Are you interested in taking an active role in charting the path of our profession? Do you or someone you know have experience that could help Engineers Nova Scotia Council regulate the profession of engineering in Nova Scotia?

The elections process starts with interested and experienced professional engineers coming forward to take a leadership role.

What are the responsibilities of the Engineers Nova Scotia Council?

As defined in the Engineers Profession Act of Nova Scotia Article 13(7)

The Council shall provide for the general management of the affairs and business of the Association and shall carry on and transact the same in accordance with this Act and the by-laws. R.S., c. 148, s. 13; 2006, c. 29, s. 5.

Council activities include:

• Providing fiduciary oversight of Engineers Nova Scotia’s operations, including financial oversight
• Ensuring the responsible use of Engineer Nova Scotia's resources
• Developing, maintaining, and ensuring the implementation of Engineers Nova Scotia’s strategic direction
• Making decisions that affect the profession and the membership

Council is ultimately responsible for:

• Establishing and implementing the organization’s mission
• Setting the rate of progress that the organization will undertake in achieving its purpose
• Providing continuity for the management and administration of the organization’s affairs
• Confirming the organization’s identity within the community

How many Councillors are on Council and what are the commitment expectations?

Engineers Nova Scotia Council consists of a President, a Vice President, the Immediate Past-President, 8 additional elected members, and 3 appointed ex-officio members (the CEO & Registrar, the Dean of Engineering from Dalhousie University, and Nova Scotia’s representative on the Engineers Canada Board of Directors). Each year, Engineers Nova Scotia holds an election to select a new President, a new Vice President (President-elect), and four elected Councillors (two Councillors from the Halifax Regional Municipality, and two Councillors from outside the Halifax Regional Municipality).

The President and Vice President are elected for one-year terms. Councillors are elected for two-year terms.

Council meets a minimum of 8 times per year for regularly scheduled meetings, and Councillors participate in Committees, Working Groups, and Task Forces that require effort and commitment throughout the year. Councillors may be asked to represent Engineers Nova Scotia in weekend and evening activities, events, and functions throughout the province and regionally.

What is the Election Process?

The nomination and election processes are described in Section 6 of the Engineers Nova Scotia Bylaws.

The Nominating Committee, a subset of Council, will review all applications received by the application deadline, and recommend a list of eligible candidates to be on the Election Ballot to Council for approval by 30 May annually.

Any interested registrant who does not submit an application by the deadline or is not recommended by the Nominating Committee may still be added to the Election Ballot provided they meet the conditions in Section 6(2)(b) of the Bylaws and submit acceptable nomination papers to the CEO & Registrar by July 10 annually.

The final Council Election Ballot list is not published to the membership until after July 10. Electronic Elections are held from mid-July to mid-August annually, and results are published in early September. The new President, Vice President and Councillors are inducted at the Annual General Meeting.

For the 2024 elections the nominee(s) for President shall reside inside HRM and the nominee(s) for Vice-President shall reside outside HRM.

Engineers Nova Scotia Council should be representative of our membership and reflective of Nova Scotia’s diversity and demographics.  We are looking for viewpoints and perspectives that represent the array of cultures and backgrounds from the private, public and academic sectors. The richness of a diverse, inclusive Council is complemented by key skills valuable to any organization:

• Senior Management Leadership experience
• Strategic Planning and Visioning
• Risk Management experience
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills
• Financial literacy
• An understanding of regulatory structures and self-regulation
• Previous volunteer experience

If you are a visionary who is interested in defining a path for the future of the engineering profession in Nova Scotia, then you can play a role in developing the plans and policies needed to protect the public and sustain our profession. You can be an active participant in ensuring Engineers Nova Scotia maintains the trust of the government and the public to fulfill our mandate to protect the public, and helping our registrants to be stronger Engineers.

If you are a Professional Engineer, ideally with five years of Canadian experience, and are in good standing with Engineers Nova Scotia, there may be a role for you on Council.

How do I submit my name for consideration?

Prior to May 27, 2024:  You can submit an application form for consideration by the Nominating Committee. This form is available click here, and must be submitted by 3:00 pm on May 27, 2024.

After May 30, 2024: When the period for Nominating Committee consideration has passed, you can follow the process in Section 6(b) of the Engineers Nova Scotia Bylaws to be added to the Council Election Ballot list. For more information about this process, CLICK HERE The deadline to submit an application form is 3:00 pm on July 8, 2024. 

If you have any questions on Engineers Nova Scotia Council or the election process, please contact the CEO & Registrar, Pal Mann, P.Eng., at pal.mann@engineersnovascotia.ca