About

Darla Campbell, P.Eng., CSR-P, FEC

Candidate for President-Elect, Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO)

  • B.Sc., Civil Engineering (1989)
  • Sustainability & Asset Management Specialist, Dillon Consulting Limited
  • Projects in municipal Water, Wastewater and Stormwater
  • Presented papers at WEAO, OWWA and CNAM conferences
  • Former Executive Director, Ontario Coalition for Sustainable Infrastructure (OCSI)

What you need to know about Darla Campbell is that she learned leadership from the trenches of a construction site.  And that’s not a metaphor, that’s exactly where she started her career as a professional engineer, learning to collaborate with the contractor and working together to get results.  After 20 years of infrastructure experience she re-certified as a trainer and coach to expand her expertise to the efficiency improvements of a company’s greatest asset – its people, and then expanding to sustainability and asset management.

Author of the report “When the Bough Breaks:  Helping municipalities prioritize infrastructure investment to build resilient wastewater and stormwater systems” which identified how Ontario municipalities in 2014 were planning for growth and climate change in their communities.  Published in Environmental Engineering & Science magazine (October 2016) as a co-author of “Low Impact Development Improves the Performance of Existing Stormwater Infrastructure”.

In the past two years, Darla has delivered asset management training to over 200 participants from more than 80 municipalities.

Darla is an Associate with Dillon Consulting Limited, Chair of Waterlution, Chair of Rethink Sustainability Initiatives, past Chair of PEO’s Government Liaison Committee, former Executive Director of the Ontario Coalition for Sustainable Infrastructure (OCSI) and past Chair of the Board of Momentum Credit Union.  Darla recently served as PEO Vice President (elected) on Council and on the Executive Committee and the PEO/OSPE Joint Relations Committee.

Work History

  • Associate, Dillon Consulting Limited (2017 to present)
  • Executive Director, Ontario Coalition for Sustainable Infrastructure (2012-2017)
  • President and CEO, amonavi consulting group inc. (2003-2017)
  • Vice President, Business Development, United Water Canada (2002-2003)
  • Director Business Development and Engineering Services, United Water Canada (1999 to 2002)
  • Director Engineering Services & Technology, United Water, Harrington Park, New Jersey (1997-1999)
  • Project Manager, Project Development, Ontario Clean Water Agency (1994 to 1997)
  • Design Engineer and Resident Engineer, Associated Engineering (1992 to 1994)
  • Engineer-in-training and Engineer, Structural Department, Wardrop Engineering, Winnipeg (1989 to 1992)

Board Experience Highlights

  • Chair of the Board, Rethink Sustainability Initiatives
  • Chair of the Board, Momentum Credit Union
  • Chair of the Board, Waterlution
  • Past Chair of Trustees, University Women’s Club of Oakville Scholarship Fund
  • Director, Canadian Network of Asset Managers (CNAM)
    • Chair, Membership Committee, CNAM
    • Director, Conference Committee, CNAM
  • Director, Canadian National Exhibition Association (CNEA)
    • Chair, Strategy and Innovation Committee, CNEA
    • Director, Governance Committee, CNEA
  • National President, Business and Professional Women Canada (BPW), 2004-2006
  • Director, International Executive, Business and Professional Women (BPW), 1999-2002

Professional Affiliations

  • Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW – Oakville)
  • Canadian Network of Asset Managers (CNAM)
  • Engineers and Geoscientists Manitoba (EGM)
  • Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO)
  • Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE)
  • Water Environment Association of Ontario (WEAO)

Education and Recent Professional Development

  • B.Sc., Civil Engineering, 1989, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
  • 2015: Enterprise Risk Management, Conference Board of Canada, Toronto
  • 2106: Change Management Course, Best Career Leap, Mississauga, Ontario
  • 2018: Certificate in Asset Management, Institute of Asset Management (IAM)
  • 2018: Certified Sustainability Practitioner, Centre for Sustainability and Excellence

