CCE’s Top 10 Under 40: Kelsey Waugh

Photo courtesy LEA Consulting.

This year, for the second 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.

Kelsey Waugh, 30, is a Toronto-based transportation engineer who was recently promoted to data analytics manager for LEA Consulting. She has been with the firm ever since she started as a co-op student while earning her Bachelor of Applied Sciences in Civil Engineering at the University of Waterloo.

“I consider myself very lucky for graduating at a time when there were a lot of opportunities in transportation,” she says. “I grew up in a family of engineers, mainly electrical, in the small town of Port Hawkesbury, N.S. It was only when I took the bus for my first time, during university, that I discovered alternate modes of transportation besides private vehicles. By my third year at Waterloo, I had become passionate about this field.”

It was also a particularly opportune time to join LEA, on the cusp of its growth. Waugh recalls it was a team of approximately 150 at the time. Today, the firm employs more than 200.

“I have received a lot of good support over the years,” she says.

Waugh’s projects have spanned much of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), from traffic data collection in Peel Region to grade separations along Steeles Avenue to environmental assessments of roads in Brooklin, Ont. She has been involved in preparing and managing more than 100 transportation impact studies, for both urban and rural settings.

It’s clear, however, her dedication goes well beyond projects. For one, she frequently serves as the firm’s friendly face at career fairs, sharing her experience with students and informing them about opportunities in consulting engineering.

“When a mentorship program was introduced at LEA,” adds Wendy Luu, the firm’s marketing and communications manager, “Kelsey was involved in ensuring we had mentors from diverse backgrounds, to allow for a broader range of perspectives, experiences and insights to be shared with the mentees. This level of dedication and care is a testament to her leadership skills and ability to positively impact those around her.”