Jessica LeNoble, an environmental engineer with Kerr Wood Leidal Associates Ltd. in Vancouver, has won the 2026 Association of Consulting Engineering Companies British Columbia (ACEC-BC) Future Leader Award.
The award recognizes a young engineering professional who has demonstrated excellence in consulting business practices, outstanding achievements in their applicable fields and leadership in the community.
“I was very honoured to be recognized for the work I do,” says LeNoble.
LeNoble has become known for her ability to bridge the parts of engineering that have traditionally been kept separate from each other.
She connects affordability, sustainability and long-term system performance and, at the same, delivers practical solutions for her clients.
LeNoble’s work shows engineering not only solves technical challenges, it also improves the quality of life and the environment.
Born in Vancouver and raised in Kelowna, LeNoble showed an early interest in the environment.
In high school, she took part in the Environmental Mind Grind trivia competition that promoted environmental stewardship and knowledge.
The annual event used a quiz show-style format to test the environmental knowledge of 450 high school students in 95 school teams in the Okanagan.
An animal lover (her dog Coco was a seventh birthday present), LeNoble thought she would like to be a veterinarian – until she learned at a middle school career fair what the job would actually entail. No, thanks.
“From there, I decided I wanted to help animals and our environment in another way and thought I would go into environmental science,” says LeNoble.
She completed undergraduate degrees in political science and environmental engineering at Dalhousie University, and a graduate degree (MASc) in pollution control and water management at the University of British Columbia.
“I ended up in environmental engineering more by chance,” says LeNoble. “At first I thought I would take more of an environmental public policy route with my political science degree.”
She says a career in consulting has allowed her to combine her many interests.
“I would say my work has generally focused more on the soft engineering side of things,” says LeNoble. “It has been very valuable to be able to see issues from several different angles, and I think my clients benefit from having input from a consulting engineering with a liberal arts background.”
Soft engineering uses natural systems and processes to absorb energy, reduce erosion and protect local habitats, rather than building massive artificial structures.
LeNoble says two projects she has worked on have specialty meaning for her.
For one, there is the Burrard Inlet Water Quality Objectives (WQOs), which were co-signed by the B.C. government and the Tsleil-Waututh Nation.
The agreement marked the start of a first-of-its-kind government-to-government initiative that combines western science and traditional Indigenous values and knowledge.
LeNoble says the purpose of the WQOs is to inform water quality management, and to protect Burrard Inlet’s marine waters and freshwater tributaries.
Secondly, Vancouver’s Healthy Waters Plan is a 50-year strategy to guide the growth and renewal of the city’s sewer and drainage system.
Using an integrated grey (concrete)-green (wastewater) approach to sewer and rainwater management, it reduces pollution from combined sewer overflows (CSOs), which takes place when combined sewers are over-capacity and release a mixture of rainwater and sewage into Burrard Inlet and other water bodies. Sewer separation is an important part of eliminating CSOs.
The plan also addresses pollution from urban rainwater runoff, where rainwater on roofs, streets and other hard surfaces carries contaminants that flow into the ocean and Vancouver’s rivers and lakes.
Other parts of the strategy are:
- Increasing sewer capacity to accommodate population growth;
- mitigating the impact of climate change on the sewage and rainwater system; and
- maintaining infrastructure and replacing old facilities.
Over the years LeNoble has won numerous awards and recognitions.
There are three awards that she is particularly proud of.
“I received a civic award for young female citizen of the year from the City of Kelowna for volunteerism, a Young Professionals Award for contributions to the BC Water and Waste Association, and the Dalhousie Class of 1985 Award at graduation for Most Outstanding Display of Scholarship, Leadership and Personality.”
LeNoble received her award at the ACEC-BC 2026 Awards for Excellence Gala, which took place May 8 at the Vancouver Playhouse. Some 420 people attended the event.
This year marked a milestone for ACEC-BC, as it celebrated its 50th anniversary.
To mark the occasion, it introduced a special anniversary experience – Studio 50: An ACEC-BC Celebration, an evening inspired by the style, energy and design of the 1970s.
