Key Influencer - Jyoti Gondek -Mayor ofCalgary

Calgary’s new Mayor, Jyoti Gondek, was first elected as the Ward 3 Councillor in October 2017 by a margin of 2,879 votes.

On October 18, 2021, Mayor Gondek achieved another electoral victory by a margin of 59,646 votes and received 45% of the total vote share in Calgary’s 2021 municipal election to succeed longtime incumbent, Mayor Naheed Nenshi. On October 25, 2021, Mayor Gondek officially assumed office and became Calgary’s first female Mayor.

Mayor Gondek is a longtime Calgary resident and advocate – having raised her family in Coventry Hills and Panorama Hills for over 20 years, volunteered on boards such as the Northern Hills Community Association, Vivo for Healthier Generations, HealthYYC, Community Representation Task Force, and the City of Calgary’s Planning Commission, and worked as the Director of the Westman Centre for Real Estate Studies at the University of Calgary before taking office in 2017.

During her time at the Westman Centre, Gondek’s role was vital in creating a unique program to bring students and industry together in order to build stronger and more prosperous cities. Mayor Gondek also served as an Advisor on the National Executive Forum on Public Property, as well as on Calgary Economic Development’s Commercial Real Estate Committee. In her role as Ward 3 Councillor, Gondek chaired the City of Calgary’s Standing Policy Committee on Planning and Urban Development, and was a member of the Priorities and Finance Committee.

Academically, Gondek has received an undergraduate degree in sociology and criminology from the University of British Columbia, a master’s in organizational sociology from the University of Manitoba, and a Ph.D. in urban sociology from the University of Calgary which provided Mayor Gondek with substantial insights into the urban-rural divide that can be seen within the Calgary Metropolitan Region.

Recognized as community builder, Gondek has received awards such as the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012, and the Angus Reid Applied Sociology Award in 2016. With a strong mandate, and clear vision, Mayor Gondek will be a key political influencer to watch over the coming weeks and months – especially so with the substantial changes to City Council as a result of the 2021 Election.