A strong voice and fresh perspective are the pillars on which Mike de Bokx is building his campaign for an alderman position on Airdrie City council.
De Bokx said serving on the Airdrie Chamber of Commerce board since 2005, including a term as president from 2010 to 2012, has prepared him to take the next step.
“I think that the work that I’ve done and the perspectives I’ve gained from my roles with the Chamber of Commerce have positioned me well to make a run for City council,” said de Bokx.
“I’ll be taking what I did with the chamber, applying my successes and ramping it up tenfold since City council serves a much larger constituency.”
He said there needs to be a clear focus for the City that is in the best interest of residents.
“It’s not that current council hasn’t done a good job, but we need a clear vision going forward and make sure that it’s true to what we want rather than what Calgary says is best,” said de Bokx.
In his role as a senior account manager with Bow Valley Credit Union, combined with his experience with the Chamber of Commerce, de Bokx has a gained wealth of knowledge and experience when it comes to finances and dealing with the business community.
He has also been on board with some local initiatives through his role with the Chamber of Commerce, including a petition to build more schools in Airdrie when overcrowding became an issue.
“Mayor Brown and a few aldermen came on board with that petition but those are the types of things that council needs to be taking the lead on,” said de Bokx. “We need to be working to form those partnerships within the community.”
De Bokx has called Airdrie and Rocky View County home for the last 14 years and by watching the growth in the city, he sees how a strong voice on council is needed now more than ever to speak up for the citizens of Airdrie.
“We don’t want to be just another part of Calgary,” said de Bokx.
Mike de Bokx can be found online at www.facebook.com/BVCUmdebokx and Twitter: @mikedebokx
