ACEC’s Beaubien award given posthumously to Allen D. Williams

As part of the 2014 awards celebration held October 23 in Ottawa, the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies-Canada (ACEC/AFIC) gave its Beaubien Award posthumously to Allen D. Williams, P. Eng.

The Beaubien Award is an honour bestowed on an individual each year for exceptional service to the association and the consulting engineering industry.

In 1978, Allen Williams opened A.D. Williams Engineering Limited, a mechanical and forensic engineering firm in Edmonton, Alberta. The firm soon grew to include civil and structural departments followed by geotechnical, environmental, and eventually electrical, building science, and municipal planning services.

With a focus on bringing engineering expertise to remote, northern communities, the firm built its business through the use of strategically located corporate and branch offices, company aircraft, and above all, a high standard of business integrity.

In addition to growing his own firm’s success, Allen also had a vision for the future of consulting engineering. Seeing the need to attract more young people to the profession, he set out to raise awareness of consulting engineering among university and college students through the Alberta recruitment program.

Allen served as a member of the Board of Directors of Consulting Engineers of Alberta from 1998 until 2006. From 2001 until 2006, he served on ACEC-Canada’s Board and was Chair from 2004 to 2005. In 2009, Allen’s dedication to the industry was honoured by ACEC with the creation of the Allen D. Williams Scholarship, which is presented annually to a young professional in an ACEC member firm who has made significant contributions to the association and the industry.

To view the ACEC press release, click here.