Past-Presidents

APEGA has existed for more than 100 years, and for every year of its existence, there has been a president of Council to uphold the pillars that APEGA stands for: integrity, accountability, innovation, and service. Through the decades of change and growth, the men and women listed below led APEGA’s Council.

They have worked across the globe, from Mississippi to Venezuela, but all settled their talents here in Alberta. Each came from different walks of life, from serving in the Second World War, to teaching aeronautics, to instigating first-time overseas ventures. This incredible group of outstanding people made their mark on the world and helped make APEGA what it is today.

1984: Robert H. Savage, P.Eng., FCAE, FEC, FGC (Hon.)

robert-savage

Bob Savage was born in Peace River, Alta., and received with distinction a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of Alberta in 1960. He worked as a consulting engineer, then in 1961 was awarded an Athlone Fellowship for postgraduate work in the U.K. where he received a master's degree (structures) from the University of Aberdeen and a postgraduate diploma in environmental engineering from the Royal College of Science and Technology. He was awarded a master's (transportation) from Northwestern University in Illinois after receiving an International Road Federation Scholarship.

Savage was executive vice-president (1991-95) for UMA Group Ltd. and president and chief operating officer (1995-98). He retired from the company in 1998.

His extensive involvement with APEGGA began in 1974 and he served on a multitude of task forces and committees. He was a member of council (1980-83) and served as chair of the discipline committee.  He was elected second vice-president (1983), president (1984) and awarded Honorary Life Membership (1985).

While on the discipline committee, Savage completed a comprehensive paper on discipline policies and procedures, the principles of which were included in the 1984 Engineering, Geological and Geophysical Professions Amendment Act resulting in improvements to APEGGA's disciplinary procedures. He chaired the association task force on the revised Code of Ethics (1985-87) that developed the revised Code approved at the 1987 annual general meeting.

Savage was elected a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering in 1993, was named a fellow of Engineers Canada in 2009, an honorary fellow of Geoscientists Canada in 2013 and he is a fellow of the Institute of Transportation Engineers.