- Keynote: Oxygen Mask Mindset: Avoiding Burnout While Embracing Self-Care and Boundaries
- Hall of Fame
- Breakout: Navigating the Line: Understanding the Difference Between Governance and Management
- Breakout: OSPE: The Engineers’ Ally for a Stronger Profession
- Breakout: Government Relations in Regulation
- Breakout: Belonging by Design: Creating Safe Spaces for the Next Generation of Engineers
- Breakout: How Discipline Tribunal Processes Protect the Public Interest
- Breakout: Understanding PEO’s Regulatory Cycle
Keynote: Oxygen Mask Mindset: Avoiding Burnout While Embracing Self-Care and Boundaries
Professionals often face immense pressure to perform, leading to stress and burnout. Calissa Ngozi's engaging talk, "Oxygen Mask Mindset," emphasizes the critical need for self-care and boundary-setting to maintain mental health and achieve sustained success. Inspired by the pre-flight safety instruction to put your own oxygen mask on first, this talk provides corporate professionals with the tools and strategies to protect their peace and avoid burnout.
Presenter: Calissa Ngozi, CYC
Calissa Ngozi is an award-winning inspirational speaker and TV and media guest expert, as seen on CP24, Global News, Breakfast Television, The Social, CHCH and more. She has had a remarkable career spanning over two decades. Calissa’s passion for supporting individuals in need has been evident throughout her journey. With a diverse background in mental health, hospital care, education, acquired brain injury rehabilitation and private practice, Calissa has made significant strides in providing essential mental health and behaviour support services.
Hall of Fame
Annette Bergeron will serve as the host of the PEO Hall of Fame. As a former PEO president and Officer of the Order of Honour, Annette will celebrate this year’s Order of Honour awardees and recognize the accomplishments of PEO’s valued volunteers.
Presenter: Annette Bergeron, MBA, P.Eng., FEC, FCAE
Annette Bergeron has served as president of Engineers Canada, president of Professional Engineers Ontario (2014) and president of the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (2005, 2010). In 2023, she became an Officer of the PEO Order of Honour. In 2024, Annette was awarded the Ontario Professional Engineers Award for Citizenship and the Governor General’s Sovereign Medal for Volunteers. She has been twice named one of the Top 25 Women of Influence in Canada and a Woman of Impact by the Canadian Materials, Metallurgy and Mining Field.
Breakout: Navigating the Line: Understanding the Difference Between Governance and Management
Perhaps no question is as ubiquitous in governance as, “Where is the line between governance and management?” Common aphorisms such as “noses in, fingers out” or “governance is the brain, management are the hands” act as a starting point to the conversation but tend to oversimplify a complex and nuanced relationship, particularly in the context of a self-regulating profession. In this session, we unpack why it is critical to differentiate between governance and management, factors to consider in identifying where “the line” is, and tools to help recognize when the line is being crossed and what to do about it.
Presenter: Geoff Schoenberg, PhD consultant, Watson Board Advisors
Dr. Schoenberg is a consultant at Watson Board Advisors who has focused on governance for 15+ years. As a consultant, he has enhanced board effectiveness through governance reviews, board evaluations, board education, CEO evaluation, and director and CEO coaching with a diverse range of clients from small not-for-profit organizations to large international financial services institutions. He has published award-winning research in journal articles and book chapters and presented in 10+ countries. In addition to his consulting experience and research, he has lived experience in governance, having served as a director on several not-for-profit boards.
Breakout: OSPE: The Engineers’ Ally for a Stronger Profession
The Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE) believes engineers are uniquely qualified to lead and contribute to the success of the economy and safety of the community. Join Sandro Perruzza, CEO of OSPE, and James Schembri, director of volunteer engagement at PEO, to learn more about the role of OSPE in advocating for the inclusion of more engineers, and engineering perspectives, in the development of public policy and engaging materially when those have not been included in a meaningful way. Understand the “two sides of the same coin” and how effective advocacy working in partnership with effective regulation ensures the long-term health and safety of the profession and society.
