Lynnette Wray, a local non-profit professional, governance leader, and community volunteer, has announced her candidacy for Cranbrook City Council, in this fall’s upcoming municipal election.
Wray said, “My husband and I love living in Cranbrook and feel so fortunate to be raising our family here, in this beautiful part of ʔamakʔis Ktunaxa. We enjoy the network of local bike trails, time on the ice playing hockey, and the vibrant and growing arts scene. We are huge fans of our local restaurants, as well as the businesses and services in our downtown core and throughout our community.”
Wray says that 25 years of working in the local non-profit sector have given her a unique insight into the many community services that make Cranbrook a great place to live, as well as the amazing support that the non-profit sector receives from the local business community.
“As an experienced non-profit professional, it’s my job to carefully steward donor dollars,” Wray said. “I will bring that experience to the Council table, to carefully steward each and every tax dollar paid by local homeowners and businesses.”
Over the past six years, Wray has been a Director on the Board of the East Kootenay Community Credit Union, serving as Secretary, Vice-Chair, and now Board Chair, gaining real-world experience in governance, and becoming an Accredited Canadian Credit Union Director.
Wray is also a member of the Cranbrook Sunrise Rotary Club, first from 2008 to 2010, then re-joining in 2018, including serving as the 2020-2021 Club President.
“As the largest centre in the Kootenays, the City of Cranbrook needs and deserves excellent governance,” said Wray. “I look forward to bringing my experience, skills, and knowledge in effective oversight, due diligence, and collaboration to the Council table, using a respectful and open-minded approach.
“I will work to grow and enhance a positive, proactive, and professional organizational culture at the council table. This includes contributing to a productive working relationship between Council and management, embracing diversity, creativity, and innovation, and ensuring that City staff have the skills and resources they need to provide excellent customer service to the residents of Cranbrook and the business community.”
Over the past few weeks, Wray has been having informative and insightful conversations with individual residents and small business owners.
My fellow residents consistently identify our City’s high-priority concerns as housing and homelessness,” she said. “These are complex problems, and we need to work together to identify and implement multi-pronged, solution-focussed strategies. This includes creating collaborative, effective working relationships with all levels of government, as well as our local non-profits. We need to focus our efforts, together, to find creative, sustainable solutions that will benefit the community as a whole, offering a variety of affordable, attainable, and supportive housing options.”
Wray deeply values and respects local small businesses and looks forward to working with the local business community and Council to identify and address barriers, streamline processes, and make the best possible use of technology.
“In the coming weeks, I will continue to speak with and listen to residents and business owners alike about their concerns and priorities for the City of Cranbrook,” she said.