Colin Dryland
Company: Woods
Job title: Senior Associate Engineer / Land Development Engineering, Stormwater Management and Architecture
Colin Dryland
About Colin
I am an Architectural Designer and Chartered Civil Engineer with 19-years’ experience. I am a co-owner of Woods, a multi-disciplinary consultancy with 170 staff.
Whakapapa pepeha
Kia ora Tatou
Ko Te Hīkoi O Te Kiri te maunga
Ko Weiti te awa No Whangaparaoa ahau
Ko Dryland toku whanau
Ko Colin toku ingoa
Strategic vision
My strategic vision for ACE is to build upon the trusted platform of member advocacy and influence with local and central government and key stakeholders to ensure that the organisation and the industry responds soundly to the critical issues of today and the future.
I see ACE as the voice of influence representing member firms in critical issues such as policy changes, contracts, RMA reform and the occupational regulation of engineers proposed by MBIE. I see this as exceptionally important for member firms to be supported in their ability to respond to future changes in the industry as businesses and professionals.
I believe that ACE should represent the community of engineering and associated professionals that make up member firms by supporting their business, regulatory, social and technical interests. With member firms increasingly diverse in background, values and thought, ACE should continue to grow in this space to better represent the engineering community and limit any barrier to member engagement.
Strengths
I am a Senior Associate Civil Engineer at Woods and am both a qualified architectural designer and chartered civil engineer. I have 19-years’ experience in land development engineering with broad experience in associated disciplines. I lead a culturally diverse team of engineers delivering all manner and scales of land development projects – the most significant of which is Paerata Rise, consisting of a community of up to 5,000 new homes. I work closely with Woods' surveyors, planners, architects and urban designers and it is this collective diversity of culture, experience, thought and collaboration that gives me the confidence to advocate for the equally diverse member firms that ACE represents.
As a co-owner of Woods, I sit within the management team who are collectively responsible for supporting our 170 staff. I have an interest in raising the profile of engineering and STEM subjects for industry resilience of future engineers, and the professional development of engineers at all levels to achieve chartership. I am responsible for the Woods Professional Development programme (Training, Mentoring and Development to CPEng) and support 95 engineers in their professional goals. In recent years I have been personally involved in the successful attainment of CPEng by twelve employees which is hugely rewarding.
Coming from a diploma level qualification at Unitec, I took the less travelled path to CPEng via Knowledge Assessment. I wish to contribute to the occupational regulation of engineers to ensure that this pathway continues to exist for people that may not be able to access Washington Accord bachelor’s programmes. Diploma and Bachelor of Technology programmes are made up of more broadly diverse people and ensuring these opportunities are continued is important to drive diversity and inclusion in engineering.
I am currently a Director and Chairman of the Sunset West Wastewater Company - a community-owned wastewater treatment and disposal facility servicing the Sunset West community at Baylys Beach in the Kaipara District. I am therefore comfortable with the matters and processes of governance at a board level.
I grew up in Warkworth, live on the Hibiscus Coast with my young family, and am very connected to the issues facing member firms in Auckland, Kaipara and Northland.
I am currently the ACE New Zealand Auckland North Regional Chair and it is this work that encourages me to apply to the Board to further support member firms and their interests.
What does diversity and inclusion mean to you?
To me, diversity and inclusion is ensuring that all members of society have the opportunity to contribute, engage, and prosper without barriers.
The recognition of value in diverse people, backgrounds and thought is important to bring about outcomes that support an equally diverse society. I believe inclusion is a meaningful commitment to overcoming the societal barriers to success that people of diverse backgrounds face.
A culture of inclusion enables the true representation of the needs of society and promotes a broad worldview and problem-solving perspective. A workplace community should well reflect the community that they serve, in both representation and understanding. Bringing about diversity and all its benefits begins with inclusion.