About the Board
Economic Development Lethbridge is an arm’s length organization, supported by the City of Lethbridge, governed by a 31-member volunteer Board of Directors and managed by a team of professionals dedicated to promoting economic prosperity in Lethbridge. EDL Board Members are drawn from a diverse cross-section of the community with the intention of best accomplishing the mandate and objectives of the organization.
As a governance Board, members are tasked with:
- setting the strategic direction for the organization through four-year business plans aligned with the municipal funding cycle
- providing direction, proactive leadership and sector-based expertise
- establishing governance policies that support the mandate of the organization
- hiring and evaluating the CEO
Meet Our Board

President
Kevin Brees
Kevin was raised in Lethbridge and Calgary, returning to Lethbridge to originally attend the University of Lethbridge. Kevin quickly realized that his passion was in retail and shortly thereafter began his journey in management with Famous Players, Chapters and then the Forzani Group before starting with Primaris Management Inc. in 2006. Starting in Marketing and Specialty Leasing, he has been the General Manager of Park Place Shopping Centre since 2012. During his tenure, Kevin has since gone on to pursue specialized designations as a Certified Retail Executive, Certified Leasing Specialist, and a Certified Shopping Centre Manager from the International Council of Shopping Centers.
Kevin is married to his amazing wife Lyndsey, enjoys spending time with their dogs, travelling to Vegas and Hawaii and golfing in the summer. As an engaged member of our community, he has previously represented the Retail Sector for EDL, sat on several committees for local non-profit organizations as well as the city and currently is a board member of the Downtown BRZ and the Canadian Yoga Institute

Vice-Chairman
Mayor Blaine Hyggen
Blaine Hyggen was first elected to City Council in 2013 and was elected Mayor in 2021. He has owned and operated various businesses throughout the community for the past 28 years. He studied Business Law and Accounting at Lethbridge Community College.
Some of Blaine's past and current volunteer experience includes: School Councils, Lethbridge Figure Skating Club, Lethbridge Volleyball Association, Lethbridge Oldtimers Sports Association and The Lethbridge Hurricanes Hockey Club, to name a few.
Blaine's family is his number one priority. His wife Jennifer is a Registered Nurse and they have two daughters: Jayden and Jelayna. Blaine enjoys attending local theatre and staying active by running, biking and playing hockey.
As a proud parent and successful business owner, Blaine loves Lethbridge and wants to see it remain the best city for families while ensuring it is a great place to do business.

Past-President
Chris Stasiuk
Chris was born and raised in Coaldale. After attending the University of Lethbridge and participating in the engineering transfer program, he transitioned to the University of Alberta and graduated with a degree in electrical engineering. Shortly after that, he joined a small engineering consulting firm, Ready Engineering Corporation, in the Edmonton area. After spending seven years working in the power generation, specialty chemicals, coal mining and waste treatment industries around Edmonton, Chris returned to his roots, moving himself and his young and growing family back to Lethbridge to open a branch office for Ready Engineering in 2005. Building on Ready’s core as a business-focused engineering consulting firm, Chris grew the office, client-base and personnel to the point where in 2015, he handed the reigns over to an up-and-coming manager and shifted his focus to business development for the firm.
Since then, Chris has been actively working with various industries in the area, recognizing the capabilities and potential of both businesses and the technical resources here in Lethbridge. His business development work spawned a focus on promoting local, home-grown solutions to technical and engineering-related issues and prompted him to get involved with Economic Development Lethbridge.
Agriculture/Agrifood
John Ross
Airport
Vacant
Arts, Culture & Entertainment
Amanda Berg
Chamber of Commerce
Cyndi Bester
City of Lethbridge Councillor
Ryan Parker
City of Lethbridge Mayor
Blaine Hyggen
City of Lethbridge Manager
Lloyd Brierley
Community & Social Services
Robin James
Construction
Evan Barr
Education
Allison Purcell
Environment
Shannon Frank
Financial & Professional Services
Terry Belisle
Health & Wellness
Dr. Steven Ha
Hospitality & Tourism
Michelle Miles
Indigenous
Byron Jackson
Industrial & Manufacturing
Adriana Mercader
Lethbridge College
Jason Donkersgoed
Lethbridge County
Tory Campbell
Multicultural
Jan Gong
Nonprofit
Janelle Marietta
Real Estate & Development
Ken Harvie
Regional Economic Development
Bev Thornton
Retail
Kevin Brees
Sector-at-Large
Vacant
Seniors
Pat Santa
Sports/Recreation
Susan Eymann
Supply Chain & Logistics
Brent Peterson
Technology
Ed Limon
University of Lethbridge
Dr. Kerry Godfrey
Young Entrepreneur
Timothy Hachkowski
Young Professional
Ian Andrews

Did You Know?
The Lethbridge Public Library serves an estimated 700,000 patrons each year in person, and more than 500,000 online.