Female voices heard around CIQS Board table

Wendy Hobbs Angela Lai Sheri Thompson

This year, three women sit on the national CIQS Board – Wendy Hobbs, President of CIQS Prairies & Northwest Territories, Angela Lai, PQS, President of CIQS British Columbia, and Sheri Thompson, PQS, President of CIQS Ontario – ending the dearth of female representation on the Board that has lasted for more than 20 years.

“We haven’t had a woman on the Board since the early 1990s when Linn Marron Marshall of Ontario served as CIQS President,” recalled Wendy Hobbs. “This year, we have three women on the Board and three women serving as Presidents of their respective affiliates. That’s progress.”

The women of the CIQS offer a rich array of skills and talents to the organization and to the industry. Consider the following excerpts from the History of the Canadian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, CIQS 50 Years 1959 - 2009, published in 2009. The first three PQS ladies in our institution, all pioneers, all still active and very successful: • Lesley S. Wilson, British Columbia – 1972. Born in Scotland, Lesley was educated at the B.C. Institute of Technology, the only woman in her class. After extensive experience in

Canada and the United States, she founded Concost Consultants Inc. Lesley is President of Concost Consultants Inc., part of the Concosts Group. • Linn Marron Marshall, Ontario – 1983.

Born in Ireland, Linn first trained as a registered nurse. The same year she graduated, she immigrated to Canada and decided to change her career. Linn enrolled in the Construction Engineering

Technology program at Fanshawe

College, with campuses located in various Ontario communities, and graduated in 1982. That same year, she formed her own company, Marshall &

Murray Inc., which has grown to include offices in London, Toronto and Ottawa.

She continues to serve as President of

Marshall & Murray Inc. Linn became active in CIQS in 1983, serving as the London Chapter representative.

She worked her way up the ladder, becoming the first female OIQS

President in 1989. She was elected the first female CIQS President in 1990.

Linn was awarded CIQS Fellowship in

2000 and the prestigious CIQS Award of Merit in 2002. • Leslie Yott, Ontario – 1989. Canadianborn Leslie got her taste for the profession from being a member of a construction family. She and Linn Marron Marshall attended the same course at Fanshawe

College, and also graduated in 1982.

Leslie worked at Ellis Don during her eightmonth co-op and joined the firm full time in the estimating department, becoming

Chief Estimator for the Southwestern

Ontario Region. Leslie continues to serve in that capacity. A quick scan of the number of female CIQS members over the history of the Institute underlines the encouraging trend toward greater gender equity. Before 1990, there were only five female members. In the 1990s, that number rose to 21. Since 2000, CIQS has attracted 219 women, 10 times the number attracted only a decade earlier.

Submitted by: Wendy Campbell, ABC, Editor, Cost Connections newsletter CIQS Prairies & Northwest Territories

Now available

The CIQS is pleased to announce the release of the 6th edition of Canadian Building Law.

This sixth edition expands upon and updates the content of the previous edition and is presented by the seven contributing authors as a practical guide for all persons involved in the construction industry.

Owners, contractors, sub-contractors, developers, quantity surveyors, architects, specification writers, lawyers and others will find this text useful as a reference and will benefit from the valuable information contained in this book.

Universities and colleges will also find the text useful in the classroom as instructional material as will students studying towards the Institute’s examinations. The text covers a broad range of topics including: • Forms of Contracts • Tendering and Contract Execution • General Conditions of a Construction

Contract • Construction Specifications • Sub-contracting • Mechanic’s and Builder’s Liens • National Building Code; Description and Applications • Arbitration • Mediation • Expert Witness This comprehensive look at the construction industry is presented in a non-legal framework and is not intended to provide legal advice on any specific issue.

ISBN # 978-1-896606-29-6 Members: $60.00 Non-Members: $90.00

Order your copy now

Important: You must login to get the member’s price.

Are you an aspiring Estimating Professional/ Professional Quantity Surveyor?

