Photo (L to R):Nancy Inglis, P. Eng., PMP,  ACEC-SK Vice Chair presents 2018 Mentor Award to recipient Lawrence Pinter, P. Eng.

The 2018 Association of Consulting Engineering Companies - Saskatchewan (ACEC-SK) Mentor Award recipient is Lawrence Pinter, P.Eng.

Lawrence Pinter started his career as a deep-sea diver following his studies in Marine Biology on the West Coast where he spent several years as a construction and salvage diver. Following that he worked in both light and heavy construction. For close to ten years he was a deep foundation subcontractor before becoming a civil engineer.   

In 1989 he turned his attention to the geoenvironmental sector and has gained over 30 years of experience in environmental and geotechnical engineering.   He was employed by Stantec’s predecessor company, Beak Consultants, in 1991, where he learned the ropes of environmental engineering. 

Then 20 years ago he started his own engineering consulting company, PINTER & Associates Ltd. (PINTER), and it has grown from the one-man office he began to now employing 26 employees in 2 offices (Saskatoon & Regina).

Lawrence has provided a solid foundation for many junior and intermediate engineers, environmental scientists, and technicians alike.   Many of his mentees have received their professional designations because of the teaching, guidance and mentorship Lawrence has afforded them.

"A mentor is someone who walks alongside another person, typical younger but not always and imparts their expertisde and their knowledge over a period of and passes things along", a PINTER employee told ACEC-SK team, "I think if you look at the most successful companies over a longer period of time you’ll find mentorship is one of the keys to their success."

The culture of PINTER was built in part by Lawrence’s traits as an understanding, patient and kind man.  As an engineer he is concise, methodical, and well spoken.  Seen to all including peers, mentees, and clients he is trustworthy and forgiving; all the characteristics of a mentor that are worthy of celebration and recognition.

"Lawrence I find is really great at providing guidance and direction to individuals and allowing them to discover things on their own. So he gives you kind of the roadmap on where he thinks you should be going, based on the situation and allows you to discover what you need to learn on your own while also challenging you. So it’s a really good mix of encouragement and challenge to give you that opportunity to really self discover," comment another member of his team.

Lawrence is described as selfless and seemingly tireless. People look up to him, aspire to be like him, and inevitably become leaders who keep his teachings close to heart. With the full engineering load that Lawrence has, he also creates a space for people to thrive where they are encouraged, positively pressured, but also fully supported.  He also recognizes that simple approaches are the most effective and as such, has advocated common sense approaches.   He has encouraged and fostered the development of many professionals throughout his working life.

Lawrence embodies all the essential skills of an excellent mentor, supporting team members through intellectual growth, career development, professional guidance and advocacy. Demonstrating commitment to advancing their careers, he encourages his mentees to develop strong and creative problem-solving abilities and insists on practical solutions that keep the needs of clients in mind.

Lawrence is widely respected for his high ethical and moral standards.  He always demonstrates fairness in management, offering honest discipline and productive criticism when necessary. He is a valuable sounding board when difficult situations arise, consistently offering advice based on honesty and integrity.

Lawrence has a strong belief in giving back to the community of which he is a part.  From being an active leader in the Scouting movement when his children were young to volunteering on an organizing committee of the Saskatchewan Woodturners, he has given his time and energy many times over.  He has held volunteer positions on several professional organizations as well, including the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers (CSCE), the Association of Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan (APEGS), the Canadian Society of Engineering Companies Saskatchewan (CSEC-SK), the Saskatchewan Environmental Industry Managers Association (SEIMA), and many others. 

Lawrence has been married for 40 years and he and his wife raised two sons and a daughter. He enjoys golf, fishing, woodturning, and travelling, and looks forward to many more years of professional involvement and personal fulfillment. 

__________________________________________________________________