On “the beauty of volunteering”

“You can’t do things alone and that’s the beauty of volunteering: you’ll find like-minded people. Not always thinking the same way, but with the same spirit to make things happen. That’s such a rewarding thing.” These words offer insight into the career of Dr Daniel Moroder FEngNZ CPEng IntPE(NZ), Technical Director at Christchurch’s PTL Structural & Fire.

In March at the Fellows’ Dinner, Daniel received the Engineering New Zealand Foundation’s Francis Small Award for outstanding voluntary service to the profession, along with Fellowship of Engineering New Zealand.

Daniel’s referees were quick to vouch for his contributions – and when he informed them his success, they weren’t surprised. The story of how Emeritus Professor Andy Buchanan DistFEngNZ CPEng IntPE(NZ) – long-time mentor, former supervisor and referee for both accolades – came to matter so much is also the story of how Daniel ended up here. Trained as a structural engineer in northern Italy with a specialisation in seismic design, Daniel discovered early in his career that his real passion was timber. When the opportunity came to pursue that combination under Andy’s supervision at the University of Canterbury, he took it without hesitation. Daniel subsequently completed his PhD, moved into consultancy and co-founded what has become a 15-engineer firm. Through it all, Andy remained a constant, encouraging Daniel’s involvement in the Timber Design Society (TDS), making introductions, passing on what Daniel describes as “the passion for timber”. Without Andy, Daniel says, he would not be where he is today.

Daniel has been co-editor of TDS’s journal since he joined 11 years ago. He has been a committee member, Vice-President and President. Daniel says that the TDS he joined was well-established, but not especially visible. Under his leadership and alongside a dedicated committee, it became considerably more public with roadshows, regional events and a webinar programme. He was also a driving force behind Timber Unlimited, a Ministry for Primary Industries-funded entity that required considerable effort to establish, before being wound back under a change of government.

Reflecting on the impact of his work and what makes him most proud, Daniel says it’s not one event. 

“It’s this general change in the market – engineered timber becoming the new normal. There’s a little bit of my part in that, and I’m proud of that.”

Daniel says that when he arrived in Aotearoa in 2012 there was real interest in engineered timber, but relatively little of it in buildings. 

“Now it’s mainstream, in design guides, on construction sites, in conversations my colleagues are having with clients every day.”

When the awards were announced, Daniel told his partner first, then largely kept the news to himself. Not because he wasn’t excited, but because he maintains perspective on why he’s dedicated so much of his time to volunteering and to his profession. 

“Being acknowledged is confirmation that the work has made a difference; it’s not the reason I did it.”

This distinction shapes the advice he gives to engineers considering voluntary roles. He says it’s not about finding time to volunteer, it’s about being honest with yourself before you commit. 

“The worst thing you can do is sign up and not deliver because that puts strain on everyone else. Better to do less and actually do it.”

He believes that the threshold for meaningful contribution is lower than people assume. It could be organising a site visit, writing up a project or presenting a webinar. 

“That one-hour seminar might take five hours to prepare, but you get to speak in front of an audience, share what you’ve done, answer questions. That’s part of growing as an engineer.”

He can also speak from an employer’s perspective, adding that PTL actively supports its team in sector involvement and considers it an investment worth making. 

“Engineering isn’t just number crunching. It’s public speaking, decision-making, finding compromises. Volunteering develops all of that. Some companies see it as overhead. We do too, but it’s overhead we’re proud to cover.”

He has now stepped back from the TDS committee, a deliberate move to make room for newer voices. He intends to invest the award money in upskilling in governance and strategy, areas where he feels volunteer leaders often have to figure things out as they go. 

“We’re doers, we want to see results. Getting the strategic side right is what I want to work on.” 

He’ll return in due course, though. Everyone expects that, himself included. “We all know I’ll be back.” 

Will Pegler is Marketing and Communications Advisor at Te Ao Rangahau.

This article was first published in the June 2026 issue of EG magazine.