New Education Policy Guidance Notes

Recent Graduate, Associate, Mature Candidate or Direct Finalists are encouraged to review their current membership status to establish if it is time to progress towards Construction Estimator Certified (CEC) and Professional Quantity Surveyor (PQS) status.

The CIQS is pleased to announce the implementation of new Education Policy Guidance Notes which confirm that the requirements for becoming a CEC and PQS have been streamlined in an attempt to assist aspiring professionals to achieve these much sought after professional designations.

For more information, please visit the CIQS website www.ciqs.org. The new Education Policy Guidance Notes are located in the ‘Members Only’ section (members must log-in to gain access) under the ‘Education’ tab (drop down menu will have ‘Policy Guidance Notes’).

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Student Membership with CIQS: What are my benefits?

Lenny Simonelli, PQS(F)

Talk to most students today and one of the more common responses to the question, “how is school going?” is an exasperated sigh, followed by, “I AM STRESSED OUT!!!!” On a college or university campus, most students will tell you they are continually being bombarded with demands that often exceed the levels they feel they are capable of handling or maintaining for any extended period of time. Throw in the imminent reality of a career on the horizon, a mortgage not yet initiated and a family not yet conceived – it is not difficult to see why students would feel elevated levels of stress.

Some students would argue that taking on yet another responsibility at this juncture in their already busy lives would be counterproductive and even perhaps nonsensical. Given the number of responsibilities that they juggle on a daily basis, Student Membership may not be among their top priorities. After all, membership in a professional association often entails get-togethers and meetings and what student has time for more meetings and activities? Such thinking can cause you to miss out on the numerous benefits that Student Membership offers.

If your ultimate goal as a student enrolled in a college or university program is to achieve gainful employment and establish a career, then why would you abandon or shy away from an opportunity that could help you get there – quicker, or even at all? It is not necessary (or even wise) to complete your program of studies prior to getting active in your field of interest. Joining a professional association like the Canadian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (CIQS) as a Student Member affords you the opportunity to start preparing for your future – today.

What is a Student Membership?

A Student Member in CIQS is a membership category reserved for college and university students enrolled in a full-time approved program of studies. Signing up as a Student Member takes a few moments of completing an online application form and is accompanied by an annual fee of…… NOTHING! As you are already spending a lot of funds towards tuition, accommodations, transit, meals and books – we thought a FREE membership was a nice touch and an added encouragement for you to join!

If you have any aspirations of launching your career on the right path (even before it has actually commenced), joining a professional association like CIQS as a Student Member is a fabulous start. CIQS operates as a synergistic association, which means the collective efforts of likeminded students are greater than the sum of its individual parts. So, how exactly can Student Membership with CIQS benefit and help to further your career goals? While the benefits are many and the online examples plentiful, I will touch upon two distinct, yet interrelated, benefits and draw conclusions from my own personal experiences.

Student Membership benefit #1: Networking

Networking is a term I first started hearing while completing my undergraduate studies. And as often is the case with a student, I did not fully comprehend its relevance (or even its full meaning) until I graduated and entered the workforce.

So what exactly is networking? One online definition is as follows:

“To interact with other people to exchange information and develop contacts, especially to further one’s career.” For a lot of us, creating and maintaining professional relationships is paramount to sustained growth in the construction industry. So, how does one go about even starting this process of networking as a Student Member? First of all, being a Student Member of CIQS is a fabulous way to learn more about your future industry. Assuming you devote the entirety of your career to some aspect of the construction industry, you will be investing the next five decades of your life to this cause, so why not find out as much as you can about it right off the bat!?!

This networking aspect of Student Membership with CIQS is vitally important. Whilst attending the various events the Institute has to offer, including Annual General Meetings (AGM), national Congress events, seminars, workshops, golf tournaments, etc., you will be exposed to many influential individuals, many of whom can be incredibly helpful in assisting you with your eventual search for gainful employment. These events will serve as opportunities for you to mix and mingle with others in your field in both professional and leisure settings. This network is also a repository of knowledge and experience that can be instrumental in helping you succeed in your career.

