Thank You Sarah!
Councillor Sarah Hamilton
I have been fortunate to work with Sarah Hamilton for the past almost 8 years. Sarah and I have very different styles and yet, I have loved the opportunity to learn from her in my time on Council. Where I speak and ask questions on a lot of topics (so many topics), Sarah is one of those people who already has a deep understanding of the issues and then speaks up when she knows her voice will have the greatest impact.
When she speaks up, she has something very important to contribute to the discussion. There are many examples over the last 8 years where when she spoke up, it transformed how the conversation went forward.
There is no other person nerdier when it comes to governance. Yes, that's absolutely a compliment. I know to most people this might sound boring but effective meetings require excellent governance and Sarah showed us over and over again that she knows meeting procedures better than anyone else.
And for those of us in the west end, and even those across the city, she was instrumental in advancing some of the most important municipal infrastructure projects in Edmonton. We worked closely together to get support for the Lewis Farms Recreation Centre and Library as well as the Valley Line West LRT. These projects will be transformative for Edmontonians and I know they wouldn't be happening if we didn't get to work together on these projects.
Leaving a public service role you are passionate about is never easy. Believe me, I have pretty much teared up every day since announcing I wouldn't be running again (I'm even doing it now as I write this post about her). Even if you think it's the right time, the opportunity to serve others is one of the most incredible feelings in the world. I know this isn't an easy day for Sarah but I want to make sure she knows how much I appreciate having had the opportunity to work with her.
Thank you Sarah. It's been such a great experience working with you over these last 8 years and I can't wait to see what is next for you. Enjoy the next step in your journey and please keep me updated about the deep lore of the world of Cars (in case you didn't know, now you know that Sarah is also an expert on the world of Cars - yes, the Pixar series Cars).
