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It's Official
APEGGA President Mike Smyth, P.Eng.,
looks on while Executive Director and Registrar Neil Windsor,
P.Eng., stamps the oath of office with the official seal,
during the AGM in Calgary April 26 (top). Past President Ron
Tenove, P.Eng., seals his new role by putting on his freshly
minted past president's vest (bottom). Usually the vests are
tartan designs, but this design reflects Mr. Tenove's Swedish
ancestry.
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 Can
one or two words sum up the whirlwind of challenges, meetings
and travels that take over the life of the president of Alberta's
largest professional association? The ones Ron Tenove, P.Eng.,
used to describe his year at the top are "extreme sport,"
as he passed the torch to President Mike Smyth, P.Eng., at
the 83rd APEGGA Annual General Meeting last month in Calgary.
In other words, the challenges are extreme, the risks are
extreme - but so are the rewards.
Mr. Smyth took his oath of office April 26 to become the 84th
president, before about 100 people at the AGM. The man he
replaces predicted good things to come in a year that will
see the Association top the 40,000-member mark.
Mr. Tenove said he, Mr. Smyth and Past President Dale Miller,
P.Eng., were a good mix on the 2002-2003 Executive Committee.
"We learned to work together as a team and draw out each
other's strong points," he said.
Mr. Tenove also praised Executive Director Neil Windsor, P.Eng.,
for his guidance. And he thanked his wife Pat, as well as
Council and staff, for their support.
"I was faced with a whirlwind of activity when I took
office," said Mr. Tenove. Ongoing issues competed for
the top of his agenda. They revolved around the continued
dramatic growth of the Association, emerging disciplines,
technologies and licensure, and calls for greater ease of
movement between jurisdictions for APEGGA professionals.
"It suddenly seemed like there were a lot of issues on
my plate and they all required my immediate attention,"
said Mr. Tenove, a director with Focus Corporation. "But
what I've learned is that leadership is not about issues.
It's about people."
The role of president and Council is good governance, and
the presentation of policy and direction. Then the entire
APEGGA team addresses the issues, Mr. Tenove said.
"It's been a privilege and highlight of my career to
be president," he said. He looks forward to "a busy
and exceptional 2003-2004 and beyond."
The new president is well equipped for the challenge. Mike
Smyth is a good communicator, listener, researcher and consensus-builder,
yet at the same time "very action-oriented," said
Mr. Tenove.
Mr. Smyth, a 46-year-old senior project manager with Optima
Engineers and Constructors, congratulated Mr. Tenove on "an
outstanding job" as president. He singled out Mr. Tenove's
successes in better defining APEGGA's advocacy role, strengthening
ties with the geoscience community and overseeing a management
restructuring that "will serve us well."
The outgoing president has done an exceptional job of team
building within the APEGGA Executive Committee, Council and
staff. "On behalf of everybody, well done," said
Mr. Smyth.
Mr. Smyth brings to the job more than 15 years of APEGGA service,
including four years on Council. Most recently he's worked
on the Licensure Task Force and the Advocacy Task Force. The
Calgary resident has been a member of various other APEGGA
committees, including the Council Governance Subcommittee
and the Investigative Committee. He and his wife Cindy, a
teacher, have four children.
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