INNOVATION November-December 2013

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Robin J. Miller Building a Bridge to the Future Michael Bapty, P.Eng., FEC

Diana Nethercott

A few minutes talking to Michael Bapty, P.Eng., FEC, and it becomes clear that this is a man who plays well with others. “From the time I first graduated as an engineer,” says Michael, “being part of an environment of pro- fessionals has been very important to me. There’s nothing else quite as good as bouncing ideas off people with like interests, achievements, and experiences.” It was that love of collegiality and community that prompted Michael to put his name in for APEGBC President, and one of the strengths he believes he will bring to the position over the next year as he assumes his role as president for 2013/2014. “Being president is not really a job,” he says. Rather, “I see myself as a bridge, a bridge to members, staff, government, and to the public.” With experience gained as a three-time APEGBC Councillor, Vice President in 2012/2013, as well as member of five different committees (most recently the Value for Money Review Steering Committee), not to mention the 40-plus years of experience as an “engineering puzzle- and problem-solver”, Michael understands the value of working with, and listening to, his peers.

“I will be there to hear everyone’s ideas and requests,” he says. “This is how we will advance as an organization and deal with the changes and challenges that we know are coming.” Challenges Ahead Michael sees the unusual weather that Canada and other countries worldwide have recently been experiencing as one of the greatest challenges facing engineers and geoscientists today. “Alberta, for example, has been having floods where there were no floods for decades. Those floods, plus many other events, now mean we have to build extra costs into our proposals for major projects. Budgets are going to be stretched to provide for extra care and diligence, to cope with the possibility of unusual weather.” As an association, Michael says that APEGBC needs to continue developing policies and guidelines that reflect changing environmental conditions and the need for even more durability in engineering and geoscience projects to protect public safety.

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