Women In Consulting Engineering Receive National Recognition

OTTAWA, June 30, 2015 /CNW/ - The Association of Consulting Engineering Companies-Canada (ACEC) presented its prestigious Chair's Award to the Technical Women In Consulting Engineering (TWICE) Committee at its annual Leadership Summit in Niagara Falls in early June, 2015. The Chair's Award recognizes exceptional contributions to the consulting engineering community.

Formed in 2013 under the leadership of ACEC-Manitoba, TWICE was established to provide strategic advice to the industry on increasing diversity in consulting engineering. With a vision of fostering increased representation of women in the profession and the consulting engineering sector, TWICE will guide the industry in the development of best practices for life-work balance and help facilitate opportunities to encourage networking, mentoring, and professional development for women. The committee has completed the first of several comprehensive surveys and the results are being assessed now for use in the industry.

"TWICE represents a call to action for individuals and organizations to actively lead change and foster an environment of diversity and inclusion," said Chair of the committee, Kristen Poff. "Several studies show that diversified workplaces have the competitive advantage. The best ideas and innovations come from seeking out different points of view, and diverse perspectives lead to different ways of thinking which creates new opportunities and solutions."

The Allen D. Williams Scholarship award was also presented that evening to Owen Mierke, P.Eng., a Project Manager with the Northern Infrastructure Group at Associated Engineering. The award is presented annually to a young professional, employed by an ACEC member firm, who demonstrates a commitment to the consulting engineering industry in their province or territory.

Additionally, the ACEC Board of Directors elected Perry Mitchelmore, President and Chief Executive of Meco Engineering, as Chair of the association for 2015-2016. 

"We are honoured to present two distinguished awards as well as welcome Mr. Mitchelmore as our new Chair," said John Gamble, ACEC President and CEO. "Our member firms are strong and successful because of the incredible individuals that make up their organizations. It was our pleasure to recognize those who are committed to making our industry more innovative and diverse."

The Association of Consulting Engineering Companies-Canada represents companies in Canada that provide professional engineering services to both public and private sector clients. These services include the planning, design and execution of all types of engineering projects, as well as providing independent advice and expertise in a wide range of engineering and engineering-related fields. For more information about ACEC, please visit www.acec.ca.

SOURCE Association of Consulting Engineering Companies

Randi Goddard, Manager, Communications, [phone], [email protected]