message
APEGA
There’s a Lot in APEGA for You— But the Public Comes First BY JAY NAGENDRAN, P.ENG., QEP, BCEE, FEC APEGA Registrar & Chief Executive Officer
As a self-regulating organization, our relationship with members is critical to our success. This should not be a major revelation to any of you. We need you as professionals, as volunteers, as voters, as councillors, as branch executive members. We consult with you to incorporate your experience and expertise in our work. We count on you to make crucial regulatory decisions involving your peers. We book you as speakers and presenters for APEGA events. We recruit you to share your love of science and math with young people. Still, you have every right to ask APEGA a fundamental question: what’s in it for me? I encourage you to ask it, in fact. But please don’t expect a single, simple answer, because your relationship with APEGA is multi-faceted and situational. It depends on your willingness and ability to give back to your professions, the stage you’ve reached in your career, the types of tools and support you need, and a myriad of other factors. APEGA strives to be a compassionate regulator. As I addressed at length in my winter message, we have many benefits and programs available to help you develop your career, find a new position, learn new skills, and otherwise add value to your professional and personal life. But more important than any benefit is a different type of service, and we’re all responsible for its delivery. It is service to the safety and wellbeing of the public. To perform this duty properly, you and APEGA must be partners in professionalism. The public interest is our common cause, and it is no trifling matter. If your peers, through the functions APEGA is statutorily required to deploy, find that you’re lacking in your part of this relationship, APEGA acts. In a nutshell, that’s what self-regulation is.
For most of you, that type of interaction will be rare and minimal at most. You will perform your work ethically and competently. You will stay current and dedicate yourself to career-long learning, thereby meeting our continuing professional development (CPD) requirements. You will conscientiously maintain and improve your reputation and good standing. APEGA, meanwhile, will work hard in the background to maintain and improve the value of those letters that appear after your name: your professional designation. That’s a big part of what’s in it for you. We expect a lot from you. And you should expect a lot from us. That’s why we’re always improving the services and processes that give value to your licence. You won’t always notice the actions we take, but you and the public are benefiting from them. As the year gains momentum and the APEGA Annual Conference and AGM approach, let’s look at a small sampling of our improvements and those not-always-visible benefits. I’m also going to use this platform to encourage you to play an active role in self-regulation. Do you think we should be doing a better job? Are voices and perspectives not being heard? Are opportunities being missed? This is the perfect time of year to become a more engaged member. Exercise your right to vote. Attend the AGM. Make use of the professional development opportunities we provide during the conference. Apply for a volunteer opportunity. THE APPLICANT EXPERIENCE Attaining the ethical, experiential, and academic level expected and required of APEGA professionals should not be easy. Serving the public interest demands
6 | PEG SPRING 2018
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker