PERFORMANCE CULTURE
Information Technology & Office Services Keeping Albertans safe includes keeping APEGA’s registrant data secure, which requires year-round vigilance.
Office changes In August, we made the difficult decision to close the APEGA Calgary office. Due to a significant decrease in office use and walk-in traffic over the years, paired with shifts to virtual meetings, including regulatory hearings and professional development opportunities, APEGA Council concluded that maintaining the office was no longer the most efficient use of resources. Although the physical office space closed, APEGA’s commitment to serving registrants in Calgary remains a key focus. Our presence in Calgary will continue largely unchanged, as most interactions are by phone, by email, in virtual meetings, and through the myAPEGA registrant portal. A welcome sign APEGA has settled into the new, south-side Edmonton office since moving from downtown in October 2024, and the top of the building is now lit up in green and blue by the APEGA sign shining bright in the night. The sign, which is nearly 2.5 metres tall, was installed in October 2025 and lets people know this is our home.
In January 2025, APEGA’s Information Technology (IT) department simulated a mock ransomware attack, artificially encrypting APEGA’s internal data, and worked with the security incident response, crisis management, and executive leadership teams to develop a runbook. The intention of these simulations, which were bolstered by a mid-year cyber test and a year-end cybersecurity assessment, was to seek out “cyber soft spots” before attacks happen. But according to APEGA’s IT director, the best firewall for preventing cyberattacks is often an educated staff. “Frequent and ongoing cybersecurity training keeps staff members up to date on the best practices for digital privacy and data protection. We also provide privacy and cybersecurity training to key volunteers on our statutory boards through APEGA’s learning management system.”
Working with artificial intelligence As artificial intelligence (AI) expands into
everyday life, it presents opportunities and risks. APEGA has taken a conservative approach to AI implementation—particularly in the arena of data protection and security. This intentional, balanced approach keeps sensitive membership data secure while using AI’s efficiencies to streamline daily tasks and enhance complex business processes. “What we’re learning from industry is that if you unleash AI en masse, you don’t get the efficiencies that it promises, and it can elevate privacy and security risks,” says APEGA’s IT director. “Whereas companies that take time to develop AI governance and policies, train people, and show them guardrails to work within, do get the business efficiencies and safety they hoped for.” To support an intentional roll out of AI tools, APEGA has leveraged several external parties, including an expert panel that was brought in to speak with APEGA Council and senior staff.
Did you know APEGA went paperless in 2021 and stopped mailing physical copies of invoices. In 2025, more than 99 per cent of registrants used myAPEGA to pay their dues, check on their continuing professional development requirements, and review their regulatory obligations. The myAPEGA registrant portal had 1,000,963 logins, up from 950,228 the previous year, and myAPEGA use accounted for 59 per cent of APEGA’s total website traffic.
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