The City of Kimberley has a new economic development officer (EDO).

City council was introduced to Kevin Wilson at the onset of the Nov. 14 regular meeting and welcomed the new arrival from Edmonton.

Wilson arrives fresh from a position as an economist with Western Economic Diversification Canada, where he provided information and analysis on “a range of issues – from sustainable development, clean technologies and oil sands, to innovation, technology commercialization, and access to capital for small and medium-sized business,” he outlined in a press release.

The release notes Wilson “views economic development as a means of advancing community well-being” and he is eager to learn from locals “what distinguishes Kimberley” so he can foster sustainable economic development.

Wilson has an undergraduate degree in economics and political science and a master’s degree in public administration. Along with working at WEDC, he has worked with different government agencies, including Agriculture Canada and B.C.’s Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation. He’s also worked for the Alberta Whitewater Association.

He arrives in Kimberley with his partner Megan Purcell, who was most recently a research coordinator at the University of Alberta. They were married this past summer on Megan’s family farm in Innisfail, Alta., where they held a reception in a barn they spent the previous year building.

Wilson said they are looking forward to “the prospects of an active and inspirational lifestyle in Kimberley.”

Ian Cobb/e-KNOW

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