building culture

I don’t need to be the loudest voice in the room. I strive to be the one who listens, collaborates, and helps build consensus. I’m committed to making fiscally responsible decisions that reflect the best interests of our city, and to bringing partnership, trust, and purpose back to City Hall.

I’m a culture builder at heart, driven by a deep belief that we are always stronger when we come together. Throughout my career in the oil and gas sector, I was trusted with the responsibility of fostering a sense of belonging and ensuring people from all walks of life felt part of the team. Whether it was launching employee networks or building bridges between departments and leadership, my goal was always the same: to ensure every voice felt heard, respected, and valued.

I didn’t create those networks just because it seemed like a good idea. I worked with billion-dollar corporations who understood that no matter how profitable they were or how sharp their business strategy looked on paper, they couldn't truly thrive without a culture grounded in trust and collaboration. These companies brought me in because they knew that if you don’t have a strong culture of trust, you’re leaving money on the table. You simply cannot have collaboration without trust.

Ultimately, I believe culture flows from the top, no matter what organization you’re dealing with. Whether it’s in business, in church communities, on sports teams, in schools, or local communities, people look to leadership to set the tone. And when leaders don’t trust each other, that mistrust filters down. It creates cracks. People lose faith in the system, in each other, and in the decisions being made on their behalf.

That’s the core issue in our city right now. It’s not just that citizens are frustrated or embarrassed. It’s that they don’t trust the people making decisions. And when there’s a lack of trust, fear takes hold. Fear that tax dollars aren’t being spent wisely. Fear that decisions aren’t truly in the best interest of the community. Fear that their voices are being ignored.

If you look at the City's strategic plan, many of the ideas are solid. The problem is people no longer trust the process. They trust what they see. And right now, everything is being viewed through a lens of mistrust.

That has to change.

We need to rebuild trust among council. Already on the campaign trail, I’ve experienced real positivity and camaraderie among candidates. I’ve attended their events, and they’ve attended mine. We’ve met for coffee and stopped to say hello to each other in the street. We’ve liked and shared each other’s campaign posts, because we know a great idea when we see one.

When I look at others running, I’m far less concerned about where they fall on the political spectrum. What I care about it how they’re going to work on a team. Will they build trust? Will they listen? Will they respect different perspectives and truly represent the people who elected them?

I’m not driven by partisanship. I’m driven by character, by a willingness to listen, and by a commitment to making thoughtful decisions that reflect the needs of our community.

So how do we build trust?

First, it starts with relationships. As councillors, we need to actually get to know each other, to understand what matters to one another and how we intend to serve our constituents. We need to start with shared priorities, tackle the “low-hanging fruit,” and use that momentum to take on the more complex challenges together. We need to operate as a team, while always remembering who we serve: the people of Medicine Hat.