INNOVATION May-June 2014

New Strategic Plan Seeks to Address

Annual Conference and AGM to Take Place in Vancouver, BC, October 23 – 25, 2014 APEGBC’s 2014 Annual Conference and Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place October 23 – 25 in Vancouver, BC. The conference and AGM will be held at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver and will be the venue for two days of professional development sessions, networking opportunities and a tradeshow, followed by the 95 th Annual General Meeting of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC. This year’s professional development sessions will feature the following streams: Engineering and geoscience in the resource sector, municipal engineering, environmental engineering and geoscience, management, young professionals, consulting practice, structural, better business, energy efficiency and renewable energy, geotechnical, women in leadership, APEGBC and technical tours. The association’s AGM will be held at 8:30 am – 12:30 pm on Saturday, October 25. All members are welcome and are encouraged to attend. There is no charge to attend the AGM business portions of the annual conference. More information on the conference sessions and activities, as well as online registration, is available on the conference website at apeg.bc.ca/Annual-Conference-and- AGM. A print brochure is included as a pull-out insert in the centre of this issue of Innovation. Conference sponsorship opportunities are available at a variety of levels with benefits to meet the needs of businesses, including recognition on site, at events, on promotional materials or online. For information on sponsorship opportunities, please contact Maria- Carmen Kelly at mckelly@apeg.bc.ca or 604.639.8179.

Future Challenges, Opportunities

APEGBC’s new Strategic Plan for 2014 – 2017 will come into effect in July 2014 and provide direction and focus for the association’s work for the next three years. Council set about creating the new Strategic Plan in the fall of 2013, with the results of focus groups, the 2013 Member Satisfaction Survey and a communications audit informing the development of the association’s vision, mission and goals for the 2014 – 2017 period. The first communication around the new plan appeared in the November/December 2013 issue of Innovation and follow-up information was included in the Council Report of the January/

February 2014 issue. (See page 16 for more information.) The goals and objectives set by the plan will determine the priorities for APEGBC’s programs and activities, and provide guidance for Council, committees, branches, divisions, task forces, boards and staff. A whiteboard video providing highlights of the plan is available for viewing on the APEGBC YouTube channel at youtube.com/apegbc1. The 2014 – 2017 Strategic Plan will act as the association’s compass when facing the opportunities and challenges in BC’s future. APEGBC and its members face unprecedented challenges in this era of global economies and global practice. The increased pace of technological change, rapid expansion of commerce in international and digital markets, trends towards deregulation and shifting demographics all present disruptions to the old model of professional regulation. When developing the plan, Council focused on making a marked shift from a reactive regulatory and administrative body to a relevant, proactive, forward-thinking organization that delivers value to its members, industry, government and the public. The new plan will position APEGBC to be more active in its actions and reaffirms APEGBC’s commitment to support and promote the engineering and geoscience professions as a trusted partner and progressive regulator that serves the public good. To learn more about APEGBC’s Strategic Plan for 2014 – 2017 or to view the whiteboard video, visit the Strategic Plan section of APEGBC’s website at apeg.bc.ca/strategic-plan.

In Memory of Bhavik Pachchigar APEGBC regrets to announce the passing of Bhavik Pachchigar, Administrative and Accounting Assistant, on Sunday, April 27, 2014. Bhavik was a valued member of the Finance and Admin- istration department, who supported the team in a variety of ways including junior accountant activities and accounting related to branches/divisions as well as office administration. His major projects included the centralization of branch accounting and significant support in setting up groundwork

and operations of branches accounting. Bhavik also provided excellent customer service to members and the public at the front desk. He contributed countless hours of support to the entire Finance team when required during month end, budget and other crunch times. Aside from his unerring professionalism, Bhavik was a team player who exuded sincerity, kindness and positivity. His time at APEGBC was short but he will be remembered fondly by his colleagues.

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