Q: What is your position and what are your responsibilities?
I am an environment manager at CRH Canada Group Inc. I work in the Environment, Property and Approvals group, supporting Dufferin Aggregates, Dufferin Concrete, Dufferin Construction and CRH Cement businesses in the U.S. Great Lakes, Ontario and Western Canada regions on environmental compliance, stakeholder relations and sustainable development.
Q: What about your job do you love most?
I love that my job enables me to help deliver on CRH’s global commitment to sustainability; it allows me to work with an incredible team of people who are passionate about the communities in which we operate. I love the variety of projects I get to work on and am fortunate to work with great people. I love that every day brings something new – it may not be easy, it may be quite challenging, but those are the situations I thrive in and I’m grateful for every opportunity.
Q: What do you find most challenging in your work?
It can be challenging to educate stakeholders about various aspects of our operations – especially when you meet stakeholders that have a pre-determined opinion of our industry. As operators, we face tough questions related to the impact that our operations have on the environment. I’m always grateful when we have the opportunity to explain the facts and demonstrate we can find solutions to providing local resources to our communities and implementing a design for an environmental approach to our operations. These challenges will continue to exist for our industry, but it is up to us to work collectively to share our stories to showcase our efforts.
Q: Describe your typical day on the job and how the work you do contributes to your company.
I’m not sure I can describe a typical day! It really depends on the projects I’m working on and the needs of the business. When working in the environmental field in this industry, it is important to provide a good balance of support for our operations staff, so my job involves a variety of work and allows me to have experiences in the field and in the office. My work contributes to helping deliver on CRH’s commitment to sustainability. It helps to ensure that our sites operate in compliance, continue to find ways to minimize natural resource consumption, implement best practices to continuously improve our environmental performance, and act as stewards for the communities in which we operate.
Q: How did you get interested in this field of work?
I have always been passionate about the environment, even at a young age when I was taught a sustainable lifestyle from my grandparents. I’ve always had an interest in water management and water policy, which was part of my academic studies, and since then I’ve continued to be passionate about contributing to building healthy and sustainable communities.
Q: What sort of education and experience do you have that is relevant to your work?
I have a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering and management and Master of Engineering and Public Policy, both from McMaster University. These programs provided me with the technical training and skills necessary to work in this industry. My master’s program challenged me to take a multidisciplinary approach to finding holistic solutions to technical, environmental and social problems, while understanding their policy implications. I have also been an active volunteer in the Hamilton community, where my efforts have contributed to sustainability education, community engagement and healthy city building. My academic and volunteer experiences provided me with a strong foundation, allowing me to succeed in a role at CRH and support a variety of challenging projects in a fast-paced work environment, while being able to work collaboratively with various stakeholders.
Q: Where do you see the industry going in the next few years?
Our industry has an important role to continue to play in building sustainable communities that people want to live in. We will continue to face challenges, but together as an industry and with our partners, we will find solutions to increase recycling initiatives, conserve energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect natural features, and enhance rehabilitation efforts while improving the biodiversity of the sites in which we operate. I think that collectively our efforts will enhance our environmental commitments so that we can leave behind a sustainable and lasting legacy for future generations to enjoy.
Q: What advice would you give to others looking for a career in the aggregate industry?
This is a great industry to work in – it is challenging but there are many opportunities allowing you to learn, develop your skills, and find ways to make meaningful contributions to the communities in which we live, work and play.