Innovation September-October 2023

E N G I N E E R S A N D G E O S C I E N T I S T S B C A W A R D S

THE EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AWARD KELSIE PRIEST, P.ENG.

THE YOUNG PROFESSIONAL AWARD PIA ABERCROMBY, P.ENG.

Five years ago, seeing a need to build a strong support system for women engineers, Kelsie Priest, P.Eng., co-founded the non profit organization Women in Consulting Engineering (WCE). Through Kelsie's leadership, now as co-chair, WCE empowers women in engineering to break down barriers, seek mentorship and guidance, and find their ground in engineering. She has helped WCE develop into a

As a strong project manager, committed volunteer and engaging leader, Pia Abercromby, P.Eng., has demonstrated—in a short time—how to excel at all levels. Pia's engineering career began in 2010 as a bridge engineer at Beca Ltd in New Zealand. She moved to Canada in 2015 and was hired at McElhanney, continuing to add to her impressive catalogue

valuable resource for women and for those who support women in the industry. WCE has grown to about 600 members and expanded last year as a national network with a branch in Calgary. A project engineer at Glotman Simpson Consulting Engineers in Vancouver since 2012, Kelsie has led several equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives for the company and is an advocate for junior engineers. Her nominee Geoffrey Glotman, MEng, P.Eng., said, "Throughout her professional career, she has contributed a significant amount of time and energy into increasing the diversity of the engineering profession, inspiring colleagues and industry peers alike." Kelsie, as the most senior woman engineer at Glotman Simpson, is a strong mentor and role model for junior engineers, supporting many women to build connections and expand their personal development. She champions women to participate in designing and changing the built environment while having fulfilling careers. Her leadership style and career experience enable her to connect with university and high school students through panel discussions and presentations, teaching them confidence and inspiring many to consider careers in structural engineering. She has also taken on volunteer mentorship and educational roles through the YWCA, Girl Guides and UBC Women in Science and Engineering (WISE). Kelsie is also a board director for the non-profit Women in Science, Engineering, Technology, and Trades (WinSETT) on the marketing committee. WinSETT aims to recruit, retain, and advance women in science, engineering, trades, and technology. Her impact on equity, diversity and inclusiveness, was noted by Glotman: "The community of women engineers and allies that Kelsie created provides support to women to prevent them from leaving the profession, therefore retaining talented and diverse individuals in the engineering field."

of successful projects. In 2022, after having led a task force to create a sustainability services strategy, Pia started McElhanney’s new Sustainability Services Division and is currently the Acting Division Manager, advising on sustainability and resilience on infrastructure projects. "It is important for me to excel in my profession to help provide service to the communities we live in," she says. "Part of that is volunteering in my community, whether that be by encouraging youth to consider careers in our industry, supporting our industry by encouraging clients to include sustainability considerations in their projects or working with community organisations that align with my values.” Her focus on public safety and wellbeing in her designs goes beyond the standard requirements to meet code design clauses; she considers safety in design elements. Pia's volunteer experience extends to serving as the logistics coordinator in the first all-women build team for the Kibembe Bridge in Uganda, through Bridges to Prosperity in 2019. She also volunteers with local organizations, including the Structural Engineers Association of BC, the Association of Consulting Engineers - BC (ACEC-BC), Women in Consulting Engineering and Engineers and Geoscientists BC. Pia's achievements have already earned her recognition in the industry. Last year, she received the ACEC-BC Young Professionals Award and, in 2021, she received an equity, diversity and inclusion award from McElhanney. "Being awarded the Engineers and Geoscientists BC Young Professional Award is a humbling experience," Pia says. "I am very grateful to McElhanney for nominating me and honoured that Engineers and Geoscientists BC chose me. This award shows me that our regulator recognises the importance of sustainability in the work that engineers and geoscientists undertake, and I am excited to see how our industry progresses in this area."

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