Meet Stephanie Lettner

 

What is your position title?

Engineering Project Manager

When did you first come to Jasper?

I grew up in northern Alberta and Jasper was the main location of our family vacations. My mother had visited many times during her childhood and I’m grateful she chose to share her connection to Jasper with me. I was fortunate to move to Jasper in 2008 to complete high school, developing a deeper connection which pulled me back after I completed university and worked in Edmonton.

What was your education/career path?

After taking a year off to travel, I returned to Canada and enrolled in Engineering at the University of Alberta. I received my degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering and began working as a consultant specializing in the design and construction of environmental containment facilities. After receiving my professional designation, I decided to look for opportunities to move back to Jasper and received a chance to work with Parks Canada in 2022 within Asset Management.

What do you do for Parks Canada?

I work with consultants and contractors to complete various engineering design and construction projects within Jasper National Park. The primary goal is to ensure that projects are completed on time, on budget and with limited disruption to park visitors or operations. Projects vary widely but some examples are:

• road paving and maintenance
• geotechnical investigations
• bridge design and reconstruction
• interior renovations
• building fire suppression systems
• backcountry bridge inspections

What would you tell a 10-year-old girl about science?

Participating in science is an opportunity to adventure and explore the world around us. It’s about being interested and discovering how and why things work. It progresses through curious minds asking questions about the world around them, trying different things and learning from mistakes. Science is waiting for anyone wanting to explore it, and I highly encourage you to do so.