THANK YOU!!

To every volunteer, donor, supporter and voter who wanted change you can trust, thank you so much for an incredible experience.

Though I wasn't successful at election, I am proud of the campaign we fought - especially to shed light on the need for a property tax cut to support low-income Calgarians who are struggling at the margins with affordability or aging in-place.

I wish to congratulate the presumptive winner (not all polls counted yet) John Pantazopoulos on a strong plurality of votes. He will need support to be effective in the role. He has mine. I ask you give him yours too.

Finally, let me express appreciation for the other candidates - Inam Teja and Joanne Birce. Both fought strong campaigns.

Conservative.

Experience.

A Record of Results.

A Biography of Jeff Watson

Jeff Watson is running for City Council in Ward 6.

A life-long conservative, Jeff has been committed to serving people, and helping businesses and communities thrive and prosper – as a 4 term Conservative Member of Parliament, as business owner of a consultancy, and as a senior staffer to the Premier of Alberta.

Embracing Calgary’s growing diversity, as Manager of Community Outreach for Premier Smith, Jeff worked for and secured the Premier’s Council on Multiculturalism and the Alberta Black Advisory Council. Excelling under pressure, Jeff’s steady experience and leadership of the Community Outreach team helped Premier Smith’s government vault from 20 points down in Calgary seats in public opinion polls to a renewed majority government – in only 6 months.

As proprietor of Issachar Strategies, Jeff has worked with Albertans on an energy corridor to Manitoba, local economic development for communities hard-hit by the NDP transition away from coal-fired generation, helped businesses and political leaders become more effective, and powered grassroots campaigns to win positive government policy change. Jeff also served 4 terms under the leadership and prime ministership of Stephen Harper, as a Conservative Member of Parliament (Essex, ON).

A friend to the people and to communities, Jeff relentlessly met with constituents, community groups, businesses, municipalities, and associations – at hundreds of meetings and community events every year – to understand their priorities, fight for them, and deliver government policies, budget changes, and major grants to help them succeed.

As MP, Jeff championed and achieved major policy firsts in Canada:

• Priority Natural Areas – a new public-private model for land
  conservation
• A National Adoption Action Plan 
• A National Auto Action Plan

In 2013, in recognition of Jeff’s strong work ethic and delivery of results, Prime Minister Harper appointed him Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport. Appointed in the immediate aftermath of Canada’s worst train derailment, Jeff led a comprehensive review of rail safety, worked across party lines, and was tasked by the Minister of Transport with helping senior bureaucrats at Transport Canada overcome two decades of inaction to deliver, in only 18 months, the safer transport of dangerous goods through our communities.

In 2015, the Jewish National Fund – Windsor selected Jeff as its annual Negev Dinner honouree, recognizing Jeff’s work combating antisemitism in Canada and around the world. Jeff holds a BA (History) from the University of Windsor, which he completed while serving as Member of Parliament.

A proud Albertan by choice, Jeff, his wife Sarah, and family moved to Calgary nearly a decade ago and make their home in Christie Park.