We’re proud to present the 2026 winners of the Transportation Association of Canada (TAC)’s Volunteer Recognition and Young Professional Awards. Congratulations to these deserving individuals!
Click on the award titles to learn more about each award and the past winners.
Distinguished Service Award
This award is TAC’s highest honour. It recognizes leaders who have had a tangible and enduring impact on the association’s progress toward its vision and mission and, thereby, Canada’s transportation sector. The recipient has contributed actively to TAC councils and committees for at least 15 years, among their 25 years or more of industry experience.
Keith Foster, Englobe
Keith Foster is a recognized expert in construction materials engineering and quality management. His career spans almost 50 years in the transportation sector, during which he has provided expertise and leadership to many major design-build infrastructure projects across Canada. His contributions have made lasting impacts in the construction and rehabilitation of concrete and asphalt pavements, airports, bridges, and tunnels.
Keith has been an active participant in TAC’s technical network for 30 years. He is a dedicated member of TAC’s Soils & Materials and Pavements Committees. He has contributed his expertise to the development of TAC guidance on quality management practices for flexible pavement materials, construction and structural deck waterproofing systems, chlorinated solvents in hot mix asphalt, among others. Keith also contributes to the field internationally as a member of technical committees of the American Concrete Institute and the World Road Association.
Keith is passionate about transportation and seeks to build its workforce in myriad ways. He is a member of TAC’s Workforce Development Council and has been a Director on the Board of the TAC Foundation since its creation in 2003. He champions STEM outreach programs to introduce high school students to the work world of transportation engineering, dedicating countless personal hours to these initiatives every year.
Always a vocal supporter of TAC’s work, a generous contributor of knowledge and expertise to the field, and committed to developing the next generation of transportation professionals, Keith Foster has made a lasting impact on TAC and transportation.
Jean-François Gysel, COGYTUM
Dr. Jean-François Gysel is a world-renowned civil engineer with almost 40 years of experience. Throughout his career, he has worked on transportation projects in more than 30 countries. Particularly recognized for his road safety expertise, Jean-François has shared his knowledge with others in Canada and around the world, making a significant contribution to improved outcomes for road users at home and abroad.
Since 2009, Jean-François has been active in TAC’s Education and Human Resources Development Council (now the Workforce Development Council). He provided critical leadership on the Council Executive, including as Chair, during an important period of evolution and growth in TAC’s network. He regularly volunteers his time as a reviewer of papers and awards. Jean-François has gained a reputation for developing some of TAC’s most innovative and dynamic conference sessions, promoting collaboration, communication, and ethical responsibility across the engineering community.
As a member of the Board of the TAC Foundation, and during a term as its Executive Director, Jean-François has demonstrated his commitment to giving back to the transportation sector and to building its future. This is further evident in the volunteer service he has provided to numerous other professional organizations, including Engineers Without Borders Quebec, Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec, L’Association québécoise des transports, the World Road Association (PIARC) and its Canadian National Committee.
Tom Loo, Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors
Tom Loo is a respected senior civil engineer and public sector executive with more than 30 years of experience in transportation infrastructure, engineering standards, and major capital project delivery. He has made important contributions to the planning, delivery, and maintenance of provincial highway and bridge infrastructure in Alberta and to notable projects, including Anthony Henday Drive and Stoney Trail.
Tom is a long-serving member of several TAC councils and committees, including the Safety, Design & Operations Council and the Infrastructure & Asset Management Council, where he generously contributes insights and expertise to technical discussions. He is also a member of the Chief Engineers Panel where he collaborates with peers to advance national issues and strategic priorities. He provides input on the development of guidance and promotes good practices for transportation engineering and infrastructure in Canada.
In 2022, Tom served as Chair of the Local Organizing Committee for the TAC Conference and Exhibition in Edmonton. It was the first in-person event following the COVID-19 pandemic and presented unique challenges to plan and organize. Tom’s dedicated leadership helped ensure its success, delivering an event that broke existing TAC records for participation and renewed vital connections in the transportation community.
Tom is a stalwart champion of TAC projects and events. He actively supports the Association’s work in his day job and through his volunteer service. His contributions have helped advance TAC’s mission and vision and overall success.
