FCM announces new Green Municipal Fund Council chair and members (01/02/2012)

Berry Vrbanovic, president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and councillor for the City of Kitchener, Ontario, today announced a new chair and five new members of the Green Municipal Fund (GMF) Council. All new Council members will begin their terms on January 31, 2012.

New GMF Council Chair Raymond Louie, councillor for the City of Vancouver and member of the FCM Board of Directors, succeeds Karen Leibovici, councillor for the City of Edmonton and FCM's first vice-president.

"I would like to congratulate Raymond, our new chair, and all of our distinguished new Council members on their appointments," said Vrbanovic. "Under Karen's exceptional leadership as chair, those who are leaving the GMF Council this year have built a strong foundation and clear vision for the future. Our incoming members bring with them the experience, expertise and commitment we need to build on those successes and create new opportunities for the Fund."

First elected in 2002, Councillor Louie is now in his fourth term on Vancouver City Council and has been a member of the FCM Board of Directors since 2009. He has served as vice-chair of FCM's Standing Committee on Environmental Issues and Sustainable Development and is currently serving his second term as chair of the Standing Committee on Municipal Infrastructure and Transportation Policy.

"It's a real honour to take on the role of chair of the GMF Council," said Louie. "I'm looking forward to working with Council members and GMF staff to meet the Fund's key goal - helping to build innovative and sustainable communities across Canada."

Joining the new chair are five new GMF Council members who are recognized leaders, innovators and champions of sustainability: Andrew Bowerbank, special advisor, Bowerbank Services Inc., Thornhill, Ontario; Karen Nasmith, managing director and co-founder, Project Neutral, Guelph, Ontario; Nirmalendu Bhattacharya, engineer and planner, Saanich, British Columbia; Emilio Imbriglio, partner, Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton, Montréal, Quebec; and Alexander S. Wood, senior director, policy and markets, Sustainable Prosperity, Ottawa, Ontario.

"These new Council members bring an impressive depth of expertise on a range of topics," said outgoing Chair Karen Leibovici. "The Council is richer for their experience and knowledge in sustainable community planning and implementation, climate change, soil conservation, innovative financing mechanisms, green buildings, sustainable infrastructure and public-private partnerships."

The Government of Canada endowed FCM with $550 million to establish the Green Municipal Fund. The Fund supports partnerships and leveraging of both public and private-sector funding to reach higher standards of air, water and soil quality, and climate protection.