Considerable experience in customer service, human resources, supervisory and personnel development, Wendy Sauvegeau believes will benefit her as a Sylvan Lake councillor.
Meeting deadlines and dealing with budgets while maintaining credibility and accountability are things she’s done.
While working with Edmonton Telephones as an instructor she volunteered with Special Olympics and the Corporate Challenge. Through that work she was asked to take a position as events coordinator at the City of Edmonton, a position she held for three years.
That included organizing the mayor’s banquet, Clean Air Days, and civic awards ceremonies and banquets. The awards ceremonies were among her biggest events and challenges, organizing over 300 volunteers and planning a sit down dinner for over 2,100 people, all within a budget.
“Every event had its challenges, however, budgets, deadlines, accountability and credibility were always on the agenda.”
Sauvegeau said Sylvan Lake is growing at an amazing rate and the community is changing. “At this rate of growth, we will be looking at new schools to meet the growing population. A health care centre may not be a request but a necessity. Revitalizing downtown with an eye to both community and tourism being able to benefit is a real and, as I see it, an ongoing project. I would also like to see an omniplex to be used for skating, curling and the arts.”
Trying to please all people at the same time is a real juggle, she admits. “Dealing with situations, budgets and difficult people is all in a day’s work for me. Persistency and consistency are really, really important in a councillor’s job. I do check facts. If someone challenges me, I pick up the phone. It’s amazing what you can learn by checking.” Sauvegeau added she also returns phone calls.
“I do believe in the open mic forum. You have to listen, really listen and ask questions — why would this work, when should we do it, do we need it,” she said.
She also believes “just because you have two pennies now doesn’t mean you have to spend them. You have to plan for the future and spend wisely.”
Sauvegeau ran for town council during the last election as well.