Leadership Award
This award recognizes individual volunteers who have provided continuous, effective leadership during ten or more years of active participation on TAC councils and committees and who have earned a reputation among other TAC volunteers for their dedication, collaboration, knowledge, and integrity.
Dave Besuyen, Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors
Since 2013, Dave has demonstrated remarkable leadership and made significant contributions to TAC councils and committees, leaving an undeniable impact on the organization and its members. It wasn’t long before he joined the executive of the Structures Committee, including a term as Chair. He also provided leadership on several important projects, participating on the project to develop a guide about Mechanically Stabilized Earth Walls and co-chairing the project to describe beneficial practices for bridge deck HMA paving, and leading initiatives such as the first national roundtable on Steel Bridge Inspector Training and Certification. Throughout, Dave consistently sought input from diverse perspectives, leveraging each team member’s strengths to drive important initiatives and ideas forward. Dave’s ability to foster a culture of open communication and idea-sharing has been pivotal in enhancing the performance of the groups.
Jeff Crang, Tetra Tech Canada
Jeff Crang has demonstrated outstanding leadership and dedication through his extensive involvement on TAC’s Geometric Design Committee (GDC). Serving on the GDC executive, he played a key role in strengthening committee operations, modernizing membership management, and supporting the growth of conference programming. Jeff led the development and review of geometric design sessions for TAC conferences, coordinated collaboration with other committees, and helped guide the committee’s work during both online and in-person periods following COVID-19. He also represented the committee on the Safety, Design and Operations Council and contributed to multiple technical working groups. Highly respected by peers, Jeff’s collaborative approach, leadership, and technical expertise have made a lasting contribution to advancing geometric design practice in Manitoba and across Canada.
Individual Contribution Award
This award recognizes individual volunteers who have exhibited notable levels of initiative, creativity, effort and/or technical excellence in contributing to the work of TAC councils or committees over the preceding five years.
Melissa Rutherford, CBCL
Melissa began volunteering in 2020 on the Environment and Climate Change Council and its committees. She first served as Secretary of the Environmental Legislation Committee before becoming Chair, completing her term in 2024. In spring 2026, she stepped into the role of Vice-Chair of the Council. Throughout her tenure, Melissa has organized, moderated, and presented at numerous conference sessions, many of which became among the Council’s best attended. She also served on the Environmental Achievement Award’s evaluation committee, applying her expertise in environmental assessment. Melissa has been instrumental in fostering collaboration and participation, particularly during the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jack Mason, ISL Engineering and Land Services
Jack has been actively involved with TAC since 2016 and is dedicated to advancing geometric design in Alberta and across Canada. Proactive, collaborative, and knowledgeable, he contributes meaningfully to technical meetings and sessions. He joined the Geometric Design Committee (GDC) Executive in 2022 and progressed to Chair in 2026. Jack has supported the GDC by giving presentations, moderating sessions, and reviewing conference papers. His work includes contributing to the Geometric Design Guide for Canadian Roads chapter on interchanges rewrite and access management initiatives. He has also participated in the Revisions and Additions Subcommittee and Active Transportation Integrated Committee, sharing his expertise to strengthen geometric design guidance and collaboration across committees.
Brittney Speed, British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Transit
As Senior Manager, Engineering Programs at British Columbia’s Ministry of Transportation and Transit since 2004, Brittney Speed has played a key role in shaping and delivering key programs within the Ministry. She is particularly dedicated to fostering the growth of emerging professionals to help young talent advance their careers and achieve professional success. A member of the Workforce Development Council since 2018, she has served on its executive and the executive of the Human Resources Committee. During this time, she has led initiatives on recruitment, retention, mental health, knowledge management, and mentoring, while presenting widely on workforce strategy and supporting implementation of the Council’s Strategic Framework.
Sean Nix, Region of Peel
Sean Nix has been actively involved with TAC’s councils, committees, and subcommittees for more than seven years. He joined the Road Safety Committee in 2018 and later co-chaired the Road Safety Workforce Subcommittee. In 2020, he joined the Traffic Operations and Management Committee and the Workforce Development Council (WDC), serving on the executive of each. During his tenure as WDC Chair, he oversaw the implementation of the Council’s strategic framework and the creation of three committees: Education, Professional Development, and Human Resources. He served as Past-Chair from 2023–2025 and remains active on the Education Committee today.
