Perseverance and goal-setting led Lisbeth Medina to find her true calling in consulting engineering

Lisbeth Medina, a Water Resources Engineer in our Calgary office, credits her parents as early influencers in her life. She saw their discipline, dedication, and hard-working attitude and sought to emulate them. Her father, a mechanical engineer, always told her, “Everything is possible in this life, as long as you work hard and have a clear vision of you goals.”

As an undergraduate studying civil engineering in Venezuela, Lisbeth was attracted to water-related disciplines, including hydraulics, hydrology, water and wastewater treatment, and fluid mechanics. She was inspired to understand the science behind water and its impacts on infrastructure, the economy, and people’s lives. This led Lisbeth to move to Canada to pursue a Master’s degree in water resources engineering, with the added challenge of having to learn a new language. She says, “Earning a Master’s degree was always my goal as a junior engineer. It was very challenging to study and learn technical vocabulary in a different language, but I was determined to achieve this goal.”

After graduating, Lisbeth decided to take a job with a small consulting engineering firm in Peace River, AB. However, she always wanted to work for a big, successful consulting firm. She says, “Associated Engineering has always been known as an industry leader for quality of work, technical excellence, and innovation.” So, in 2011, Lisbeth moved to Edmonton and joined our Water Resources team. 

“Now, I can’t see myself doing anything else, but consulting. I love the projects and the diversity of clients as a consultant, as well as the problem-solving, fast-tracked learning, design processes, goal-oriented work, and teamwork. We get to experience all of this in the consulting engineering world.”

Lisbeth reflects that being a female engineer has had its challenges, especially early in her career. She recalls, “As a young professional, some people on construction sites were disrespectful. With time and confidence, I learned to be more thick-skinned and focus on the goal and project deliverables.”

She adds, “My experiences as a water resources engineer and project manager have been absolutely great. I really enjoy connecting with clients and working with a team. Nothing makes me prouder than seeing the team working together toward a common goal and hearing clients express their appreciation for the completed work. Strong communication and teamwork are the keys to success.”

Lisbeth believes that mentoring young staff is a great way to promote a successful work culture, foster positive relationships, and share knowledge and experiences. Lisbeth feels that by providing support, guidance, and opportunities, young staff get to develop and meet their professional and personal goals. She encourages young staff to always ask questions, be curious, and be open to new ideas.  

In her free time, Lisbeth enjoys working out, playing golf, hiking, spending time with friends, and exploring new places. One of her new adventures is modeling in charity fashion shows. She is also a Zumba fitness instructor and teaches classes a couple of times per week, incorporating some Latin-American inspired dance moves. Lisbeth is a strong advocate in motivating others to achieve their personal fitness goals, as well as their professional goals.