Prior to joining Scott Wilson Mining, Mrs. McCombe was Chief Mining Consultant for the Ontario Securities Commission.  She was responsible for developing and implementing National Instrument 43-101: Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101).  She conducted technical reviews of mining and exploration companies, property reports prepared to support financing, technical disclosure in prospectuses, offering memoranda and other disclosure documents. 
Mrs. McCombe is the author of numerous articles and presentations prepared to assist mining companies and their lawyers, and mining and engineering professionals in a better understanding of the Canadian disclosure rules for mineral projects.

Mrs. McCombe is registered as a professional geoscientist in the provinces of Ontario and Saskatchewan.  She is a Director of Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada, the Chair of the PDAC International Affairs Committee, a Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) Distinguished Lecturer on Canadian Disclosure Standards, a Canadian representative of the Committee for Mineral Reserves International Reporting Standards (CRIRSCO), and a member of numerous professional affiliations. 

Mrs. McCombe became a member of the Association in 2002. In 2007 she became a Councilor at Large on the APGO Council, then served as vice president for the 2009-2010 Council year. Mrs. McCombe has been actively involved on several APGO committees including the Discipline Committee, the Executive Committee, and the Communications and Public Awareness Committee.  Mrs. McCombe officially became president of APGO at the 8th Annual General Meeting held on June 23rd, 2010.

1. Congratulations on your new position as President of the APGO. What motivated you to let your name stand for vice president initially and would you share with APGO members your thoughts on your new role as president?

When I became involved initially, Ontario was one of the few jurisdictions in Canada which did not have an association of professional geoscientists.  The Association has grown significantly in recent years and as a result staff and volunteers have worked hard to ensure that policies are developed and implemented.  With my regulatory background and experience working as a geologist in many parts of Ontario, I thought I would like to contribute in the areas of corporate governance, recognition of foreign professional geoscientists, and dealings with the regulators across the country.  I am honored and excited to have the opportunity to represent geoscientists from across Ontario.

 

2. What goals and objectives are you hoping to achieve during your term as president of the APGO?

   As President, I would like to focus on completing the tasks set out in the Strategic Plan and finalizing the Corporate Governance Initiative and ensuring that policies are in place.   The development of Geoscience Professional Practice Guidelines in conjunction with other participating Geoscientists Canada constituent associations will be a top priority as well as continuing to enhance our communications to the membership particularly with respect to interprovincial mobility and continuing professional development.     

    

3. You have been involved with the Association for quite some time and have been a true supporter of the work the Association does. Could you provide some of your thoughts about the Association – what it does well and areas where you see there could be some improvement?

   This association has made a tremendous transformation from a startup organization to a large professional regulator in a short period of time.  This has largely been due to the extraordinary efforts of the volunteers and the small, very dedicated staff.

   I believe that the Association has put worthwhile benefits in place for members such as access to Professional Liability Insurance; access to group rates for home and auto insurance; and Secondary Professional Liability Insurance which is included in the cost of the annual dues.

   Communication with members and the public have been greatly enhanced over the last couple of years. However, communication concerning mobility of geoscientists and the continuing professional development program could still be expanded upon. Communication is the key to greater understanding for members, the public, and the APGO. Open dialogue allows all sides to understand the issues and find solutions.

    

4. As you know, it is APGO’s volunteer members who truly drive the Association and keep it functioning at a high level. In your opinion, how could interested APGO members become more involved with the APGO and its activities?

   I realize that these days all of us have extremely busy schedules and time is very precious.  Nevertheless, volunteering with APGO offers many benefits ranging from networking with colleagues, learning more about other areas of geoscience practice, visiting universities and engaging students, preparing articles for our website and making new friends.  APGO members who would like to become involved with APGO should visit the following link http://www.apgo.net/members-volunteer.htm.