Candidate for Councillor: Alex Haluszka, P.Geo.
Candidate Overview
- More than 15 years of consulting experience, including project management and technical and leadership roles, leading to the successful execution of over 400 client technical projects in Canada, the USA, and Europe.
- Diverse range of experience, including leadership and management as a principal hydrogeologist at a mid-sized private firm, petroleum exploration, and research.
- Volunteer experience includes coordination and governance with Canadian Energy Geosciences Association, sports clubs, and APEGA.
Personal Statement
My name is Alex Haluszka, and I am a professional geologist with nearly 20 years of experience as a sedimentologist in oil and gas and a consulting hydrogeologist. As a principal scientist for a private Canadian firm, I have gained significant technical experience as well as experience in project management, governance, finance, and leadership. I have a proven track record of successful project delivery, building and leading multi-disciplinary teams, and productively contributing to private businesses with dedication and integrity. I am at a stage in my career where I would like to contribute to the governance of our profession. I believe that to effectively run any organization, developing an open and collaborative environment and soliciting a diversity of opinions from a broad base of experience is of critical importance. My personal impression is that within professional governing bodies in Canada, there are a limited number of voices that are pro-private business and pro-freedom of speech. With your support, I would like to fill this role on APEGA Council for the upcoming term. Thank you for your vote and I look forward to representing you in council.
Candidate Resume
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Get to Know the Candidate in Four Questions
What does self-regulation mean to you as a member of APEGA?
Self-regulation is the privilege of having professionals be directly responsible for compliance with relevant legislation governing their profession. It gives us an ability to have some control over how our profession is regulated. I believe that responsibility creates accountability and drives excellence, and being self-regulating creates responsibility for professional members.
What would you bring to Council?
I have had broad professional experience working as a consultant for 15 years. In addition to honing my technical skills, I have gained significant experience in project management, leadership, communication, and governance during this time. I have also been a professional member and acted as a Responsible Member (or equivalent) with professional associations in multiple provinces, so I have good grasp of the current state of professional regulation of engineering and geoscience in Canada.
As the regulator of engineering and geoscience, what challenges does APEGA face?
Some of the key challenges currently facing the regulator include demographic shifts in the profession as members are entering retirement and numbers of new graduates in many sub-disciplines (particularly geoscience) are declining; trust in self-regulation may be declining, as recent events (i.e., Mount Polley Mine disaster) have brought attention to potential gaps in the ability of self-regulated professions to protect the public; morale and trust from professional members in their regulatory bodies may have declined in recent years, as some regulators (potentially as a reaction to the previously mentioned challenge but I also believe other social drivers) have become more authoritarian and prescriptive in their approach to regulating professions.
What is the value of a professional licence with APEGA?
As a consultant generating professional work products, I would not have been able to have a career without a professional licence. I also believe the value goes beyond regulation, with APEGA creating a cohesive network of professionals who can share, collaborate, and advance the profession.