ACEC – Career Panel

Career Panel
Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – Ontario

Thursday, September 11, 2025at 5 p.m. in GB117

PIZZA & DRINKS PROVIDED     FREE TO ATTEND        RSVP IN ADVANCE

Join us for an engaging Career Panel Event hosted by the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – Ontario (ACEC-Ontario) to explore the dynamic world of consulting engineering and its vital role in shaping Ontario’s infrastructure, promoting sustainability, and enhancing community well-being.

Hear from experienced professionals about their career journeys, daily work life, and industry insights. Discover essential skills, mentorship programs, and job opportunities that can launch or advance your engineering career. Participate in an engaging Q&A session to get your questions answered.

Whether you’re a student or new grad, this event offers a unique chance to connect with experts, learn about industry trends, and gain valuable advice to propel your consulting engineering career forward

PANELISTS

Jessica Stapleton, P.Eng. – Tatham Engineering (Panelist)
Jessica Stapleton is a Civil Engineer with nearly a decade of diverse experience in the consulting engineering industry. A University of Toronto graduate, she began her career in water and wastewater engineering before transitioning to transportation. Currently, she is an Engineer and Project Manager in Tatham Engineering’s Municipal Department, where she oversees complex infrastructure projects and ensures their successful execution. Jessica’s journey into engineering started before graduation, when she gained hands-on experience as an Assistant Project Coordinator at EllisDon. This early exposure to project management and construction administration laid the foundation for her career. With expertise spanning municipal infrastructure planning, design, and execution, Jessica is dedicated to enhancing communities through innovative engineering solutions.

Junda Zhao, P.Eng – CIMA+ (Panelist)
Junda Zhao, P.Eng. is the Senior System Integrator from CIMA+, who has over 10 years of experience in Water and Wastewater Treatment field. Junda obtained his Bachelor of Engineering in Automation from Shandong University in 2009 and had Master of Science in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from The George Washington University in 2015. From 2014-2021, Junda worked in Sues Treatment Solution as an E&IC engineer and joined CIMA+ in 2021. Now Junda is responsible for electrical and control part of Water & Wastewater control system, specifically for electrical control system and PLC/SCADA/IoT design.

Micheal Melanson, P.Eng. – Alpin Martin (Panelist)
Micheal Melanson is a Project Manager at Aplin Martin with extensive experience in civil engineering design and project delivery across the municipal and land development sectors. Over the past several years, Micheal has progressed through roles including Design Engineer and Project Engineer, contributing to a wide range of infrastructure projects throughout the Greater Toronto Area. His expertise spans design, stakeholder coordination, site inspections, cost estimating, and construction oversight.

Micheal holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering from Lakehead University and an Advanced Diploma in Civil Engineering Technology from Seneca Polytechnic. He brings a strong technical foundation and collaborative approach to every project and conversation.

MODERATOR

George Wilcox is the Construction Survey Manager at TULLOCH, where he oversees survey support for complex infrastructure and mining projects across Ontario. With nearly 20 years of experience, he has led survey teams on major construction projects, some valued over $10B, including roles at GeoVerra, WSP, and Challenger Geomatics.

 George is a licensed Professional Engineer with a degree in Geomatics Engineering from the University of New Brunswick. His background spans construction survey management, producing digital twins, and preparing high precision control networks. He leads survey programs on some of Canada’s largest infrastructure projects.