Mayor Chris Warwick has been chosen to receive the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA) Award of Excellence, which recognizes outstanding civic leadership by either past or present municipal elected officials who have held office for at least three years in Alberta.
Mayor Warwick has shown outstanding civic leadership during his term as Mayor. In spite of the unexpected challenge placed on the Town of Hanna as a coal affected community, Chris has led and represented Hanna in a positive manner.
This tremendous uncertainty about the future of the community has dramatically increased the volume of the work for the Mayor.
Chris has readily accepted the challenge and has been committed to educating himself on the subject, meeting with government and industry leaders, giving interviews, and representing Hanna at various conferences.
The award will be presented at the AUMA Convention on Nov. 22, 2017, in Calgary.
Chris became involved in politics in 2001 when he was asked to sit on the newly formed Economic Development Committee and served as chairperson. In 2004 he served his first three year term as an elected official by holding a seat on town council.
Business commitments wouldn’t allow the time required to fulfil the task of an elected official but in 2010, he was elected to his second term in office.
After six years on council, Warwick felt ready to tackle the job as Hanna’s mayor and was successful in 2013 and again in 2017.
Some of the positive development Hanna has enjoyed under Chris’ leadership include: Axia fibre Internet, purchased land for future industrial development, negotiated specific infrastructure for businesses such as Tim Hortons and Cervus Equipment to encourage development, renovations at the Library, a new fire truck, and construction of the Fire Department training and burn tower, just to name a few.
Chris became a member of the AUMA Energy & Infrastructure Committee when the committee was formed in 2010 and has remained an active member since that time.
Locally, he has been a representative on many groups and committees.
Chris genuinely takes pleasure in his duties as Mayor of Hanna but there are two events that are especially important to him.
Grade six students are hosted by Mayor Warwick at the Town Office Council Chambers where Chris presents information on the role of Mayor and Council within local government.
The second event he holds dearly is the annual Mayor’s Garden Party during Senior’s Week. Chris takes great pleasure in showing up early to meet and greet Hanna’s senior community. He shakes each and every hand and takes the time to have personal and quiet conversations with many of the attendees. In order to recognize their contributions to Hanna, Chris delivers a carefully prepared, unique and personalized tribute. It is important to Chris that the attendees receive an abundant hot meal and enjoy local entertainment, usually performed by a youth group.
“I’ve always loved to help people” he states.
Over the course of his next term as Hanna’s mayor, he plans to continue operating the family owned third generation hardware store serving the area and represent Hanna’s citizens to the best of his ability.
Press release
