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In this issue:
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Exciting times are upon us, both throughout our profession and within our professional association. Wearing the AQSA President's hat for the first time, I find myself in the enviable position of assuming the reins from AQSA Past President Chris Reinert, who has energized our Association with his unique vision and hard work. Thanks, Chris, for your leadership and perseverance both within our association and at the national level. Your leadership has made an impact! Chris got the ball rolling on a number of initiatives during his term as AQSA President. Star of the show is the CIQS marketing strategy. I intend to keep the momentum for Chris' marketing strategy going strong. At the CIQS Annual General Meeting in Jamaica, Chris' recommendations were adopted by all affiliates across Canada and I was named chair of the CIQS marketing committee. Marching the marketing strategy forward tops my agenda within that group. It was great to see our local leadership take the reins on this national endeavour and allow me the privilege to continue forward with his initiative! Of course there will be challenges to the strategy's implementation, but we now have consensus, a solid foundation to work from and the will to make it happen. The national marketing, or rebranding, strategy also has implications for AQSA. Like all other CIQS affiliate associations across Canada in their respective provinces, our affiliate association is registered independently under the Alberta Societies Act. There will be ways, though, that we can take advantage of the strong, refreshed new CIQS brand. Change is sometimes intimidating. At the same time, however, it can be liberating and exciting. Stay tuned for updates throughout the year on progress with implementation. Closer to home, the AQSA Board has somewhat changed its structure, encouraging greater member participation, spreading the load for our busy executive members and resulting in more direct services being offered to members. Previously, executive members were solely responsible for their portfolio responsibilities. We have now implemented a more comprehensive committee system where Board members are encouraged to liaise with committees formed from our general membership, who themselves could function as a committee chair. This structure gives our members an opportunity to invest their time in support of the Association - and share their knowledge and aptitudes for the general good of our whole Association. It also means more hands-on help to get initiatives such as local professional development sessions or social functions off the ground. And those functions make our Association and professional networks stronger. If you're interested in serving on an AQSA committee, contact me or any Board member. The Board welcomes your involvement and reminds you that you also earn CPD points through your participation. AQSA is your association. If you have opportunities or issues you'd like to discuss, let me know. We're here to support our members and our profession. Best
Regards, With achievements outweighing the challenges, I offer thanks to my Board and AQSA members for a great year as AQSA President. With the 2010-11 term in the books, it's time to offer a quick wrap-up of the year. The Board made progress in addressing many membership needs and concerns. Our membership is constantly growing, and we made improvements in evaluating new member applications. We also made improvements in the diary review process. Our newsletter, Cost Connections, is receiving great reviews from our members as well as from other CIQS affiliates, and we're considering increasing the number of issues we produce. We have also seen an increase in the job postings on our website. This is good news for our membership since it indicates things are picking up in our industry. Job postings also provide revenue to maintain and update our website. On the national front, many of you know about my work as Chair of the National Marketing and Promotions Committee and its focus on the CIQS marketing plan. I'm delighted that Dave Burns is continuing AQSA representation on that committee in his role as committee chair. Finally, I offer many thanks to the AQSA Board for their efforts throughout the term. Serving on a volunteer Board requires commitment, more time than one anticipates, patience and a solid sense of humour. I'm delighted to remain on the Board as Past President and already see some exciting things in the works for 2011-12. Chris
Reinert, PQS |
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July
22-27 July 24 July 25 Oct. 7 Oct. 12-14 Oct. 25 - 26 Nov. 14-15 Dec. 1 Do you have other events you'd like to see listed? E-mail us the details.
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Meet
your AQSA 2011-2012 Board
With some changes of the guard and renewed vigour for the year ahead, AQSA is ready for business in 2011-12. Your Board: President - Dave Burns, PQS The Board passed a motion to have Dave Burns represent AQSA at the 2011-2012 CIQS Council meetings. Want to get in touch with your Board members? Check out the AQSA website for e-mails and phone numbers. Following is a complete list of CIQS Fellows in our Association who remain active in the industry. In March, Cost Connections published a list of CIQS Fellows still active in our profession. That list was incomplete and is amended below, with apologies and acknowledgement to all Fellows in our Association and their contributions.