Committee Excellence Award
This award recognizes excellence and innovation by TAC’s volunteer committees, subcommittees, working groups, and project steering committees. Recipient groups have contributed to TAC’s vision and mission through knowledge building, professional development, and member engagement.
Revisions and Additions Subcommittee
The Geometric Design Guide for Canadian Roads (GDG) has been maintained through ongoing updates by the Revisions and Additions Subcommittee since 1990. The committee coordinates revisions, ensures technical accuracy, and keeps guidance aligned with evolving practices. During its time, major updates occurred in 1999 and 2017, with recent volunteer-led work adding a chapter on low-volume roads and revising the chapter on Interchanges. This award recognizes the contributions of all who have served on the Revisions and Additions Subcommittee as the custodians and gatekeepers who have maintained the GDG as a flagship technical publication of the Transportation Association of Canada.
Young Transportation Professional Award
This award recognizes an employee of a TAC member organization who has made outstanding contributions to the transportation sector and is not more than 35 years old on December 31 in the year of the award.
Shivpal Yadav, Thurber Engineering Ltd.
With a decade of specialized pavement engineering experience across North America, Dr. Shivpal Yadav has built a reputation for technical excellence and practical innovation in transportation. Dr. Yadav has led multidisciplinary teams delivering pavement condition assessments and asset management programs, with an emphasis on modern, AI-enabled, and automated approaches that improve data quality and make network-level decision-making more accessible to smaller organizations. He advanced active transportation asset management by developing an electric tricycle-based system that collects automated condition data for sidewalks and multi-use trails — an approach that has improved efficiency, safety, and accuracy and has been implemented on several municipal networks in Ontario. Dr. Yadav has also contributed to several major projects across the country, to freeway rehabilitation initiatives in Southern Ontario, and to airport and intermodal terminal work.
A valued contributor to TAC’s Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement User Group, Dr. Yadav leads a subcommittee examining how AASHTOWare Pavement ME distress predictions respond to changes in granular base materials and layer thickness. He is a member of TAC’s Asset Management Committee, as well as other provincial, national and international organizations. Dr. Yadav publishes and presents widely, and is committed to education and mentorship, having served and taught at post-secondary institutions in Canada and the U.S.
Grant for Young Innovators in Transportation
This award provides an allowance of up to $5000 to help a young professional attend TAC’s technical meetings and annual conference. It is made possible through the generosity of Scott Stewart & Associates.
Kendra Bursey, Newfoundland and Labrador Transportation and Infrastructure
Kendra Bursey is an emerging leader and innovator in transportation engineering with Newfoundland and Labrador Transportation and Infrastructure. As Manager of Highway Planning and Procurement, she oversees highway engineering teams, design standards, and public tenders. Kendra actively researches transportation technology, including continuous traffic monitoring systems that provide real-time data on traffic volumes, speeds, and user types to support better planning and safer roadways. Previously, as a Transportation Systems Engineer with the City of St. John’s, she helped design transportation systems, advance active transportation initiatives, and implement eco-bike counters. Kendra is passionate about using technology and data to improve safety, sustainability, and mobility.
Allan Widger Consulting Corporation Grant for Young Geotechnical Engineers in Transportation
This award provides an allowance of up to $4000 to help a young geotechnical engineer attend TAC’s technical meetings and annual conference. It is made possible through the generosity of Allan Widger Consulting Corporation.
Iliya Nemtsov, Ontario Ministry of Transportation
Iliya Nemtsov completed an M.A.Sc. researching how pavement maintenance affects collision frequency on two-lane highways in Ontario, producing a thesis that contributed to further research and earned a citation in the Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering. Iliya joined the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario’s Engineering Development Program, gaining experience in highway design and infrastructure projects, including developing the province’s first emergency Intelligent Transportation Systems procurement. After earning an engineering license in 2024, Iliya became a project soils engineer, supporting consultant development and pavement design. Iliya now oversees pavement friction testing and led a 12 km Highway 401 retexturing project, while seeking to expand knowledge through engineering conferences and collaboration.