Kelsey Van Steele wins a 2021 Emerging Leader Award

Kelsey Van Steele received the Emerging Leader Award, Technology Advancement, from Construction Canada. Kelsey received her award at a ceremony on December 1st, held as part of Buildings Week. The awards recognize young professionals for excellence in design, leadership, initiative and/or service to the community. A jury of peers selected the finalists.

"I am so proud to see Kelsey recognized with this award” share Michael Blackman, Principal with RJC Engineers. “Kelsey has always been great to work with. When she first started with RJC we did post-tensioning evaluations together and I have many fond memories of those projects and many since. She is great to work with and very talented. Kelsey really knows her craft and talent, is very humble, and communicates well with people."

Kelsey demonstrates industry leadership through technical learning and improvement, mentorship and industry involvement. She advocates for lifelong learning and continued technical development and encourages her team to do the same to benefit the industry and community. She uses her experience and knowledge to mentor others to help them achieve their registrations and goals. She is well known and respected for her knowledge of fall protection and maintenance access systems.

Kelsey is an Associate Member of both the CSA Z259 Technical Committee on Fall Protection and the CSA Z91/Z271 Technical Committee on Suspended Access Equipment. She contributes to the technological advancement of workplace safety, through presentations and publications. Her published papers include Travel Restraint Envelope and Load Patterns of Aerial Silk Performers at the International Society for Fall Protection Symposium in Atlanta, Georgia, and Fall Hazard Risk Assessment Methodology at the International Society for Fall Protection Symposium in New Orleans, Louisiana.

 “My involvement with code committees through the CSA is something I take great pride in, so to be recognized for my contribution to the industry and standard development is a great honour” says Kelsey. “This award is received with gratitude and surprise but is also a source of encouragement for the commitment to my practice. It is a true testament to the mentorship and collaborative network at RJC Engineers and something I could not have achieved without the support of the team around me.”

The January 2022 issue of Construction Canada magazine will feature all of this year’s winners.