Speaking Engagements – Highlights

  • Speaker – Climate Change and Asset Management, Ontario Good Roads Association Conference, virtual (February 23, 2021)
  • Keynote Speaker – Leadership Frame of Mind, PEO Oakville Chapter License Ceremony, virtual (November 28, 2020)
  • Speaker – Asset Management: Aging Infrastructure, Service Delivery & Risk, Urban Water Symposium – from Amsterdam to Toronto, Ryerson Urban Water, Toronto (January 20, 2020)
  • Panelist – The Future of Asset Management, Canadian Network of Asset Managers, webinar (June 26, 2019)
  • Speaker – Defining Levels of Service for Barrie Transit, CNAM Conference, Kelowna (May 7, 2019)
  • Speaker – Bigger Bang for a Buck – Improving Procurement, Ontario Good Roads Association conference, Toronto (February 26, 2019)
  • Speaker – Municipal Sustainability – a small municipal perspective, Municipal Finance Officers’ Association Conference, Niagara Falls (September 20, 2018)
  • Speaker – Developing Confidence to Communicate Your Message Effectively, IEEE Women in Engineering International Leadership Summit, Toronto (September 16, 2018)
  • Speaker – Risk Assessment and Climate Change: Town of Grand Bay-Westfield, Atlantic Asset Management Conference, Moncton (September 6, 2018)
  • Panelist – Leading the Change on Infrastructure Procurement, Ontario Good Roads Association conference (February 26, 2018)
  • Panelist – Ensuring Affordability, Water Innovation in Action, Toronto (November 1, 2017)
  • Panelist – Identifying Best Practices in Municipal Infrastructure Procurement, Ontario Municipal Water Association’s Municipal Water Symposium, Toronto (October 31, 2017)
  • Keynote Speaker – Let’s Begin. Asset Management Made Easy, Yukon Community of Practice event, Whitehorse (November 29, 2016)
  • Speaker – UPFRONT – Developing confidence to communicate your message effectively, Women in Nuclear Conference, Brampton (November 7, 2016)
  • Keynote Speaker – Eco-Fiscal Challenges to Building Resilient Communities, Ontario Drinking Water Branch workshop, Innisfil (September 7, 2016)
  • Keynote Speaker – Find Your Niche. Leadership conference at Lassonde School of Engineering, York University (May 14, 2016)
  • Speaker – Climate Change and Asset Management/Infrastructure, Building Municipal Resiliency in Central Ontario, Barrie (May 21, 2015)
  • Speaker – When the Bough Breaks: Wastewater Infrastructure Needs Assessment, Canadian Network of Asset Managers (CNAM) annual conference, Vancouver (May 12, 2015)
  • Keynote Address – Leadership Frame of Mind, OSPE Women in Engineering Advisory Committee (April 2015)
  • Panelist – Small and Aboriginal Communities, Canadian Water Network national conference, Ottawa (March 10, 2015)
  • Keynote Address – Leadership Frame of Mind, Hamilton-Burlington PEO Awards Dinner (March 2015)
  • Keynote Address – Going Beyond Asset Management – Organizational Change. RIVA Conference, Toronto (October 7, 2014)
  • Panel Moderator – Careers in the Water Sector, Canadian Water Network, London (November 2013)
  • Conference Speaker – The Fast Track for Results: Leave your baggage behind. Mississauga (Nov 2012)
  • Keynote Address – Leadership Frame of Mind, PEO Awards Dinner, Oakville (Sept 2012)
  • Keynote Address – Motivation and Engagement, Leadership Forum, University of Toronto (Aug 2010)

Publications – Recent

Campbell, Darla, When the Bough Breaks:  Helping municipalities prioritize infrastructure investment to build resilient wastewater and stormwater systems (November 2014)

Campbell, Darla and Christine Zimmer, Low Impact Development Improves the Performance of Existing Stormwater Infrastructure, Environmental Science & Engineering, October 2016

Campbell, Darla, “Sustainability and Infrastructure: Are You Prepared for an Uncertain Future?”, Influents, Winter 2017