Background
My Background
I was raised on our family ranch southwest of Calgary, where we were in the purebred cattle industry. Growing up, I gained an appreciation and respect for the land and hard work.
My wife and I moved to our acreage in Bearspaw over 30 years ago, and this is the community where we raised our children. Over the decades, I have experienced the transformation from a rural community to a vibrant mix of country residential, family farms, agri-business, and industry.
I want to help the County - and our community - manage the many pressures that will impact our quality of life in the newly defined Division 4.
During my 35-year business career within the manufacturing industry, I have negotiated multimillion dollar contracts, established strong alliances and partnerships, and managed complex companies with large staff / contractor bases.
I believe I have the right balance of experiences and knowledge to represent this remarkably diverse region as your Councillor.
Experience
My Business Experience
Built and managed global manufacturing / distribution networks in the Life Science and Chemical manufacturing industries. I worked for a variety of companies including Seastar Chemicals Inc and Baxter Healthcare International.
During my 35-year business career, I have negotiated multimillion dollar contracts, established strong alliances and partnerships, and managed complex companies with large staff / contractor bases. Developed a “common sense approach” to overcome challenges and built strong teams to accomplish significant outcomes. We moved the needle and we made a difference!
My Public Service Experience
Calgary Stampede Board of Directors
Served for 10 years on various Board Committees and helped guide the organization as we developed and implemented the largest transformation of a 100-year-old institution into a world class gathering site for the community and undertook the largest building expansion projects in the history of the Calgary Stampede. I served on various board committees.
- Chair of the Strategic Agriculture Committee
- Governance & People
- Audit & Finance
- Long Range planning
- Stampede Entertainment Inc.
- Chair of the Military Liaison Committee to the City of Calgary for HMCS CALGARY celebrations
Rocky View County, Subdivision & Development Appeal Board.
I served our community for 2 years helping residents solve difficult situations and to understand the rules and land-use bylaws in their divisions.
United Way of Calgary and Area
I have served on the United Way of Calgary and Area Board for 6 years. Sitting on multiple committees, such as the Community Investment Committee, overseeing the deployment of the annual budget to support various community programs that deliver services and programs to the people in the community. As Co-Chair of the Tomorrow Fund, we grew the capacity of the organization by millions of dollars so we could support long-term investments into programs that changed the lives of many people in our community.
YouQuest, an organization for people living with Young On-Set Dementia
As Board Chair, I helped build the strategic plan to scale and expand the organization into a multi-day service delivery program for individuals and their families. We built alliances and partnerships that provided opportunities and better outcomes for people living with the disease.
Lake Louise World Cup Alpine Ski Races, Board Member.
Building stronger communities and tourism opportunities for the Banff / Lake Louise regions. Organizing world class events and leading large teams of volunteers to deliver “best in class” ski racing venues and World Cup ski races. Providing ongoing opportunities for training and events for the developing youth of our country.
National Alpine Training Centre
As the founder and first President & Chairman of the Board, I collaborated with CODA (now WINSPORT) to design and deliver the first partnership to incorporate educational alignment at the National Sport School with high-performance athletic development for Canadian athletes.
Education
- University of Calgary, Business Management
- Institute of Corporate Directors, ICD-designed courses for the Calgary Stampede in governance and business