Once this networking foundation is in place, you will then begin to deepen existing business relationships and make new contacts on a regular basis. Such networking goes far beyond the simple exchange of business cards – as you attend periodic meetings, become active on one or more of the various committees or even take a prominent leadership role, you will forge lasting ties with others who have common professional interests and similar business concerns. These relationships will be rich, ongoing sources of inspiration, ideas and employment.

Joining CIQS as a Student Member is a win-win situation for you because while you are networking with professionals, you are simultaneously being praised for taking the initiative to learn more about your particular field of interest. For those students looking for a job after graduation, how amazing would it be to sit in a room where everyone you are speaking with is a potential employer!?! My membership with CIQS as a Student Member alone did virtually nothing

for me until I began investing my time and energies and started networking with fellow members and colleagues.

Student Membership benefit #2: Mentoring

“No man stands so tall as when he stoops to help a child.” – Dr. James C. Dobson

Another benefit of enhancing your network is that you may find a mentor to help you with your professional needs or you may be in a position to become a mentor to someone else one day down the road. Giving back can be both the greatest reward and benefit.

Student Members of CIQS often take advantage of formal or informal mentoring relationships with some of our more experienced members who provide guidance and useful insights. In the case of informal relationships, many students often find their mentors can be a viable source of answers and solutions during times of facing challenging situations with their studies or professional development. In any case and in every circumstance, the feeling that you have a support network behind you can boost your confidence when such problems arise. Fred Smith Sr. once said, “The job of a mentor is to open a window; the right window. And then point to the best path.”

Upon successful completion of the stringent academic and work experience required to achieve my PQS designation with the Institute, I had very little involvement in any of the affairs of CIQS, until one fateful day when I had the pleasure of meeting an individual who would help set me on a new course. As a Student Member, I was also the beneficiary of the monthly newsletters, so when I met this individual, I instantly recognized his name as one of the senior Board members in Ontario. When he asked me why he had never seen me at any of the meetings or events, I ignorantly responded with, “what events?” This gentleman explained that I needed to get involved if I was to have any real benefit of belonging. I heeded his advice and he proved to be the very first of many mentors the Institute has provided me. That gentleman’s name is Bruno Pilieci, a former CIQS-Ontario President.

Throughout the 15 years of my membership, I have been both incredibly blessed and a tad prudent to be able to hold mentor relationships with many other senior members, all of whom have generously shared some of their wisdom and experience with me. Individuals like Ian Duncan, PQS(F), David Lai, PQS(F), Arthur Hooker, PQS(F) and the late Gordon Pattison, PQS(F), have all had lasting impacts on my career advancement and I am thankful to each of them for taking the time to nurture me. I now share some of my knowledge in a mentoring capacity with students in the annual Simulated Student Bid Competition, facilitated by The Construction Institute. Opportunities such as these have led me to the realization that my responsibility is to set an example for those looking to me. I do not always know who is watching, but I guess we never really do, do we?

Student Membership benefits: ...and this is where you could end up...

There are many advantages to becoming a Student Member of CIQS. The true impact of your membership comes from your participation with the Institute. Get involved. Once you have made the commitment to join, make a secondary and more personal commitment to helping the Institute grow. By moving forward and personally helping CIQS achieve its mission, you will immediately start to see the fruits of your labour. Therefore, joining the CIQS as a Student Member is beneficial for your own professional development and the future of your career. The connections you will make, the resources made available to you and the ideas and advice you will discover represent an outstanding return on your investment of time, money and effort. It could turn out to be one of the best things you could do for yourself and your career.

