Layne Pukalo - Al-Terra

Edmonton
Team member since 2022

Department
Transportation (Rural)

What advice would you give a person who is just starting out in engineering?
One thing I live by is to experience everything I can, and so should you. Gaining as much experience and knowledge early on in your career will pay off in your confidence and skills. Time really does fly; before you know it, it will have been 10, 20, 30 years ago, and you too will say, "where did all that time go?"

What are you happiest doing when you’re not working?
Hanging with my girls, all four of them. Our winter religion is hockey and our summer religion is golf. In our spare time we build forts out of anything we can find and we strive to try out every outdoor activity one can imagine.

What is your favourite thing about your career or industry?
My favorite thing is seeing the progression of a project, from the initiation stage through the transformation stage to the delivery of the final product. I find it captivating to compare where we started to where we finish. This is similar to when I coach minor hockey; the improvement in the kids' knowledge and skills from the beginning of the hockey season to the final game is something to behold. Just like the projects we work on, as our skills and knowledge advance, our finished projects become greater and more enjoyable for the public in their daily lives. You look back and wonder how we put up with that old road for so long, and ask, 'Where is the next road to tackle?

Through my career I have worked for the contractor, the municipality and now the consultant in the industry of road building. From busy urban arterials to quiet residential cul de sacs, I have worked in roles of surveyor, concrete labourer, project coordinator, estimator, project manager, program manager and junior designer. My focus is now on rural highway rehabilitation within Alberta. At the end of the day, and no matter the project, I have no fear in getting my jeans dirty to get the job done.

I am a proud graduate of the Civil Engineering Technology program of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), Edmonton, Alberta and I hold a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) from Lakehead University.