Want to share some insights – and earn CPD points at the same time? If you want to let your experience talk or have some technical know-how you think your fellow members would find useful, here's your chance to step into the spotlight as a speaker - and earn some valuable CPD points. AQSA is looking for topics relevant to our members for various Association events and professional development sessions. Get in touch if you'd like to pursue the opportunity. AQSA golf tourney - Sept. 7
With the first tee-off slated for 12:30 p.m. , Texas scramble format, organizers are guaranteeing fun in the sun (yes, sun!) for the golfers amongst us. There will be prizes galore, laughs aplenty - and room for everyone who wants to play the day away - but it's still first come, first served. Reserve a spot now! Contact Wayne Quanson or John Overall. After golf, relax over a great dinner - and see who walks away with the golf honours and door prizes. Here's an opportunity to share the fruits of your experience with Association members on track to earning their designations. AQSA is looking for members with the PQS designation and a minimum of 10 years' professional experience to review the diaries of members working toward their PQS or CEC designations. As if helping newer members isn't reward enough, AQSA is offering a $50 gift card for each three-month segment of diary reviewed. The diary review process takes a little time but, more importantly, offers a unique opportunity to mentor a newer member on the fine points of diaries and the broader perspectives of our profession on Alberta. If you have questions about becoming a diary reviewer or you're interested in offering your professional skills - and again earning CPD points - contact Chris Holden, PQS, AQSA Diaries Director.
For those of you planning to take the next step toward your professional designation, the Thursday, Sept. 1 exam registration deadline is just a heartbeat away. Exams are scheduled for the first part of November, but registrations close Sept. 1 - with no exceptions. If you have questions or would like some advice, contact AQSA Education Director Michael Bernier.
AQSA President Dave Burns and his wife, Past President Chris Reinert, Wayne Quanson and his wife, and Edward Traore were among the roughly 30 CIQS members attending the June 11-15 CIQS AGM. Attendees marched efficiently through the business portion of the meeting, hearing the results of the CIQS Council elections, voting on business matters at hand - and learning that the 2012 CIQS AGM will be held in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. The highlight of the business agenda was the CIQS marketing strategy, which the attending members (with more than 160 proxy votes in hand) passed unanimously. "I'm thrilled. It was a lot of work to get it to this point. The attending members' unanimous endorsement represents a big, big change for the Association," said Chris Reinert, AQSA Past President and former chair of the CIQS Marketing Committee, responsible for the marketing strategy. "Senior Association members made a point of telling me it's time for a CIQS rebranding, that it needs to be done. I really appreciate the support and the recognition of the strategy's significance to our national body." Attending members were given more food for thought during the technical presentations. AQSA member Edward Traore presented construction entry strategies for international construction. Natalie Alexander's session focused on quantity surveying work in St. Lucia after Hurricane Tomas, which hit the island in late October 2010. June Anderson, local Jamaican project developer, and Maura Watson, Jamaican real estate agent, offered insights on the Paradiso, a new subdivision in Whitehouse, Westmoreland in Jamaica. Last, but certainly not least, the AGM wrapped up with its namesake taking top honours at the Clive Evans Living Golf Tournament. AQSA President Dave Burns is the new face on the 2011-2012 CIQS Council, but he's hit the deck running. With AQSA Past President Chris Reinert's term on the CIQS Council complete, Dave Burns joined the Council - and volunteered to pick up where Chris left off by chairing the Marketing Committee. "I feel privileged to be given the opportunity of chairing this committee. Chris showed that the work of this group can be felt from coast to coast, and I'm committed to furthering his efforts," said Dave. His commitment - and time - are most appreciated. "This will be a big job. We're fortunate to have someone with Dave's drive and enthusiasm taking over such a large committee," said CIQS Executive Director Lois Metcalfe. The Council holds two meetings in relation to the CIQS AGM. The first, held just before the AGM, prepares Council members for the upcoming AGM. The second, held soon after the AGM, is dedicated to the election of officers and committee appointments for the upcoming term. In other news from the CIQS Council meeting:
CIQS marketing plan "shapes the next 50 years" With his "baby," the CIQS marketing plan, unanimously approved at the CIQS AGM, AQSA Past President Chris Reinert is feeling delight, relief, anxiety and more. The "more" certainly includes fatigue. "Getting the marketing plan to the point it is now was a lot of work both for me and the rest of the marketing team. On one hand, I won't be sorry to have more time to devote to other things, but on the other hand I'm still keenly interested in its progress through the implementation stages," said Chris. For Chris, the hours spent on behalf of the plan were well worth the investment of time and angst. "This plan is shaping the next 50 years of CIQS. It's a new image, a fresh, contemporary look. Beyond the look, this plan gives us a national brand that will be recognizable across the country and internationally."
