She was the first woman hired for the BSR team in Calgary in 2012, and one of the only ones who raised her hand when they asked for volunteers for rope training. Amanda knew it would help her stand out early on in her career, but she also came to love the physical challenge as well as the opportunity it provided to gain a different perspective—literally—on the task of assessing buildings for restoration. Even still it took her a couple of years before she realized she was good at it—before she really saw herself staying in the field and carving out a long-term career. So, she dug in, putting in the hours and effort to get professionally certified.

Today Amanda is one of just a few with both the professional engineering technologist stamp and the qualifications to do building evaluations while suspended by ropes. She manages others who do this work now but has used the experience to take on more and more responsibility and grow within the company; she takes great pride in tackling bigger, more complex restoration projects and hopes to be involved in even more multi-disciplinary construction projects in the future.

The unparalleled work ethic is what most people remark on when asked about Amanda. It’s her trademark, in a way, both at the office, and in her personal life. She has competed in CrossFit in the past and more recently began applying her fierce determination to competitive body building. The rope work makes a lot more sense suddenly, doesn’t it? She’s a self-described workaholic who holds herself to a very high standard. As a manager, she’s learned she can’t expect everyone to mirror this effort to the same degree; she makes a point of identifying the value of each person’s contribution and the collective strength of the team. And as one the most senior women on the team, she also knows people look to her for mentorship even if they don’t report directly. They know she’s not afraid to get into the weeds on a project and they see how hard she works.

Amanda has sage advice for young professionals entering the field: don’t try to master everything at once, there is plenty of time to learn. Instead, figure out what interests you; let your superiors know so they can help create opportunities for learning, but also be willing to try other new things when those opportunities emerge. They all contribute to a depth and breadth of experience that will become invaluable as they develop their careers.

Looking ahead, Amanda sees a bright future for the BSR team as climate change goals are set with performance targets for existing building stock and demand for retrofit work increases. For herself, Amanda has goals to move into Associate and Principal roles some day. If the past can teach us anything, it’s that she has the guts and determination to make it happen.