Public Interest Alberta board chair Larry Booi today announced that Joel French has been selected to serve as the organization’s Executive Director, succeeding Bill Moore-Kilgannon, who had acted in that capacity since the organization’s founding in 2004 until his departure for a political staff position with Alberta’s new government in May.
“Public Interest Alberta’s board is exceptionally pleased to name Joel as our Executive Director,” said Booi. “We took our time and had a very thorough search, and Joel was selected from a strong field of candidates.”
“It is a very demanding leadership position,” Booi stated. “Public Interest Alberta is engaged in a broad range of public interest advocacy initiatives, including the areas of revenue reform, early childhood education and care, K-12 education, post-secondary education, human services and poverty, environment, seniors, and democratic reform.”
“Joel has the right combination of skills, experience, values, and commitment to lead our wide-ranging advocacy efforts in this promising new political context,” said Booi. “He will be working with our many organizational and individual members to advance the public interest in our province, and we feel fortunate to have him in this crucial leadership position.”
French’s experience includes previous positions with Public Interest Alberta, first as the Communications Coordinator then as the Director of Communications and Campaigns. He also spent three years working as a Communications and Administrative Officer for Friends of Medicare, and from 2010 to 2012 he worked as an assistant to then-NDP Leader Brian Mason. He has worked extensively on election and advocacy campaigns in Alberta.
“I am excited to be in this new role, leading an organization committed to fairness and justice in Alberta,” said French. “These values are ones that have guided all of my previous work and are crucial to building a prosperous province that includes everyone. I am looking forward to working together with our partners across the province to bring about positive change in this hopeful and optimistic time in Alberta.”
