Ryerson Alumni - Summer 2019 - 38

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In the driver's seat
As a leader in transportation, Karla Avis-Birch
takes the road less travelled
BY SUE HORNER

38

Ryerson University Magazine / Summer 2019

with a personal motto of "Keep
it movin'," Karla Avis-Birch, Civil
Engineering '98, is, appropriately, a leading
personality in the transportation industry.
Now vice-president, capital projects group
at Metrolinx, Avis-Birch advanced from project financial engineer to manager, controls
and standards to VP. She leads an integrated
team of business, technical and consulting
professionals in the delivery of a multi-billion-dollar asset portfolio.
In 2017, Infrastructure Canada also
selected Avis-Birch as a board member for
the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, which
oversees construction of a bridge at one of
the busiest Canada-U.S. border crossings.
"When I graduated from Ryerson, I had
no idea I would end up in transportation,"
says Avis-Birch, who is also a professional
engineer. "I'm grateful the work I'm doing
is connecting communities and helping people move around the region, and proud that
Metrolinx is leading on issues like gender
balance at the senior management level."
Although Avis-Birch considers herself
lucky, she has never believed in waiting for
something to happen. "I've inched my way up
in my professional career, and when opportunities came up, I was ready," she says.
The choice of engineering was intentional,
but on her first day at Ryerson, she was told
success at school while working part-time,
living outside the city and getting married
wasn't possible.
"The fighter in me said, 'I'll show you,'"
says Avis-Birch.
She's proud of both graduating from
Ryerson and working with another student to
launch a local chapter of the National Society
of Black Engineers of Canada. Its mission: To
increase the number of Black engineers who
excel academically, succeed professionally
and positively affect the community.
"It created a network I otherwise wouldn't
have had," Avis-Birch adds.
She's philosophical about her career trajectory. "The accolades may not always
come, there will always be critics, but if you
do the right thing for the right reason, in the
end it will work."

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ERIN LEYDON

Karla Avis-Birch
co-launched a
chapter of the
National Society
of Black Engineers
of Canada.
Ryerson Alumni - Summer 2019

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