What have I accomplished?

As your representative in PEO Council, in the last couple of years, I have:

• A couple of years ago, you paid a fee increase to buy a building. This money was initially put into general revenue. I created a Building Fund to preserve your fee increase so that when the building was finally purchased, the funds were available.
• I initiated a Chapter Scholarship Program with Vice-President Chisu two years ago. Last year I led the successful expansion of this Scholarship program all across Ontario.
• Supported the initiatives of GTA chapters by formalizing a Mentorship Program at the PEO level. This program will inform and assist new Canadian graduates and foreign trained engineers to obtain their P.Eng.
• To break the Catch-22 situation many EITs face, V.P. Chisu and I convinced Council to support the Chapters with an EIT Engineering Experience program. This allows volunteer chapter EITs to get some credit for their chapter engineering experience. A win-win situation for everyone.
• To understand the needs of engineers, I made an effort to meet and listen to many of you by participating in well over 170 chapter events, board meetings, certificate presentations, etc. An extract from my calendar is appended below.
• Brought the Council briefing notes to chapter meetings to keep members informed of all the things happening at PEO.

What remains to be done?

Briefly, continue to:

• Have the voices of practicing engineers heard and responded to.
• Remember the word "self" in self-regulation means, the members
• Reform the Complaints/Discipline process so that it works for, rather than against engineers' and the public's interests.
• Ensure fiscal responsibility with members' fees. [Not higher fees]
• Set clear objectives, hold management accountable, less secrecy.

What cannot be done.

I will not make promises I cannot keep.

e.g. Career Development / Mentorship for engineers.

But WHY NOT?

While I recognize that a Career Development and/or Mentorship program can help engineers maximize their potential, I am also keenly aware that (like it or not), PEO is bound by the Professional Engineers Act (PEA) -- to act in the public interest. The result is that issues that affect engineers only, like Career Development, cannot be championed by PEO. This is the reason why PEO created OSPE -- to advocate and act on behalf of engineers.

The restrictions of the PEA should not stop us being creative. For examples, see the accomplishments section of this page where I have been involved in:

• A mentorship program (just being rolled out) to help engineers satisfy the requirements for licensure -- which is also in the public's interest.
• Breaking the Catch-22 situation where EITs cannot get a job because they do not have experience, and cannot get experience because they do not have a job.
  EITs now have an opportunity to satisfy some of the experience requirements through engineering work done while volunteering within a chapter.

What I intend to do.

Instead of talking, I will listen.

Last time you elected me on an unusual platform.
http://web.ncf.ca/fg704/peocandidate/topten.html

My Top Ten reasons had apparently struck a chord with you, but seriously ruffled feathers at PEO HQ. To avoid giving them an opportunity to hit the roof again, this year I will not create a website, rather a blog where you talk, and I listen.

Write something (and read other posts) about whatever bugs you.