Key Influencer - Cynthia Farmer – Deputy Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services

Source: Alberta.ca

Since the release of Budget 2024 at the end of February, the Government of Alberta has been championing a number of its proposed initiatives designed to tackle housing and affordability challenges faced by low income and at-risk Albertans: $840 million in affordable housing initiatives over three years, $130 million for seniors housing development and renewal, and a commitment to support 82,000 households by 2031 through the Stronger Foundations affordable housing strategy, to name a few.

These initiatives, flowing through the Ministry of Seniors, Community and Social Services, will be supported by a wide variety of public servants, prominent among them Deputy Minister Cynthia Farmer.

Appointed in October 2022, this will be Farmer’s second budget cycle as deputy minister, though her experience in public service extends far beyond that. After achieving her Bachelor of Education at the University of Alberta, she entered public service in 1999 and has since worked in a number of roles across ministries, including deputy minister of Service Alberta and assistant deputy minister in the ministries of Economic Development and Trade, Alberta Energy, and Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development. Since November 2023 she has also served on Alberta Health Service’s seven-member board.