Highest Ever Attendance at 2023 Annual General Meeting
APEGA broke attendance records on April 28 at our virtual annual general meeting (AGM), with 1,303 voting members and 94 non-voting participants, for a total of 1,397 attendees logging in. Last year, APEGA’s virtual AGM had 504 total attendees.
After APEGA adopted bylaws in 2021 to allow partial or fully virtual meetings in response to the public health crisis, we have seen increased accessibility for members across the province. The virtual format has resulted in consecutive years of record-breaking attendance, allowing more members to participate in these important self-regulatory activities.
Preparing for a successful event
At the Council meeting on March 23, APEGA Council approved special rules of order for the 2023 AGM outlining procedures to be followed before and during the meeting. These rules—along with the AGM agenda—were posted on the AGM registration page on March 27, shared with all members in advance, and read aloud at the beginning of the AGM.
Council engaged a parliamentarian to ensure the meeting complied with Robert’s Rules of Order and adhered to APEGA’s bylaws. The parliamentarian attended the event remotely and was available for consultation during the proceedings.
APEGA contracted a third party to provide audiovisual support and reduce potential technological barriers for attendees. Eligible voting members who wished to speak on a motion could address the assembly live using a toll-free number.
Most APEGA councillors attended the meeting from their homes or offices. The head table joined from a studio location in Calgary, with attendees President Lisa Doig, P.Eng.; Incoming President Manon Plante, CD1, P.Eng., MDS; President-Elect Tracey Stock, P.Eng.; Vice-President Margaret Allan, P.Eng., P.Geo.; Past-President Brian Pearse, P.Eng.; and APEGA Registrar and Chief Executive Officer Jay Nagendran, P.Eng.Member dues increase
APEGA Council made the difficult decision to increase member and permit holder dues, effective July 1, 2023. In the interest of transparency, the member dues increase was shared at the AGM during the auditor’s report. To remain fiscally responsible and meet our regulatory requirements, APEGA has had to consider long-term solutions to address the impact of inflation and the increased operating costs of expanding regulatory activities. As the budget process is an operational matter, approved by Council and endorsed by the Audit Committee, the dues increase was not required to go to the membership for voting.
The information was published on apega.ca on May 1, and an email communication was sent to all members.Date of the 2024 annual general meeting announced
During the meeting, the date of the 2024 AGM was approved by the members.
- The 2024 AGM will take place on Friday, April 26, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta.
The vesting ceremony
After the formalities concluded, Doig was welcomed to the Order of the Vest. The vesting ceremony is an annual tradition when past-presidents welcome the next member to join their fellowship. Pearse welcomed Doig by presenting her with a tartan pattern affiliated with her last name “Doig,” which comes from central Scotland.
President Plante takes the helm
After Doig transitioned to past-president, she introduced new APEGA President Manon Plante. In her introductory speech, Plante highlighted the invaluable contribution that APEGA’s volunteers make to the organization and thanked all those who voted in the Council election, noting the important role this plays in self-regulation.
Plante then discussed her areas of focus for the coming year. “My first area of focus is continued and deliberate engagement with registrants and permit holders. When we are engaged and collaborating, we all benefit from each registrant’s wisdom, support, and input. We improve our efficiency, and together, we hold the public interest of Albertans above all else.”
President Plante is also focused on keeping members informed of any changes to APEGA’s legislation. Plante stressed that it is not a matter of if, but when changes to the Engineering and Geoscience Professions Act will come. “We do not know how the provincial election will impact our legislative renewal; however, we do know we need to be ready. What will be important is remaining agile, prepared, and focused to ensure we will be ready to share those changes with registrants and permit holders.”
Her final area of focus is to make equity, diversity, and inclusion a norm in engineering and geoscience work environments. “This is part of being a professional engineer and geoscientist. As the eighth woman to hold the presidency at APEGA, I am extremely proud of APEGA’s commitment and support for equity, diversity, and inclusion. We are two of the most trusted professions in Alberta, a reputation earned by our ethics and values, and steadfast practices.”
To find out more about our new president, Manon Plante, P.Eng., watch for our annual Meet the President story in the coming weeks, which will be shared in the ePEG newsletter.