Presenters:
Sandro Perruzza, ICD.D, CRSP (he/him), chief executive officer, Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE)
Sandro Perruzza (he/him) joined OSPE as CEO in July 2014. A strategic thinker and innovative leader, Sandro holds over 10 years of executive management experience. Sandro is recognized for his ability to build high-growth organizations. He specializes in increasing revenue, developing innovative strategy, improving client services and building corporate government relations through a collaborative approach.
James Schembri (he/him), director, volunteer engagement, PEO
In his previous role as chief of client services at Workplace Safety & Prevention Services, Sandro provided leadership to over 150 professional staff, including five directors and one vice president. Prior to joining WSPS, Sandro worked at the Ontario Service Safety Alliance for over 11 years where he served as executive director of corporate development, acting vice president of client services and director of sales. Sandro holds a bachelor of science in statistics from McMaster University.
James Schembri (he/him) is PEO’s director of volunteer engagement and has joined PEO following a 10-year career in healthcare specializing in integration, change management and collaborative operating and governance models. James served as adoption lead in the implementation of Ontario’s joint electronic health record system across GTA hospitals and most recently served as the inaugural director of the Scarborough Ontario Health Team, a collaborative of 36 organizations across healthcare working to integrate care for over 800,000 patients. James brings this integrative mindset to PEO’s volunteer engagement portfolio as we work to enhance PEO’s volunteer lifecycle and our collaboration with volunteers in achieving our collective mandate as a professional regulator.
Breakout: Government Relations in Regulation
Benjamin Lamb will share an overview of the importance of government relations in today’s regulatory environment and how strategic and focused interactions with government officials can help organizations navigate legal frameworks, anticipate changes in policy and shape regulations. Delegates will be provided with a landscape analysis of Ontario's political environment, including current legislation and initiatives that affect PEO’s regulatory mandate. Benjamin will also discuss the evolving priorities of the provincial government and the best practices of successful government relations models.
Presenter: Benjamin Lamb, senior consultant, Wellington Advocacy
Benjamin Lamb has years of public- and private-sector leadership experience. He served as ministerial advisor in Ontario’s provincial government for multiple ministries, such as Infrastructure and Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. During his service, he managed MPP and stakeholder relations, intergovernmental engagement and complex policies. Some of these policies included Ontario’s immigration programs. Given Benjamin’s years of senior leadership experience, he naturally understands how to navigate government processes, manage relationships and innovate solutions.
Breakout: Belonging by Design: Creating Safe Spaces for the Next Generation of Engineers
In today’s rapidly evolving engineering profession, building a culture of belonging isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s essential for attracting and retaining diverse talent, fostering innovation and creating respectful, high-performing teams.
This interactive session will explore how everyday actions, inclusive language and an awareness of unconscious bias and microaggressions shape the safety and sense of belonging within our chapters and profession alike. Participants will gain practical tools to identify barriers to belonging, navigate resistance and help create spaces where everyone feels respected, valued and empowered to contribute their best.
Together, we will look at how we can design belonging intentionally, so the next generation of engineers inherits a profession where inclusion is the norm, not the exception.
Presenters:
Kim Conti-Goldner (she/her), equity, diversity and inclusion program specialist, PEO
As a white, queer cis woman who has faced mental health challenges, Kim Conti-Goldner is a strong advocate for creating spaces where everyone truly belongs. Kim has over 16 years of experience in equity, diversity and inclusion, strategic planning, employee resource groups, communications and over eight years in learning and development with a focus on EDI content, career progression and colleague development programs. Her father was an electrical engineer for over 40 years.
Kay Mehrizi (she/her), manager, equity, diversity and inclusion, PEO
Kay Mehrizi is a neurodivergent, lesbian, immigrant woman of colour and a seasoned psychotherapist with a background in behavioural and clinical psychology. With two decades of experience in the equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility and justice space, Kay has dedicated her career to delivering health, wellness and accessible services to diverse communities. Her father has been a civil engineer for over 40 years.
