Danielle Makari is a Project Engineer in our Prince Albert office. Danielle is involved in the design and construction of municipal and First Nation infrastructure and transportation projects across Saskatchewan. 

From a young age growing up on a family farm, Danielle learned the importance of hard work. She tells us, “My parents instilled in us a strong work ethic. Everyone had to help out on the farm.” 

At school, she quickly discovered a love of science and math, which were subjects that felt natural to her and which she excelled at. Danielle shares, “During my final year of high school, I attended a tour of the College of Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan. Before the tour, I had heard about engineers, but had no idea what an engineer really was. The tour inspired me to apply to the College of Engineering.”

After graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture and Bioresource Engineering, Danielle joined Associated Engineering. She recently celebrated her eighth year with the company. Danielle credits her manager, Jeff Horan, who has supported her since she started at Associated. Danielle tells us, “Jeff created an environment for me to learn and grow.”

Danielle admits that being a young female in the consulting engineering world definitely has its challenges, some of which she still experiences today. She tells us, “Sometimes you’re not taken seriously, or others don’t trust your knowledge or judgement. There are some hard days, but having a support system of a good supervisor and managers has helped me get through the tough days.”

“When it comes to delivering projects, teamwork is the most important thing for me. ”

One of her project highlights happened recently when she attended a water treatment plant grand opening for one of the communities she works with. Danielle recalls, “Being involved in the celebration and seeing so many members of the community joining the festivities was amazing!”

Danielle tells us that working on multi-discipline projects, like water treatment plants, can be a challenge. She explains, “Coordinating the work of many specialty groups can be difficult. I’m not sure that I’ve figured out how to make these types of projects run smoothly, but communication between team members is key. We must keep an open flow of dialogue at all times to make sure we address all technical and non-technical issues.”

Danielle adds, “My philosophy is that everyone on the team is as important as the next person, and we each carry out a role that is essential to the overall success of the project. I always try to appreciate our team. A simple Please and Thank you are always  appreciated.”

When asked what she enjoys outside of her work commitments, she says, “Free time, is that a thing?” After work, she is busy running after her two young children (aged three and five), with a third on the way this month! Danielle and her husband try to spend as much time as possible with their kids, making memories and travelling. She also stays active in sports such as volleyball and soccer.

Her advice to young professionals is to ‘never say no’ to an experience. She advises them to learn and absorb as much knowledge as you can from anyone or any situation. She advises, “Don’t ever stop learning and growing personally and professionally.”