In honour of the contributions he has made to the Cariboo Chilcotin, CRD Chair Al Richmond was presented with a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal during a special presentation last week by Quesnel Mayor and CRD Director Mary Sjostrom.
“I am honoured, and humbled to be presented with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal,” Richmond said upon receiving the medal.
“It is a privilege to serve the residents of Electoral Area G and the regional district; it is a role I take very seriously and am dedicated to making sure the voice of our residents is heard by senior levels of government.”
Sjostrom congratulated Richmond on the prestigious, well-deserved award.
“Al is an elected official who represents not only his community and the region, but who also contributes to many aspects of local government across the province through his work with the Union of British Columbia Municipalities,” Sjostrom said.
“He is also an exceptional community volunteer who devotes his time to a number of causes. I am very proud to be able to present him with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal on behalf of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.”
Richmond was first elected to the Cariboo Regional District (CRD) in 1993.
He has served for six consecutive three-year terms, representing Electoral Area G in the South Cariboo. In 2011 he was re-elected to the CRD board and is currently enjoying his fourth term as the CRD chair.
Before becoming chair, he served as the Cariboo Chilcotin Regional Hospital District Chair from 1999 to January 2009, prior to which he served three years as vice-chair.
In 2012, Chair Richmond was elected as the Union of B.C. Municipalities third vice-president during the UBCM convention. He was first elected to the UBCM executive in 2008 as the electoral area representative.
In 2011 he was appointed as a member at large to UBCM’s presidents committee as a result of the 2011 local elections which left the position of third vice-president vacant.
During his tenure with UBCM he has served in a number of capacities including:
• Chair of the UBCM Healthy Communities Committee
• Chair of the Emergency Medical Assistance Education Fund
• Chair of the UBCM Small Water Systems Working Group
• Co-Chair of the UBCM Regional Hospital Cost Share Review Committee
• Member of the UBCM Environment Committee
• UBCM representative on the Fire Chiefs’ Association of BC Board of Directors
Since 2003, Richmond has represented the CRD as a member of the Municipal Finance Authority and was elected to the board of trustees in 2009, and 2012.