Tuesday, 13 January 2015

Ms. Donna Kennedy-Glans, QC - MLA for Calgary-Varsity

Thank You Lord today for MLA Donna Kennedy-Glans, we appreciate her service to the province in the constituency of Calgary – Varsity.  Guide her through the many appointments of the day and give her insight into finding answers and solutions for difficult situations and decisions.  May Your blessing be upon her.  In Your Name, Amen. 

Donna Kennedy-Glans was elected as the Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Calgary-Varsity on April 23, 2012. On December 13, 2013, she was sworn-in as Associate Minister – Electricity and Renewable Energy, a position she held until March 17, 2013 when she left Government Caucus to sit as an Independent.

Donna currently serves as a member of the Standing Committee on Alberta’s Economic Future. She formerly chaired the Standing Committee on Resource Stewardship. As well she was a member of Treasury Board and also sat on the Alberta government’s Ministerial Working Group on Natural Resources and Environment. In addition, Donna was a member of the Pacific Northwest Economic Region committee, which connects stakeholders from across the U.S. and Canada to discuss shared economic issues.

Donna was born near Tillsonburg, Ontario, and was raised on a cattle farm in rural southwestern Ontario, where her parents and extended family continue to farm today. She graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1981 and earned her Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Western Ontario in 1984.

Since moving to Calgary in 1984, Donna has worked as a lawyer, businesswoman and leader in the energy sector. Highlights of her 28-year career in this sector include serving as
  • A lawyer and negotiator with TransCanada Pipelines’ exploration and production company during the deregulation of energy markets in the 1980s;
  • A corporate executive and first female Vice-President with Nexen Inc., an upstream oil and gas company, where she was responsible for managing above ground risks in domestic and international projects from 1991-2001; and
  • An independent consultant, advising global energy operators on how to manage non-technical risks in resource projects over the past decade.
In addition, Donna founded Bridges Social Development in 2002, and served as its executive director until 2011. Bridges is a volunteer organization that brings together local champions and Canadian experts to train and mentor community leaders in health care, law, journalism, education and politics in countries like Yemen, Egypt, Oman, India and Nepal. In 2008, a global youth social entrepreneurship initiative was launched, focusing on training youth leaders in Canada, including youth from Diaspora, First Nations and Métis communities.

Donna is lead author of Corporate Integrity: A Toolkit for Managing beyond Compliance, published in 2005 by John Wiley & Sons. Her second book, Unveiling the Breath: One Woman’s Journey into Understanding Islam and Gender Equality was published in 2009. In 2007, Donna was awarded a Global Woman of Vision award; was named a ‘Compelling Calgarian’ by the Calgary Herald in 2010; received the Queens Diamond Jubilee Medal; one of Alberta’s 50 Most Influential People, 2014 by Alberta Venture; and one of Canada’s 50 Most Powerful Business People in 2014 by Canadian Business. Donna is a frequent guest lecturer at the University of Calgary’s Haskayne School of Business.

While Donna has worked on projects in more than 35 countries around the world, and has lived in Calgary-Varsity for the past 20 years with her husband, Laurie Glans. Together they have raised three sons, who are either attending, or have graduated from, university. In addition to volunteering with local community, inter-cultural and interfaith groups, she enjoys hiking, biking and working in her garden.


No comments:

Post a Comment