Steve de Faria

Starting his career in engineering at just 22 years old, Steve’s journey is one of commitment, passion, and growth. His career began with his love for the outdoors, which led him to the Civil Resources Technologist co-op program at Seneca College (now Seneca Polytechnic). During his studies, he completed two co-op terms at the Town of Richmond Hil, focusing on construction layout and topographic surveying. Upon graduating in1986, he joined RVA as a Site Inspector, marking the start of his professional journey.

Steve’s dedication allowed him to grow from an Inspector to a Construction Coordinator, then to a Project Manager in the Land Development group, to now being Regional Manager of RVA’s Barrie office. As a Certified Engineering Technologist with four decades of experience, and as a Principal at RVA, Steve has overseen the leaps and bounds in our firm’s growth, driving the success of many of our most ambitious land/urban development projects and geographic expansions.

Over the years, he has built an impressive portfolio. Working on many varied and atypical assignments on private development projects including residential and commercial/industrial subdivisions, site plans, residential and mixed use high-rise developments, commercial sites, pumping stations and forcemains, shafts and tunnels, municipal parks, roads and parking lots, infrastructure and building improvements on municipal housing projects, and active transportation studies, designs and construction – Steve’s diverse career encompasses a wide range of industries, services, and perspectives. His experience gives him an in-depth understanding of multifaceted projects.

For Steve, engineering is more than just technical expertise, it’s about people, and connecting to what you design, the approvals, and overseeing the construction. He believes that active listening and collaboration are keys to meaningful, sustainable solutions. He makes understanding his clients and their goals central to the process, and he constantly works with other multidisciplinary teams to propose innovative solutions. Through the course of his career, Steve has focused on building and maintaining connections and delivering solutions that meet clients’ needs.

His commitment to mentorship reflects his belief in creating opportunities for others. He seeks to encourage and offer guidance to young professionals who, like him, took an alternative route into engineering. Steve’s journey shows RVA’s commitment to being an equal employer, valuing dedication.

Outside the office, Steve remains an avid fan of the outdoors, taking part in hobbies such as hunting, fishing, riding classic dirt bikes or motorcycles, or tinkering away on his latest renovation or repair projects. A proud father of three, Steve and his wife also likes to take yearly trips to Portugal, to visit with his family.