Regulatory Learning – Wednesday, October 29

Purpose-Driven Practice: Embedding Social Responsibility to Create Meaningful Impact 

10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

This panel will explore how engineering and geoscience professionals and organizations are translating purpose into practice by embedding social responsibility into the work they do every day. Through real-world examples, panelists will share how they’re aligning business goals with climate action, sustainability goals, inclusive practices, and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. Learn how weaving together and integrating these values into organizational practices and project delivery can unlock innovation, strengthen resilience, build trust, and create lasting value. 

Moderator

Marcie Cochrane, P.Eng. 

Marcie Cochrane is a Professional Engineer with over 20 years of experience in engineering and leadership. A recognized expert in advancing equity and belonging in the profession, Marcie brings a collaborative, action-oriented approach to social responsibility in engineering and has led the development of impactful initiatives for industry associations and organizations across Canada. She currently serves on the Engineers Canada Qualifications Board and is a dedicated advocate for inclusive practices across the profession.  

Speakers

Ainaz Bozorgzadeh, P.Eng. 

Ainaz is a Professional Engineer and an accredited Infrastructure Resilience Professional with over 15 years of experience in climate mitigation and adaptation projects and programs. Her career journey started in consulting engineering with carbon accounting and energy audits of infrastructure. In the past decade, her professional focus has been on climate adaptation, bringing together multidisciplinary teams to conduct climate impact assessments for Federal, Provincial and Municipal government assets. Most recently, Ainaz worked as Senior Advisor of Climate Action and Sustainability with Technical Safety BC, developing the regulatory body’s Climate Resilience Program and maintaining relationships with partners in academia, housing, and First Nation organizations to break silos and activate multi-solving. Throughout her career in climate change, Ainaz has sought to cultivate kinship with nature while leveraging engineering and policy solutions. She strives to uplift equity and capacity-building at the community level through her work and is guided by the teaching of Indigenous Knowledge Keepers of Turtle Island, as well as her ancestral culture’s teachings from ancient Iran.  

Ska-Hiish Manuel, P.Eng. 

Bio coming soon.

Siobhan Robinson, P.Eng. 

Siobhan Robinson leads the Water Supply and Treatment sector at Kerr Wood Leidal Associates. A Chemical Engineer by training, Siobhan is passionate about advancing public health through the development of community water and wastewater infrastructure. She is also driven to create a safe, inclusive and equitable workplace where people thrive.  Siobhan has been an active volunteer with the BC Water and Waste Association (BCWWA) and the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies (ACEC) for more than a decade. She currently serves on the BCWWA Board of Directors and has previously held Director roles with both ACEC-BC and ACEC-Canada. Through this work, she is dedicated to strengthening the consulting engineering profession by supporting engagement, growth, and retention.

Mind the Gaps: Common Mistakes and Misconceptions from Firm and Individual Audits 

12:30 PM – 1:30 PM

After three years of auditing firms and more than two years of auditing individuals, the Engineers and Geoscientists BC audit teams have helped improve the practice of registrants across the province and across all sectors. Using our completed audits as a guide, this session will inform registrants about common findings and misconceptions we see amongst registrants in BC. We hope to address some of the questions we hear most often during audits, clear up confusing terminology, and provide practical tools for succeeding in your practice and during an audit.

Speakers

Phil Chan, P.Eng. 

Phil is the Manager, Regulation of Firms Auditing at Engineers and Geoscientists BC. Phil oversees the Compliance Audit team under the Regulation of Firms program. Phil is a registered professional engineer with experience in manufacturing, oil and gas and municipal government. 

Stuart Nash, P.Eng.  

Stuart is the Manager of Individual Audits and Practice Reviews at Engineers and Geoscientists BC. Stuart oversees the Compliance Audit and Practice Review programs for individual registrants, and provides strategic direction and oversight for the Continuing Education Program. Stuart is a registered professional engineer with a background in municipal engineering. 

New Canadian Energy Opportunities: Geoscience Perspectives

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Providing adequate, secure and sustainable energy sources for humanity is a huge challenge, driven by growing populations and ever-increasing demands for energy-intensive modern lifestyles. We have many opportunities to make our existing energy sources more efficient and less impactful environmentally, as well as to develop new energy sources economically and sustainably. In this session we’ll use a geoscience perspective to gain a better understanding of opportunities that might work best for Canadians. We’ll have an introductory look at several concepts particularly relevant to British Columbia such as critical minerals, geothermal energy, carbon sequestration, natural hydrogen and energy storage. Engineers and Geoscientists BC has scheduled a follow-up Continuing Education webinar on November 26 to dig into geoscience and energy topics in more detail, guided by feedback from this current session.

Speakers

Brad J. Hayes, P.Geo. 

Brad Hayes is President of Petrel Robertson Consulting Ltd., a geoscience and engineering consulting firm working with clients in oil and gas, helium and lithium exploration, carbon capture and storage, geothermal energy and water resource management.  Brad is a registered Professional Geologist holding a PhD in geology from the University of Alberta, and has 40 years of diverse experience applying subsurface geoscience in resource industries. He is an Adjunct Professor in the University of Alberta Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Outreach Director for the Canadian Society for Evolving Energy, and a Past-President of the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists. Brad was awarded the Stanley Slipper Gold Medal by the Canadian Energy Geoscience Association (CEGA) in 2022, and the Canadian Professional Geoscientist Award by Geoscientists Canada in 2024.