The interns had an excellent meeting with the Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO) team. It was great to have a chance to speak with the President, Marisa Sterling, Governemnt Liaison Manager, Jeannette Chau, and Public Affairs Representative, Howard Brown. PEO is a long-standing friend and champion of OLIP, and we are very grateful for their support and investment in the Programme.
We learned about President Sterling's introduction to politics with the Legislative Page Programme. She explained how PEO is a quasi-governmental body that works closely with the Ministry of Labour and the Attorney General's Office to ensure compliance in their industry. President Sterling is very passionate about the role engineers play in society, and how PEO is working to bridge the gap between current policy issues and engineers' work. One of her goals is to educate and be more open about how engineers can help fill policy gaps. We learned about the role of regulatory bodies and how they serve as harm preventers. Ms. Chau explained that PEO focuses on their role as public safety advocates and does this by creating and fostering relationships.
We are excited to catch up with PEO in the new year when we will have more to share with them and are grateful for their sponsorship and interest in our Programme.