Vermilion RiverBranch Participation Bounces Back

After facing the prospect of winding down, APEGGA’s Vermilion River Branch has been revitalized with new additions to its executive.

Located in east-central and Alberta and including the centres of Lloydminster, Wainwright, Vermilion and Vegreville, the branch has been struggling with a four-member executive, all drawn from the Vegreville area, explains Branch Chair Tom Greenwood-Madsen. This despite that fact that some 60 per cent of the branch’s 140 members live and/or work in Lloydminster. Mr. Greenwood-Madsen explains that with support for the branch at a low ebb, thought was given to rolling the membership into adjacent branches.

However, a meeting in Lloydminster on April 1, attended by APEGGA Executive Director Neil Windsor, P.Eng., and then 1st Vice President Dan Motyka, P.Eng., (replacing Dennis Lindberg., P.Eng., for the presidential visit), drew a larger than usual crowd. It resulted in the recruiting of the following new branch executive members: Barry Ranger, P.Eng. (Vice Chair); Terry Mulvey, P.Eng., (PD Co-ordinator); Greg Calpas, P.Eng. (CIM Co-ordinator) ; Suzanna Calpas, P.Eng.; Trent Cherry, P.Eng.; Sloan Dieken, P.Eng., and Jim Sweeney, E.I.T.

"It was beyond my wildest expectations," says Mr. Greenwood-Madsen, "I would have been happy with two new executive members; we got six out of Lloydminster and one out of Elk Point."

Given the branch location, adjacent to Saskatchewan and with many members registered in both provinces, Mr. Greenwood-Madsen believes there is potential for some joint efforts involving branches on both sides of the border.