Kelsey Van Steele Receives CSA 2022 Young Professional Award

Each year, CSA recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the world of standards through the presentation of the John Jenkins Award, the Award of Merit, and for the fourth year – the Young Professional Award. Past winners hold these awards in high regard as they were nominated by their fellow members and peers.

CSA bestowed Kelsey Van Steele the organization’s 2022 Young Professional Award at their Virtual Conference & Committee Week. The Young Professional Award was launched in 2019 for the 100th anniversary of CSA Group to recognize a young professional that has made outstanding contributions in the development and advancement of voluntary standards. CSA Group is a leader in Standards Development and in Testing, Inspection and Certification in Canada, and globally.

“This award is received with sincere gratitude. My involvement with standards development is something I take a lot of pride in, so to be recognized for my contribution is an honour. It is both a humbling and rewarding experience, and I continue to learn from the wealth of knowledge and experience at the table with each meeting” shares Kelsey. “I am grateful for the support of RJC Engineers as well as the encouragement of my committee colleagues.”

Kelsey has been an active CSA Group member since 2016, beginning with her work on the CSA Z259 Fall Protection Technical Committee. Since that time, Kelsey has become involved in an increasing scope of CSA Group activities, including work on several subcommittees within CSA Z259, the CSA Z91/Z271 TC on Suspended Access Equipment, and the CSA Z1009 TC on Management of Work at Heights.

Kelsey demonstrated excellent leadership when she stepped forward to lead the largest Working Group on CSA Z1009, and her management skills were instrumental in keeping the group moving forward on the development of this new standard. The Working Group addressed numerous complex issues in this new subject area and worked towards building consensus on some of the most challenging aspects of the draft development. Subsequently, and despite a heavy workload as the lead of the Working Group, Kelsey accepted the role of Technical Committee Vice Chair and has continued to provide a strong level of active support to Technical Committee management.

Although a relatively new member, Kelsey never shied away from active input and leadership in her work on CSA committees. She played a key role in finalizing complex solutions, helped resolve consensus sticking points, and proactively handled potential conflicts between existing standards in the CSA Group Occupational Health and Safety portfolio. Kelsey’s active engagement, dedication, and leadership have clearly demonstrated how worthy she is of this recognition.

Kelsey is an Associate with RJC Engineers in Vancouver. She helps manage a growing team in specialty engineering, providing consulting services that include structural condition assessments, building retrofits, and concrete restoration projects. Within this group, she also leads RJC’s fall protection and work-at-heights practice with a specialization in fall protection design and façade and building maintenance access system consulting.