Name: Ivan Brooker
Occupation: Mayor of Cochrane
Award: Best Politician
Eagle: How would you best describe the first eight months on the job?
Brooker: I would say exciting and rewarding. The increase in responsibility in being the mayor, while very time consuming, it is certainly extremely rewarding and gives you a higher level of understanding of Cochrane. It’s really quite awesome…you get a whole new appreciation for all the work others do for the community.
Eagle: What’s the best part about being the mayor?
Brooker: Representing the town at local events and representing the community at events outside of Cochrane. Telling other people about our community is very gratifying.
Eagle: What’s the most challenging part about being the mayor?
Brooker: I want to be sure that everyone on council has an opportunity to be heard, valued and appreciated, whether we all agree on an issue or not. At times, it can be tough balancing the interests of councillors with everyone in the community when making a decision to move the community forward.
Eagle: What does being named ‘best politician’ mean to you?
Brooker: I was really honoured. I’ve been trying hard to put myself out there, and the award validated that my efforts are appreciated.
Eagle: What’s your top priority for the coming year?
Brooker: The pool. I’ve been working incredibly hard talking to donors. We need $10.6 million and I personally want to get a larger percentage of that overall goal and get our project moving forward.
