MAY 2005 ISSUE
Meet the president
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Taking the Oath |
An Interview with President Larry Staples, P.Eng.
Larry Staples, P.Eng., became APEGGA’s 86th president at the Annual General Meeting in Calgary, April 23. He brings about three decades of consulting and research experience to the position, as well as extensive volunteer leadership experience both within and beyond APEGGA.
A graduate of civil engineering and the MBA program at the University of Alberta, Mr. Staples held positions with the Arctic Group of EBA Engineering Consultants Ltd. and then A.V. Carlson Construction Corp., before becoming one of the original employees of C-FER, the Centre for Frontier Engineering Research. He was instrumental in turning C-FER into a 60-employee R&D company with an international reputation.
As vice-president of Russell Technologies Inc., Mr. Staples led the spinoff of a high-technology business to inspect municipal waterlines. He’s the co-inventor listed on two U.S. patent applications for waterline evaluation methodologies. He currently heads the engineering and lab business unit in the Prairie Region of Canspec Group Inc., Canada’s largest materials engineering and testing company.
Mr. Staples serves on the board of the Pressure Pipe Inspection Company, a Mississauga firm that has won numerous Ontario and Canadian awards for exporting Canadian technology services to the U.S. and abroad. In addition to his APEGGA work, Mr. Staples has involved himself in a number of technical societies and community organizations.
Larry and his wife, Moira, live in Edmonton. They have three adult children, a son-in-law and a new — and “wonderful,” as he describes her — granddaughter. An outdoors person, Mr. Staples particularly likes to backpack.
The PEGG asked Mr. Staples nine questions, to help members learn more about the thoughts and opinions of their newest leader.
Why did you seek the presidency and what excites you about the job?
I am honoured and excited by this opportunity because I believe I do have something to contribute — the experience and enthusiasm built on almost 30 years of active participation in APEGGA. As for “seeking the presidency,” you will have to talk to my old friend Ron Tenove, P.Eng., the then-chair of the Nominating Committee, who somehow persuaded me that it would be easy to juggle Council responsibilities with my day job!
The last two presidents spent much of their time and effort on the Inclusivity Initiative, as well as renewing APEGGA’s commitment to communication and consultation. Any ideas about what issues or initiatives will define your presidency?
These are important issues, and work on them continues. However, I prefer to think of APEGGA in terms of the 97.5 per cent of our mission that we are doing really very well, rather than the 2.5 per cent which we are working on improving. Perhaps I can help to rekindle a sense of pride in our Association, and in the work our professional members are doing every day to build the quality of life here in Alberta.
What personal qualities and experience do you bring to the table that will serve APEGGA well in the coming term?
I mentioned my APEGGA experience earlier. The other principal advantage I bring to the table is luck. Over my career, I have had the good fortune to find myself in the midst of several awesome teams. It appears to me that my luck is holding!
What are the main challenges facing members today as they carry out their tasks in an ethical and professional way? How is APEGGA helping them meet those challenges, and what more should APEGGA be doing?
Interestingly, the vast majority of discipline cases arise from unprofessional conduct rather than unskilled practice. APEGGA provides very practical guidance on professional conduct, in the form of published practice standards and practice guidelines developed by our peers in the professions. We also invest a significant educational effort with respect to the Code of Ethics, for fourth-year students, new graduates and early-career professionals. It is critical that we continue to emphasize the need to maintain the trust of our clients and of the public.
What about the flip side? What can and should members do to make their Association more effective?
Members can — and should — be proud, visible champions for their professions. A strong “APEGGA culture” of competence and professionalism can be built up, member by member. One of our wise leaders within APEGGA, Gerry DeSorcy, P.Eng., has astutely pointed out that the personalized professionalism of conforming to a strong organizational culture can be a very effective means of protecting the public interest.
APEGGA’s rebranded image places the prime emphasis on serving members. But as a self-regulator, APEGGA first and foremost services the public good. Explain how these two roles co-exist.
There’s an important nuance here: APEGGA is to serve (or “uphold,” as we plan to state it in our new Mission) members in their professional practices. In other words, APEGGA assists members in providing competent and ethical services to clients and the public. Some examples of this practical guidance are mentioned in my earlier comments about practice standards and ethics. For APEGGA, protecting the public interest is always paramount.
What’s your reply when a member asks, “What does APEGGA do for me?”
The short answer is, “It permits you to earn a living by practicing your profession in Alberta.” However, I also have a longer list of answers — watch for Larry’s Top 10 Reasons Why I am Proud to be an APEGGA Member, together with the President’s Notebook, each month.
Does APEGGA have an apathy problem? Is it something the Association needs to address? How so?
In one sense, yes: 42,000-plus members appear to be content to leave the future of the profession in the hands of the 100-to-200 members who attend and vote at the AGM each year! In another sense, no: we have over 700 volunteers who sit on committees, write practice standards, visit schools, run branch meetings etc., etc., etc. I hope, with our increased emphasis on communication, we can over time pique the interest of the former group and continue to celebrate the contributions of the latter group.
How did you become interested in volunteering for APEGGA, and what have you gained so far, personally and professionally, from the experience?
Almost 30 years ago, I phoned APEGGA to point out what I thought were inconsistencies in a publication — soon I was on the committee, helping to improve the same document. Through the years, it has been a wonderful experience. As a young engineer, I had the opportunity to work side-by-side with oil company presidents and consulting industry experts. I have been intellectually stimulated by helping to think through “big picture” policy issues. I have gotten to know many professional acquaintances and new friends.