Breakout: How Discipline Tribunal Processes Protect the Public Interest
Disciplinary processes are integral to a well-functioning regulator. At PEO, dedicated volunteers play a vital role in supporting these processes and upholding the highest standards of professionalism. Tribunal volunteers, in particular, help ensure accountability and fairness through their work on key regulatory committees, including the Discipline, Registration and Fees Mediation committees and the Complaints Review Councillor. Learn more about the role, process and purpose of these important committees and the volunteers who support them.
Presenters:
Nedra Brown, LLB, (she/her), director tribunals and legal counsel, PEO
Nedra Brown has worked at PEO since November 2021. She has been a lawyer for 29 years and has practised administrative law for much of that time. In the last four years, Nedra and her team have worked hard at updating the information available about tribunals. The Tribunal Office team are grateful to the over 35 adjudicators who give their time and expertise to make determinations in complex matters.
Warren Turnbull, P.Eng, FEC, chair, PEO Discipline Committee
Warren Turnbull is a retired executive with over 33 years of engineering and senior sales management experience. He held leadership roles at DuPont Canada, Continental Group, Fabrene, Flexia, and Intertape Polymer Group. A University of Waterloo graduate, Turnbull also served extensively with Professional Engineers Ontario, including roles as North Bay Chapter chair, West Central Region councillor and Government Liaison Committee (GLC) chair. He is currently chair of the Discipline Committee and has contributed to numerous other committees, including Finance, GLC and OSPE‐PEO Joint Relations. In 2023, Turnbull was invested as an Officer of the Order of Honour for his significant volunteer service.
Breakout: Understanding PEO’s Regulatory Cycle
Join a panel of PEO staff for an in-depth look at the regulatory cycle for engineers in Ontario. This session will explore key components of effective regulation—from supporting an equitable licensing process for aspiring engineers to maintaining compliance throughout a professional’s career. Gain a holistic understanding of how professional regulation ensures engineers uphold high standards of practice and accountability at every stage of their journey.
Presenters:
Mike Rusek, director, regulatory compliance, PEO
Michael Rusek is the director of regulatory compliance at PEO. Mike oversees PEO's compliance activities, including investigations and prosecutions of those illegally doing engineering without a licence, as well as licensed engineers who are alleged to be negligent, incompetent or engaged in professional misconduct. He also oversees the administration of PEO's mandatory CPD program. A practising lawyer with a career spent in regulatory enforcement, Mike holds a Juris Doctor from Queens University and a bachelor of arts from the University of Toronto.
Adeilton Ribeiro, P.Eng., senior manager, licensing and assessment, PEO
Adeilton Ribeiro, P.Eng., is the senior manager, licensing and assessment, at PEO. He is a licensed professional engineer with a background in civil engineering and an expertise in transportation infrastructure, particularly Light Rail Transit (LRT) systems. Adeilton joined PEO in 2016 as the SMP and EIT programs coordinator, later serving as chapters manager before transitioning to the regulatory operations division in 2022. In his current role, he leads the end-to-end, FARPACTA-compliant licensing process, overseeing all stages of the P.Eng. application, from pre-application support and applications review and assessment to final licensure decision recommendations. He also manages the qualifications assessment unit.
Tracey Caruana, P.Eng., manager, EIT and student programs, PEO
Tracey Caruana, P.Eng., manager, pre-licensing outreach at PEO, is a professional engineer with a mechanical engineering degree from McMaster University. She joined PEO in January 2014 in the role of EIT coordinator before moving to the position of manager, engineering intern programs (now manager, pre-licensing outreach) in 2016. In this role, Tracey is responsible for providing guidance and support to post-secondary students and engineering graduates on their pathway to licensure. In addition, Tracey oversees PEO’s legacy EIT Program and Student Membership Program and maintains PEO’s involvement in Engineers Canada’s 30 by 30 initiative.