Delegates capped off the four-day Federation of Canadian Municipalities' (FCM) Annual Conference by electing Magog Mayor Vicki-May Hamm as their new incoming president. Hamm's election marks the close of a successful conference that brought together more than 2,000 municipal leaders to share and explore the tools municipalities need to build tomorrow's Canada.
Hamm has been active in municipal politics for twelve years and has served on FCM's Board of Directors. She takes the reins from Jenny Gerbasi, who completed her one-year term as FCM President today, moving into the role of Past President.
"I am honored by the opportunity to serve as FCM's President as we look to the future and the opportunities in front of us," said Hamm. "With municipalities increasingly recognized as a full, nation-building order of government, we must continue to deliver local solutions to national challenges. In the coming year, I look forward to exploring with our members what new tools they need to shape tomorrow's Canada."
FCM members also elected the following additional Table Officers today:
- Bill Karsten, a councillor from Halifax, NS, as first vice-president
- Garth Frizzell, a councillor from Prince George, BC, as second vice-president
- Yolaine Kirlew, Deputy Mayor of Sioux Lookout, ON, as third vice-president
As the national voice of local governments, FCM is governed by a 75-member Board of Directors that includes Table Officers, a representative of the Big City Mayors' Caucus and 68 directors elected from across all provinces and territories.
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities is the national voice of local government, with nearly 2,000 members representing more than 90 per cent of Canadians in communities of all sizes. FCM will hold its next annual conference in June 2019 in Quebec City.