CCE’s Top 10 Under 40: Jane Wilson

Photo courtesy JLR.

This year, for the third time, Canadian Consulting Engineer launched an initiative to recognize up-and-coming consulting engineers across the country. We are now showcasing them on our website, in alphabetical order by surname.

Jane Wilson, 38, based in Guelph, Ont., was recently promoted to municipal infrastructure and planning market chief for J.L. Richards & Associates (JLR).

In 2000, the Walkerton water crisis sparked Wilson’s interest in an engineer’s role in public health, community consultation and sustainable infrastructure.

“I lived in a small, rural Ontario town that was impacted by regulatory changes after the Walkerton tragedy,” she explains. “I went to a presentation addressing water concerns in our community. It felt like there was a disconnect between the technical advice from the professional engineers sitting across from us and our lived experience.”

Driven to help rectify that situation, Wilson earned her B.Sc. in geological engineering from the University of New Brunswick (UNB) and her masters of geography at the University of Guelph. She worked for a residential construction company and a consulting engineering firm on municipal water and wastewater projects before joining JLR as an environmental engineer-in-training (EIT)—on the very first day its Guelph office opened for business.

“It was an exciting time to join the firm!” she says.

Wilson was promoted over time to environmental engineer, associate, senior environmental engineer and civil, environmental and planning manager. Meanwhile, the Guelph office grew from four to more than 50 staff. The firm credits Wilson’s contributions as instrumental to this growth. These contributions included projects for small and midsize communities and building relationships both within the firm and externally—not just with clients, but also with residents.

“I do a lot of public-facing work,” says Wilson. “It’s important to build rapport with community members and ensure technical information is presented in an approachable format. It helps the public appreciate the importance of municipal infrastructure.”

Though she is now a leader in her firm, Wilson is an ‘up-and-comer’ in consulting engineering, focused building a larger presence.

“I’m excited about broadening my reach within the firm,” she says, “and JLR’s reach within the province.”