Simply, the marketing plan is a very big deal for CIQS and its affiliates. CIQS Executive Director Lois Metcalfe agrees. "Research for the plan clearly showed a disconnect in members' perceptions between the national body and the affiliate associations, and the public has no idea of the relationship between CIQS and the affiliates," she said. "The rebranding will show we're all part of one association." Chris is hopeful that CIQS members and the broader industry will soon start to see changes articulated within the strategy. He said the first phase of implementation budget was approved at the AGM, paving the way for initial implementation. "The first step is to have the Marketing Committee chair make a recommendation to Council to begin the implementation process. The committee then has to review the timelines for each project under the marketing plan and then allocate the budget for each project," Lois noted. She and Chris both see the CIQS website as a top priority. "We discovered during the member and partner interviews that the website needs major work to update it. We're listening to our members and this is clearly a priority for them." Lois knows everyone would like the website update completed within a few weeks, but she cautions against those expectations. "The job has to be done right. You can't rush it. There are some major questions and issues to be resolved before the revamp begins or we won't get a website that will help support our rebranding the way it should," she explained. "It won't happen by this fall." Also on the Top 10 list of priorities is the dissemination of the new logo. "The new logo and masthead will be offered to all the affiliates. Having CIQS and the affiliated associations use the same logo (with regional adaptions) will show we are all part of the national association with the same objectives." Chris anticipates the new logo will start appearing on CIQS textbooks with the next issue. Lois also sees some smaller implementation - stationery, business cards, trade show banners, etc. - in the foreseeable future. Both anticipate implementation occurring over a two- to three-year period as funding and resources become available. A fond farewell to Gordon Pattison
CIQS Executive Director Lois Metcalfe said Gordon referred to himself as "one of the baker's dozen," one of the 13 professionals who established the Institute in 1959. He stayed involved with CIQS for more than 50 years, serving on the Council in various capacities including Secretary for its first 10 years. "He was never (CIQS) President but he probably served longer and did more than anybody else," Lois said. Gordon was honoured with one of the first CIQS Awards of Merit and Fellow designations. Considering his contributions, CIQS bestowed the title of Honorary CIQS President on Gordon in 2008. "He really appreciated that." Gordon's record of participation was memorable. He and Frank Helyar attended every AGM until their health began to fail. Gordon even attended the CIQS 50th anniversary celebrations in June 2010. "He was Mr. CIQS." Gordon, who was involved in private practice most of his career, lived in Scarborough with his wife. Infrastructure Partners Conference 2011 Mark your calendars for Nov. 14-15 and get your registrations in early for this must-attend conference! With last year's conference a sell-out, organizers are urging you to register now for Alberta's second annual Infrastructure Partners Conference. The place to be is the Edmonton EXPO Centre, where the action-packed itinerary will keep an anticipated 500 industry delegates on their toes. Again this year, attendees will have opportunities to share information, develop common solutions, recognize excellence and build relationships. Even better, the event promises several interactive sessions where delegates can get the skinny on the direction and updates within Alberta Infrastructure, on industry procurement and infrastructure renewal. A Town Hall with the Minister is a featured 90-minute session. "It's a question-and-answer session set up to give the Minister of Infrastructure a chance to update us - and a chance for delegates to engage the Minister directly," said Hiju Song, conference director and Director of Operations for the Consulting Engineers of Alberta (CEA). Alberta Infrastructure Minister Ray Danyluk presented at the 2010 conference; this year's town hall session will help bridge the ministry's immediate priorities and strategic vision. Another featured highlight is a panel discussion on "Industry in a World of Changing Procurement" with representatives from across the industry. "This is something the industry needs to talk about, and this session facilitates that discussion," said Hiju. Rounding out the triumvirate of featured sessions is another panel discussion examining the state of Alberta's aging infrastructure. This session will also be a panel discussion with representation from various sectors, and Alberta Infrastructure will make a brief presentation on the health of its own infrastructure. The IPC Committee is confirming arrangements with speakers from throughout North America and is in discussion with some international presenters. For more information about the conference, e-mail Hiju or visit the conference webpage. Consulting Engineers of Alberta (CEA) appointments Ken Pilip, P.Eng., has been named CEO and Registrar of the Consulting Engineers of Alberta (CEA). Ken has a long association with CEA. He was instrumental in the creation of the Consulting Engineers of Alberta Act in the late 1980s and has served many other roles in the engineering profession. Notable engineering projects include being part of the team that designed and built the Confederation Bridge between Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, and he was one of three engineers behind Edmonton's Great Divide Waterfall. As well, Hiju Song was named Director of Operations for CEA. She formerly served as Manager of Events and Communications. Hiju now oversees all CEA operations including the management of committees and industry liaison. Read even more. |
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Do you have a short submission you would like included? |
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Everything's
teed up for tee-off at the annual AQSA golf tourney on
Wednesday, Sept. 7 at Redtail Landing. 
Gordon
Pattison, one of the founding fathers of CIQS, died June 28.