Join us as we hear from engineers at Blackwell: Brooke Guzar, Renée MacKay-Lyons, and Elishua Ben-Choreen. They will each share their experience navigating a career within engineering and the broader design consultant field. The speakers will expand on their unique trajectories in engineering roles and management positions; discussing the challenges they've faced, and the amazing projects and initiatives they've worked on along the way.

About the Speakers

Brooke Guzar, CEO, P.Eng

Brooke Guzar is a structural engineer with 15+ years of practice in various engineering areas, from moveable bridges to heavy industrial hard rock underground mining applications, sculptures, and high-end custom residential work. She led the Halifax office of Blackwell Structural Engineers for 6 years, developing a close relationship with local architects and designers on projects across Canada. In 2023, Brooke was selected as Blackwell’s first CEO, and she now leads the firm with a passion for strategic planning, employee engagement, and effective project delivery.

Renée MacKay-Lyons, Associate, P.Eng

Throughout her 15-year career, Renée has adeptly merged her love for architecture with her passion for physics and mathematics. Now based in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, she excels as an integral member of design teams across Canada, assisting clients in transforming their visions into practical and efficient structural systems. Renée is deeply interested in all building types, from public buildings to large institutional projects to custom homes. Her expertise spans mass timber, light wood framing, reinforced concrete, structural steel, and fabric and cable systems. As an Associate at Blackwell, she’s been a key team member on complex projects such as The LEAF at Assiniboine Park in Winnipeg and the Trinity College Lawson Centre for Sustainability in Toronto.

Elishua Ben-Choreen, P.Eng

Elishua was inspired to pursue engineering by her passion for creating positive built environments. Her 9 years of experience have allowed her to work on building projects from both the design consultant's and contractor's perspectives. After graduating from the University of Waterloo, she joined WSP in Ottawa to work on the structural design of Canada's largest heritage rehabilitation project—the restoration of Centre Block. She has worked on over 100 projects across the Greater Toronto Area. She continues to be energized by opportunities that bring her to the site and allow her to problem-solve with the contractor and architect to meet design intent.