“Student engagement is the product of motivation and active learning. It is a product rather than a sum because it will not occur if either element is missing.” – Elizabeth F. Barkley in Student

Engagement Techniques:

A Handbook for College Faculty

About the author

Lenny Simonelli, PQS(F) is the Founder and Director of ReXcon ConstruXion Corp., a multi-faceted firm providing a full range of services in the built environment, including Construction Management, Project Management and Quantity Surveying. Lenny has 14 years of experience working on a wide array of services for projects of all sizes and magnitudes and across all sectors of the construction industry, namely, healthcare, education, entertainment, high-rise residential, government and ICI. Lenny has a Bachelor Degree in Architecture (Project Management), a Graduate Degree in Construction Management, has Gold Seal Certification through the Canadian Construction Association and is a Fellow of the CIQS, where he currently acts as Editor of the CIQS-Ontario eNewsletter.

QS Online Cost Consultants Inc. Halifax, Nova Scotia p. 902 405-1504 halifax@qsonlinecostconsultants.com www.qsonlinecostconsultants.com

Congratulations

to the following “Designation Holders” who have qualified as a PQS or CEC (including reinstatements):

CIQS – British Columbia

Jordan Almond, CEC Steven Hanna, PQS Glenda Jahnig, PQS Xiao Jun Ye, CEC Aidan Kelly, CEC Aidan Kelly, PQS Keith Leung, CEC Chi Wing Lo, PQS Mark MacDonald, CEC Shane McKernan, CEC Justin Norton, PQS Elena Palma, PQS David Parks, CEC Roy Santos, CEC John Speakman, CEC Marcin Szenowicz, CEC Rob Wilson, PQS

CIQS – Maritimes

Keith Hare, CEC Ryan Nesbitt, CEC CIQS – Members at Large

Raphael Adeyemi, PQS Pramod Kumar Avula, PQS Samuel O. Ayodele, PQS Rima Samih Barzak, PQS Unnikrishnan Chittangara, CEC Aziz Makia, CEC Ali Sidney Pangcoga, PQS Satheesh Kumar Ramachandran, PQS Mohamed Ahmed Saad, PQS Himanshu Shah, PQS Lun Shu Pak, PQS Tianen Zhou, PQS

CIQS – Ontario

Prithiviraj Balasubramaniam, CEC Keyur Bhatt, CEC Vijay Bichkar, CEC Deepesh Bissoonauth, PQS Arran Brannigan, PQS Rodrigo Burgos, CEC Iain Chambers, CEC Vincent Chung, PQS Ismael Conge, CEC Aiping Cui, CEC Michael D’Eath, CEC James Durfy, CEC Elvan Eryoner, PQS Andrew Gordon, PQS Jane Gowing, PQS Siamak Khajehpour, CEC Allan Lee, CEC Sumudu Hewa Manage, PQS Sharibkhan Maradukhel, PQS Alejandro Mejia, CEC Ambrose Pereira, CEC Rolando Reyes, PQS Mohammad Reza Sabouti, PQS Usman Saeed, CEC Patrick Stepniewski, PQS Matthew Stewart, PQS Chandrasekar Verma, CEC Saikrishna Viswanathaiah, PQS Michael Watkinson, CEC Richard Worr, PQS Cameron Young, CEC Miaosen Zhou, CEC CIQS – Prairies and NWT

Ghassan Adwan, CEC Elmer Acasio, PQS Peter S. Bhullar, CEC Festus Fadeyi, PQS Fairly Fernandopulle, CEC Christopher Gray, PQS Alexander Halili, CEC Elmer Macasaquit, CEC Irene Magtoto Malang, PQS Alex Marsh, PQS Cameron Pole, PQS Ben Postma, PQS Mark Trayhorn, PQS Elier Villarreal, CEC

CIQS – Quebec

Dhouha Bouraoui, CEC Redouane Chamekh, CEC Caroline Dion, CEC Isabelle Joachim, CEC Sylvain Bittner-Lamy, PQS Thérèse Normandeau, CEC Evans Parent, CEC Khalid Tahiri, CEC

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