Stephen West – Chief of Staff, Office of the Premier
Influential Icon: Political haymaker
Premier Ralph Klein hailed the return of Stephen West as his new chief of staff with a particularly vivid sound bite for the Legislature’s press gallery.
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Stephen Harper – Leader, Conservative Party of Canada
Influential Icon: The man who would be king
By the time this article appears, Stephen Harper may have achieved the ultimate position of influence in Canadian politics by moving into 24 Sussex Drive.
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Shirley McClellan – Deputy Premier, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development,Government of Alberta
Influential Icon: Farm fan
As the province’s beef industry suffered through one of the worst years in history with the BSE crisis, Agriculture Minister Shirley McClellan still managed to win plaudits from ranchers for her tireless work.
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Sheila Weatherill – President and CEO, Capital Health
Influential Icon: Health nut
As the head of an organization with a $2.2-billion budget, 29,000 employees and one million clients, Capital Health CEO Sheila Weatherill has a lot of profile and a lot of pressure.
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Ross Grieve – >President and CEO, PCL Construction Group Inc.
Influential Icon: Building block
Any doubts about the influence of Ross Grieve, president and CEO of PCL Construction Group Inc., were drowned out by the shrieks of outrage that followed his suggestion in January that Edmonton develop a small part of its river valley to revitalize downtown.
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Robert Westbury – Chair, Local Organizing Committee, 2004 Juno Awards
Influential Icon: Party planner
Although it has been more than 40 years since Robert Westbury worked his way through St. Francis Xavier University by playing saxophone in a Glenn Miller cover band, the 67-year-old grandfather was a natural to chair Edmonton’s organizing committee for the 2004 Juno Awards.
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Ralph Young – Chair, Organizing Committee Edmonton 2004 Centennial >
Ralph Klein – Premier of Alberta
Influential Icon: Did we mention he’s premier of Alberta?
Although opposition politicians and the press drew blood on issues from the province’s BSE bailout dollars winding up in the hands of meat packers to reforms on auto insurance premiums that proposed capping damage claims for pain and suffering, Premier Ralph Klein’s personal approval ratings remain at Olympian heights.
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Raj Pannu – Leader, Alberta New Democrats
Influential Icon: Opposing force
While the New Democrats’ tiny two-man caucus might not have delivered David’s hammer blow to Goliath, their sharp criticism on everything from electricity deregulation to auto insurance reform has occasionally drawn blood from Premier Ralph Klein’s government.
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Paul Byrne – Chair, Edmonton Chamber of Commerce
President and CEO, Grant MacEwan College
Influential Icon: Northern booster
As an academic who is often in the news for lobbying government for more funding for Grant MacEwan College, Paul Byrne might seem an incongruous choice to lead the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce.
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